Son of the Sun and Wizard Lizard App Review

Noah is a very smart and compassionate little boy. I am always teaching him about doing the right thing. I teach him to be kind to others. I teach him to forgive those who have hurt his feelings. I teach him these things every day. Sometimes I feel like I am a broken record.  There are times that I wonder if I start to sound like the grown up from the Charlie Brown specials. I get really excited when I give Noah something that teaches him something. If there is a moral, than it is such an added bonus. He is the typical seven year old that likes Star Wars or Pokemon and other stuff that doesn’t really have any educational value. Noah had, I love Reading day at school, in November. Everyone was allowed to dress up as their favorite character in a book. Noah wanted to dress up as Darth Vader, because he was him for Halloween. I said no. Noah reads a lot of non-fiction books about fish, sea life and space. I surely didn’t want to send him to school as a mackerel or the International Space Station. I would love to get him more interested in fiction books that teach him a lesson.

Noah also loves technology. I strive to find him apps that teach him things that aren’t purely educational. Noah loves to read and loves interactive story books. He has so many books that when we go on a trip, bringing tons of books is not an option. I have traveled with many books in a suitcase or a carry on. It’s not fun. Thankfully, there are ebooks and Interactive apps. I love trying them out with Noah. We had the chance to try out SON of the SUN and WIZARD LIZARD. Son of the Sun is about little a sunbeam who was sent by his Father Sun to explore the Universe. The pictures and graphics are breathtakingly gorgeous. Noah loves to play along with characters. I also use Son of the Sun as a starting point to open up conversations about forgiveness. After we played the first time, I asked Noah what he thought about forgiving others. I asked him, if he understands what forgiveness is. I explained that once an apology is given, and you accept. You can no longer bring it up. It’s not something that can be used against someone later.  We both love Son of the Sun.
SON of the SUN and WIZARD LIZARD is the first story in the series.  The first book is telling about sunbeam’s adventures on the North Pole. The main theme of this story is forgiveness. Forgiveness is so important. Saying I am sorry and really being able to forgive a friend is really important. 

More from the Developer:

This beautifully drawn storybook will enchant kids of all ages while teaching an important lesson: the value of forgiveness. Instead of the traditional hero vs. villain story, Son of the Sun teaches kids that sometimes people make mistakes, but can change for the better.
Son of the Sun combines an engaging storyline with unique interactive elements to encourage kids to explore every element on-screen.
Feed your child’s curiosity by encouraging them to roam around Son of the Sun’s intuitive landscapes, while they discover hidden objects, encounter interactive characters, create music, and put together puzzles, all while enjoying an amazing story!
Allow Son of the Sun’s narrator to guide your child through the journey, or let your child read on their own so they can improve their skills.
Features
- 20 interactive slides
- 150+ animations and interactions
- 30+ minutes of unique musical arrangements
- 200+ enchanting sounds
- 15 lovable characters
- Fun puzzles with three different levels of difficulty

Son of the Sun has helped me open up dialog to talk about forgiveness with my son in a fun and interactive way.

Son of the Sun is available on iTunes. It is compatible with iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4, iPad Air and iPad mini.

Helping Children Smile with Operation Smile

Every child deserves to smile. A smile is a great joy to see. Smiles make you feel better when you are down. It makes others feel better when they are down. A smile is the universal hello. You don't have to understand the language the other person speaks. You don't even have to speak. The shyest person can smile. A smile says it all. Unfortunately, some babies are born with a Cleft Lip or a Cleft Palette. It is a congenital birth defect that happens in 1 in 700 babies. 1 in 10 babies with Cleft Lip or Cleft Palate will die before their first birthday. When the baby is formed in their mother's womb their mouth or lip does not form properly leaving a hole. Babies with Cleft Lip or Cleft Palate have trouble sucking, eating and talking. It can also lead to ear infections and problems with their teeth.  It is definitely curable through surgery. My sister's best friend in high school's little brother was born with a Cleft Lip. He had the surgery and I didn't know until my sister told me. The surgery is pretty easy but not everyone can afford it.

Thankfully there is an organization called Operation Smile who correct Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate for those who can't afford it. They go to a lot of Third World Countries where a simple surgery is not an option. Many have never even seen a doctor.  Operation Smile not only helps with providing the surgery but they also provide other services and information about nutrition and emotional support.  The surgery costs typically $240 per child. Operation Smile has a bunch of volunteers including doctors to provide these children with a smile. They rely on donations from caring individuals and businesses. I know that Campus Book Rentals is donating a minimum of 80 surgeries by June 2014. They donate to Operation Smile for every text book rented.  I think that Operation Smile is an amazing charity and Campus Book Rentals is awesome for supporting their cause.

My Most Embarrassing Mom Moment.

I shared with you my most embarrassing moment when I threw up all over the bus on a field trip in the ninth grade. Now I want to share with you my most embarrassing mom moment. As a parent we all have one or two or five depending on the child and the number of kids you have. It could be something like your child said something inappropriate to someone or that they did something silly. Mine however involves me. 

When Noah was 3 months old my cousin and her three kids were visiting. Noah had a dirty diaper and of course I wanted to change him right away. So, I took him to his changing table. I know what you are thinking, he peed on you. No that wasn't what happened. I started changing his diaper and he wasn't quite done yet so I quickly closed his diaper and waited for him to finish. After he was done, I changed him. I went back to my company and was sitting there talking to my cousin. I always play with my hair so I was running my fingers through it and all the sudden. I felt something on my hand. I looked at my hand and it was covered in poop. I had poop in my hair and on my hand. I gave my cousin Noah to hold while I washed my hair in the sink. Her kids thought it was the funniest thing ever. They told their dad on the phone. I was so embarrassed. Thankfully it was my family and I was at home. Could you imagine if I were at a restaurant or the store. 

What is your most embarrassing mom moment?