Truth Time: It's About Truth and It's About Time

2010 is starting off well for us at Answers In Motion and our star product Thumball. Customers are coming to us from big business in search of ways to improve the office atmosphere. Administrators and teachers need a way to make parents more comfortable at school events; Educators report that "Our students are crazy about playing Thumball and knowing they will get to play motivates them and improves their classroom behavior." All this from a ball? Yes! Proving again that sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.

Everywhere I look, everywhere I go I see more and more honesty coming through from friends, family and colleagues. Less of trying to get over on someone for a better deal and more about establishing relationships based on trust. The economic conditions still touch our company daily with our buyers needing more time to pay. We talk with them about it and when they are direct and honest and forthright we can't help but say Yes. At times this puts our own business at risk but then the magic happens and a new order arrives or an old unpaid invoice appears and is paid promptly. Fear holds us back from trusting but every time I take the risk it pays off. Sometimes the wait for that return is longer than we like but we stay the course and remain in our own truth.

President Obama stated some difficult truths during the State of The Union address further setting the tone for an outstanding new year, The Year of Truth and the growth from that alone will improve hearts, minds and ultimately the economy. And that's The Truth.

More Conversation Starters Requested: New Thumball Designs Answer The Need

Answers In Motion announces three new Thumball designs in production and available in March 2010. Trainers, teachers, parents and counselors requested more designs that encourage people to share personal stories and reflect on life experiences. Creators Mary and Gregg Pembleton agreed that the more we know about each other, the more we can understand each other.

• Entertainment Talk encourages players to discuss and share ideas about books, film and television.
• Best, Worst First allows players to share stories about events such as weddings or job interviews and choose to tell about their first, best or worst experience on that subject.
• People, Places and Things offers open-ended Who, Where and What questions to stimulate creative thinking and interesting discussions.

Our retailers are excited to increase their Thumball offerings. Human Resource trainers, elder-care staff, special education teachers and families are eager to use the new Thumballs at work, school and home to get everybody talking, laughing and sharing a piece of themselves while learning about others.

What's A Cathedral Got To Do With Me? The Invisible Mom

*Invisible Mother...... *

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'
Obviously, No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor,
or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at
all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom . Some days I am only a pair of hands,
nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated sum a cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going; she's going; she is gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England .. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in.
I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.'
It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe .. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: /'To My Dear Friend, with admiration for the greatness of what you are
building when no one sees.' /

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:
No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the
cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny
bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are
you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be
covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied,
'Because God sees' I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place.

It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you. I see the
sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act
of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've
baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a
great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life.
It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on.
The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend
he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4
in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a
turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That
would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him
to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his
friend, to add, 'you're going to love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right.
And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Great Job, MOM! Share this with all the Invisible Mom s you know...*I just did.*
Hope this encourages you when the going gets tough as it sometimes does..
We never know what our finished products will turn out to be because of our perseverance.
Erin Burgdorf
    erinburgdorf@mac.com <mailto:erinburgdorf@mac.com>

Thumball Featured in The Official Alibaba.com Success Guide

Mary and Gregg Pembleton, founders of Answers In Motion LLC and creators of the educational game, Thumball are honored to have been included in a new book. Written by Brad and Debra Schepp, The Official Alibaba.com Success Guide explains the way to successfully source and sell products through the comprehensive and easy to use web site Alibaba.com.

http://tinyurl.com/y87ddvy

The story of Thumball's beginnings and the road The Pembletons followed to success are described in detail. Quotes through out the book help guide new entrepreneurs, inventors and business owners in safe practices and effective strategies. A great new publication for current information and inspiring stories.

Generosity, the True Santa

Happy Holidays To ALL! The magic is in the air and the stress is in the mall. The financial picture has eased it seems and consumerism rules but generosity is plentiful too. The holidays may get people crazy with finding the perfect gift and believing it is of critical importance but fear not. People always find a way to give to others of their time, money, gifts and love.

The magic is evident when you donate a warm coat, drop off a new toy, choose a family to give to instead of office gift exchanges, share your favorite family cookie recipe, say a prayer of thanks and bring out those ornaments that bring back some warm memories. Sometimes the holidays heal old family wounds and bring hearts once thought gone forever back into the fold.

We at Answers In Motion make a point of donating all year long to needy organizations that can utilize our star product Thumball in a meaningful way. We go further in December and give larger donations to special places where children, the aging and the ill reside. A feeling grows inside of us and a Santa like fullness is our experience. Christmas would be meaningless to us without generosity and it can fill you up better than cookies and milk but the holidays would not be the same without those either.

Wild About Wordle

Have some fun with fonts, text, color and layout. Create your own WORDLE for learning, marketing, creative thinking and fun! The more often a word is used the larger it appears. Download text or enter your own. Try the randomize button to see many fun combinations. I can't get enough of Wordle and think you will like it too.

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Is Teaching Classic Tales & Fables Still Relevant?

Whenever I get together with my friends from my teaching days the conversation leads to children and what they know and don't know. Often we speak of the classic nursery rhymes, Aesop's fables and fairy tales and how few students seem to know them. We are always amazed at their ability to comprehend technology from a tender age but comprehension of even The Three Little Pigs, Bears or Billy Goats can be surprisingly absent.

I was in the public schools for many years and educational trends can be a blessing and a curse. In our attempt to build literacy skills from a young age, the issue of writing became a major focus. The idea that the earlier we start children in the writing processes the better. So for even with our youngest learners in Pre-K, K and First grade we have established story writing centers for students to put into words their life experiences and ideas. But what if we have not established the story base from which to build. Are their own "stories" relevant before they have the ability to recite a nursery rhyme, sequence a story and act out a fairy tale?

As a speech pathologist I have held a theory that if a child can't express in words what they are learning and why they are not getting the full benefit. My teaching friends tell story upon story of fourth and Fifth grade children that cannot summarize a simple childhood story like Jack and The Beanstalk or The Boy Who Cried Wolf. This can be due to underdeveloped expressive language skills or unfamiliarity with the story but either way it needs to be remedied. Students do better with Fairy Tales due to Disney's proliferation of films but they are relating visual images not recall of the spoken or written word and there is a profound difference.

Classic stories teach values and rhythm of speech and help children build a foundation of general knowledge. Only then can they transfer their own ideas into a story. The curriculum is bulging in schools and truth be told there is no conceivable way for teachers to cover all of it. Old time activities are falling off the list and it is adding to the culture of technology first and verbal communication skills second.

Story exposure is not the sole responsibility of teachers and parents could do tremendous good in their child's development by consistently having reading time from a young age and covering the classics. Some teachers and parents are indeed managing to do this and do see the benefits. As a society we might do well to worry less about early writing and more about the love of reading for pleasure and the spark of imagination a classic story brings.

MARYTHUMBALL | Gregg

MARYTHUMBALL | Gregg & Mary Pembleton,Thumball, Answers In Motion center stage APEC SME Business Summit, 9/11/09, Hangzhou, China http://tinyurl.com/lrryay

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Thumball Adds Fun To Busy Blended Family Life

One heartfelt Thumball™ testimonial can make our whole day here at Answers In Motion!

"I wanted to let you know how much fun we have with your Thumballs! I can’t tell you how many hours of laughter these little balls have brought to our house. We have a blended family with seven children and a revolving door of friends and family members. It’s not uncommon that when we are gathered in the family room after dinner, someone will pick up a nearby Thumball and start the game rolling. We love the ice breaker questions and the simple ABC ball has sparked many types of games such as categories. Some of the categories that people can come up with are real side splitters! It really sparks the imagination. These simple little inexpensive toys are great for people of all ages. We were discussing the balls last night and my sister, who is a teacher, is now going to add one to her classroom!"  Thanks for all the fun! Jo Green, Owner The Green Clean Team, NJ

Answers iN Motion ThankTDmonthly Magazine For Thumball Review

Well spoken associate from TDmonthly magazine describes Meet and Greet Thumball by Answers In Motion and it's benefits.
http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/video/video.asp?clip=20453

TDmonthly magazine associate has some fun with Move Your Body Thumball. http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/video/video.asp?clip=20007

It never gets old seeing how people respond to Thumball products. One thing always stays the same the smiles, the enthusiasm and the surprise at what a simple ball can do!

Scholastic Book Club Memories & Thumball's Future

Thumball is catching on and every new account is still exciting for us. Today we found out we are in the SCHOLASTIC Book Club Classroom Rewards Catalog. Only 425 bonus points needed. A Choice of 2 designs, Move Your Body Thumball or Parts of A Story Thumball.

See Scholastic Book Clubs are my fondest school memories. Place order, wait weeks but oh so worth the wait. New books! For our product to be available as an incentive for Teacher's to receive makes me proud.

I feel connected to the Educational market. Thumball is meaningful in every setting whether family game, training tool or custom marketing approach but education is where Thumball started and will always be where my heart is.

Those paper thin, crinkly 4 page Scholastic book club order forms were like the Sears catalog to me. I would read every selection and making my final choice was always difficult. I hope today's teachers will make Thumball one of their reward choices and will lead them to all 19 Thumball designs.

I love books, I love rewards, I love Scholastic and as big a corporation as they are they can still reach little girl's and boy's hearts and minds and maybe a big girl's heart too.

The Pineapple Souffle, Stuffing, Side Dish Everyone Wants

The Pineapple Souffle, Stuffing, Side Dish Everyone Wants
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a square baking dish(glass 9x9 is best) but smaller or metal can work.
Ingredients: 20 oz can CRUSHED Pineapple
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter cut in 8 pats
4 eggs, beaten lightly
6 slices white bread cut in 1-inch squares
Toss all ingredients together in large bowl. Pour into baking dish. Check that butter pats are evenly distributed. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Variations: Use any whole wheat or any bread you like. Slightly stale is best.
Use less sugar, top with brown sugar.
Decorate top with a few maraschino cherries or pineapple slices
Perfect with Ham, pork, turkey, chicken.
You can cream the butter and sugar but it is not required.

Alibaba.com Gives Answers iN Motion Generous Gift!

The Business 2 Business global web site Alibaba.com has been one of our company's most important relationships. Nearly 4 years ago we located the primary suppliers we still use today through Alibaba.com . We have gladly shared our positive experience using their services. It has resulted in Answers In Motion being featured as part of a 4 page adve-torial in INC and Fast Company magazines (June09 issues).

We were interviewed for a new book about Alibaba, their origins and how to best use their services. We even video taped a happy 10th Birthday message to celebrate their anniversary date. Our biggest surprise came last week when they invited us to be apart of their annual ALiFest a Business Summit and trade show.

Alibaba.com offered us this opportunity at no cost to us and then we discovered the event is in China!! So in a month's time we will be flying around the world to participate in AliFest, experience a culture unknown to us and get to meet our suppliers personally. These wonderful people email weekly and call when needed and make top quality Thumball products for us. They are kind and cooperative and it will be a real pleasure to thank them in person.

The world of an entrepreneur is risky, tumultuous, rewarding and at times full of surprises. This is a wonderful surprise and an exciting opportunity and we give thanks to Alibaba and the universe for this experience.

Play It Smart with Thumball

Play It Smart with Thumball by Answers In Motion: "The Smart Balls" for Learning through Play! www.thumball.com

1. Meet & Greet Thumball for Family Reunions & Home Product Parties: provides thoughtful questions that stimulate interesting and fun conversations.
2. Ice Breaker Thumball for More Memorable Meetings: fun, easy way to increase employee participation & attention at trainings.
3. Virtues & Values Thumball for Building Self Esteem: encourages self-reflection on personal characteristics. How do you see yourself and how do others see you?
4. Category Mania Thumball helps "It's on the Tip of My Tongue" disorder: practice word finding with ease. Kids build vocabularies and older adults keep their brains sharp.
   
5. Emotion Mania Thumball for all including those with Asperger's: practice understanding and using facial expressions. Expands emotional intelligence.
6. Who Are You Thumball for all particularly those with Autism: fun way to socialize, turn take & make casual eye contact.
7. Move Your Body Thumball for Getting Active: teaches verbs, adverbs, body language & fitness. Act out each direction in reps of 3 to 5 for an entertaining work out.
8. Answer Mania Thumball for Making Silly or Serious Decisions: ask it any yes/no question and it helps you know what to do or not to do!
9. Thumball Literacy Set for Better Reading Comprehension: reinforces story elements (plot, conflict) and provides practice in retelling classic tales.
10. My ABCs or Letter Mania Thumballs for Learning Letter Sounds: enhances phonological skills essential to reading development.
11. Numbers Thumball for developing Math skills: count, learn 1 to 1 correspondence, practice math equations. Throw it twice and add, subtract or multiply!
12. Shapes Thumball for Early Cognitive Learning: develops visual perception, language skills and introduces prefixes.
13. Animals Thumball for Early Language Learning: develops naming skills, expands animal descriptions, perfect for Old McDonald sing along.
14. Catch Peace Thumball for Promoting Peace Around The World: increases cultural awareness and discussion of current events.
15. Soccer Mania Thumball for teaching skills & coaching: makes drills more fun, stimulates discussions about the match and reinforces rules & terms.
16. Love Always Thumball for showing you care: learn to say, “I love you.” in 10 languages and reflect on 20 quotes about love. Great for anniversary, wedding, showers, Valentine’s Day.
    

Thumball Bible Set Arriving in August 2009.
Baseball Thumball, Full Deck Thumball and Football Thumball soon to follow!

Thumball Now Available at target.com

Answers In Motion and Talicor/Aristoplay are pleased to announce Three Thumball Designs Now Available online at Target.com. Shapes, Animals and Ice Breaker Thumballs are the first offerings of major retailer Target. They have a great, easy to use website making it simple to purchase Thumballs.

Shapes and Animals are the ideal toddler gift, teacher gift or baby shower present. Ice Breaker is the most popular Thumball design and is perfect to bring to work, parties, family reunions, senior centers and trainings. Everyone will be talking and interacting in seconds.

Thumball has increased exposure, brand recognition and easier availability which means greater growth and new products to come. Our perfect aim has hit the bull's eye.