CHALLENGE #6 - "My Siblings"
(See below for details pertaining to challenge 7's post date)

“My Siblings”. Put together a page dedicated to your brothers and sisters. Those people who have walked through life with you sharing similar experiences, values and beliefs. Journal some stories about time spent together as children, playing, arguing, the things you shared and the secrets between you. You may wish to do one layout per sibling, or just heap them all into one. As always, you can add as little or as much information as you wish.
If you have no brothers and sisters, talk about how it was for you to grow up in a home with no other children. Did you have close cousins, neighbours, or school friends? Who did you socialise with? Did you parents organise play dates for you?

Remember that in our modern world “siblings” can mean a great number of things from full brothers and sisters who share the same mother and father, to foster siblings, half-siblings, even cousins raised in the same home.

Here are some fun quotes about brothers and sisters:
http://www.quotegarden.com/sisters.html

http://www.quotegarden.com/brothers.html

Personal Journaling:
Siblings share a bond forged in the fires of the family home. No other person will better understand your early life than your brother or sister, simply because they have “been there” and “done that” right alongside you. Nevertheless, siblings are more often than not completely different people. Personalities are often poles apart, despite similar experiences. Think about how you are different in comparison to your siblings. How did your early life impact on each of you? What reactions did you have to certain major events?
What is your relationship like with your siblings? How has it changed over time, and for what reason has the change occurred? What impact do your parents have on you relationship with your brothers and sisters? Is there one sibling you are closer to than the rest? What kind of people are they now?
If you don’t have any siblings, talk about how it was growing up in a one-child family. Why were you the only one? How do you think being the only child impacted on the way your parents raised you?

There are several of us that have fallen behind due to everyday obstacles. The idea of this is to have fun. I understand that it takes a while to compile information and pictures, in addition to having time to complete a LO. The family pages we have been doing may require more than one LO for us, therefore taking twice, or more, the time longer. Many of us, myself included, are having trouble completing the LO's before the next one is posted, and even falling behind. I don't want this to become "work" or seem as if it is a deadline. This should be a relaxed, fun time for everyone. I don't want or expect anyone to rush through their work to be done in time for the next challenge. (Might I add, that possibly came out wrong: I don't ever "expect" anything of anyone during this project!!! Except of course to share your work if you please :-) LOL) This is also a busy time for everyone, as the holidays are approaching, and will be here before we know it.

THEREFORE..... I have decided to make a few changes to get us through 1) the holidays, and 2) the time-crunching and numerous LO's required for some challenges that some people are experiencing.

First, challenge 7 will not be posted until the end of November (the 29th, possibly?). After that, we will be doing 2 week "deadlines" until after the holidays and the new year settles down. I hope this is okay with everyone!!

**If you are NOT having trouble keeping up with the deadlines, you could use this extra time to complete additional LO's to include in your book. Examples that come to mind: Pets, School Days, etc.

CHALLENGE #5 - "A Chip Off the Old Block"
(Challenge #6 will be posted November 1, 2009)

“A Chip Off The Old Block”.
Design a layout about the people you consider to be your parents. You may choose to do a combined layout for them, a page each, or maybe even a double layout each depending on how many photos and how much information you want to include. Add names, dates, relationships and the role these people play in your lives today. You can even add information about their parents and early lives if you want to. Go into as much detail as you like.


This site may be useful when tracking down information:
50 Questions to ask when interviewing relatives:
http://genealogy.about.com/cs/oralhistory/a/interview.htm

Personal Journaling:
For this section of your journaling, take a moment to consider your parents as people and not as “Mum” or ”Dad”. What are they really like? What personality type do they have? What would you think of them if you met them in a social or work setting? How do others respond to them?

What was it like to grow up with your parents? How have they affected you and your personality? Are you like one of them? Are you a mixture of both? What emotional reaction do you have to them? How did you interact when you were a child, and how do you interact now? How important were they in your life?

If the people you are journaling about are not your natural parents, talk about how they came to be your care providers. Where are your natural parents and why do you not consider them your “parents”? How have these relationships and/or the lack thereof affected you?

Give a brief history of your parent’s lives.

AFTER THIS CHALLENGE, WE ARE ABOUT 1/4 OF THE WAY THRU!!!! WOW!!!!