Adorable Full Color Children's Book - Hank Finds an Egg Review

 

The 411 by Maria, Handsome & Goddess:

 

We love this book.

The photos show Hank finding an egg and doing his absolute best to take care of it until he can get it back to it's momma and the safety of it's nest.

Handsome, thinks kids will like it "because you can learn the story by looking at the photos".

He has a hard time as a literal thinker to always get what the words are saying. But he was able to tell me the story using his own words on each page. At 10 while he can read the newspaper since the age of 5, he has a difficult time interpreting it.

Goddess, who can't read well but understands everything loves the book because she thinks kids will love Hank. She wishes we had a "toy bear that looked just like him". She also thinks "the book should come with a bear". Her reason for loving the book is that she "can look at the beautiful pictures and almost hear a story being read to her in her head". She thinks kids will "like the book because they won't need to wait for a parent to read it to them".

I love the book because as someone who has children that sometimes have a difficult time returning "day pets" they find outside back to the wilderness, this book shows Hank finding a bird's egg and returning it back to its rightful place. Adorable photos and sweet story without ANY words at all.

Holy Shitskers I Am 47

Yesterday I turned 47 years old. WOW. Wow...wow...how did that happen?

It's not old, not really and I know this because my grandparents are in their mid 90's bless them but wasn't I just 12, 25, 33, 38, 40...I mean really? They are not kidding when they say time flies.

It was an ordinary day and I did ordinary things like laundry, grocery shopping, took the kids to their 1 hour summer classes and refereed sibling fights all day long BUT....I am a big, big believer in seeing the little things....

Here are some of the photos Goddess and I snapped during our stay over at the library between breakfast and summer school. Handsome was roaming of course.

It started with my husband NOT saying Happy Birthday before he walked out the door but asking if HE should pick up a cake.

My daughter, the last one to wake, hadn't even opened her eyes, in a tiny voice said, "Happy Birthday Mommy."  I umped across the bed to tell her thank you, give her a hug and let her know she was the first one in the house to tell me.

A girlfriend took me to breakfast and told me to order whatever I wanted. Our kids were there but it was so sweet to be spoiled for a moment.

15 fights and 3 hours later, Goddess stopped fighting with her brother and asked, "Can I give you your card now?" I didn't know what to expect. Did my husband give her one to sign and she was taking it upon herself to give me? But...no...it was a card she made herself the night before. I saw her working on a project but it was the decoy to throw me off project. Pretty sneaky for an 8 year old, I am nervous for our future.

The decoy was the diorama in with the cardboard me and her. So cute. I place the card in the it for the photo.

After that she made me a cake. She was so excited to make her first cake alone with me supporting with instructions after all she is only 8 years old. She read the box instructions, and put all the ingredients in the bowl (wish I had video of her excitement over cracking eggs) but I do have one of her using the mixer.

Look at that proud face!

After that we ran out for a few and my Daddy called. He calls and leaves the same message every year which is so sweet. Dad is having health issues as of late and I am saving this one forever. Sorry for the sideways video. I often forget that I am supposed to hold the phone like a camera. 

Teach got home and gave me a card which was placed on the dining room table, when I didn't get to it right away, it was placed on the kids computer with a "cute, here is your card." I was on the phone accepting concert tickets from a friend who want's to give me tickets for a Matchbox Twenty/Goo Goo Dolls concert (I may or may not be going, long story). The card is very sweet and if he really read it it says everything I needed to hear from him over the past few months.

After that we sang happy birthday and the kids and I blew out a candle. It was delicious and I am thinking of having it for breakfast. Is that wrong?

Maybe I should stop doing crazy face pictures with the kids because apparently Handsome forgot how to be just be normal in front of a camera.

Here is one of the many photos my Goddess snapped of me yesterday. I should give her the camera more often, I may actually get some photos of me.

I love this one! She did a pretty good job!

After 130 Facebook messages private and publicly, I had a great birthday. It was quiet but very me! AND before bed I told Goddess that SHE made my birthday very, very special. Kids need to hear they are appreciated as much as the next person right?!

Meet Mango And Minty

These little sweeties are Mango and Minty and we are their long term babysitters. According to Handsome we got Mango and Minty on June 16th (he has a thing for remembering dates).
 

Their family went to Finland for the summer, something they do every Summer.  The kids were hoping to sit for the bunny because it is "soooo cute". BUT..were very excited to get the birds. 

They will be leaving us in about 3 weeks. While I am happy they will go home they will be missed. We don't have pets but will one day. Our pet sitting services allow the kids to have pets for a little while without the cost or the maintenance which we just could afford right now.

The birds are easy pets other than they are quite messy. I change the paper in their cage every 2nd or 3rd day but it is the feathers and seeds that are the bigger problem. It is everywhere. AND...they do occassionally poop through the cage and it gets on my furniture. UGH..They are not trained at all and do get very nervous when someone goes near the cage but all in all it was a great experience.

Bet you can guess which one is which!

You Seriously Need To Read My Latest Beach Read

The 411 by Maria:

WOW! WOW! WOW! I truly love this book. It is sexy, funny, witty and a great read.

Carolyn is a baker, cat person and has been missing her "O" since, well longer than anyone should. Her elusive O has her on edge and cranky, plus she gets to listen to her new neighbor bang his headboard on her bedroom wall all night while he gives a "harem" of woman their very noisy O's. One night when a picture falls on her head while he is "wall banging" she storms over to his place to give him a piece of her mind and well.....the story just gets better from there.

I highly recommend this book. Alice Clayton has become one of my favorite authors with one book and I can't wait to see what else she has written. AND...now after hearing 5 minutes of the audio, I SO NEED TO GET THAT TOO! Check it out for yourself.

Read as Carolyn tries very hard to find her O and her very amusing body conversations and find out what happens with Carolyn and WallBanger Simon!

I am also happy to report, it appears that may be a WallBanger movie. Hopefully it doesn't pull a 50 Shades and we wait for eternity to see it. My casting for Simon Joe Manganiello but I am totally biased because I would cast him in everything.

The Wedding Chapel - Review

I do love me some sappy love stories and have been a fan of many of the Dove Family Approved movies. What I loved about this movie had very little to do with the main character Sarah. Sarah is an artist who has lost her passion. She is empty, over worked and newly single after her flower carrying boyfriend breaks up with her during an art exhibit.  She heads back home to her "hippy, eccentric" mom played by Shelly Long.  When she finds out that her grandma's house along with many other buildings especially the church in the area are being sold. Suddenly she has a mission and works with a lawyer and the priest to find out of the church has a historic past that will save it from demolition.

Shelley Long as Rita is great. We get to see Shelly now who lost her husband 5 years before and Rita in high school who lost her boyfriend in the war.  Rita and Shelley made this worth watching for me. Watching the past become the future inside this sweet hometown story is definitely worth a watch.

Shots Of Our Day That I Just Have To Share

This picture of Goddess is probably my favorite of the Summer!

It looks like she is cliff diving but really was jumping off a rock about a foot off the sand.

Handsome and his shadow had a blast at the beach.

My girl is quite the bouncy one!

Shake Your RDA Of Veggies and Fruit Quickly and Easily

Is it possible to get your recommended daily allowance of fruits and vegetables by doing a little shake? I love my fruits and veggies but highly doubt that I get what I need either because I am busy or well veggies and fruit are sometimes more expensive than I care to pay. Why do 4 apples cost me almost 5 dollars? UGH so crazy.

We live paycheck to paycheck like most of America and sometimes I cannot get all the delicious veggies and fruit I want to. Say what you want but I buy what I have coupons for and I have yet to see a coupon for fresh strawberries in my paper.

For the past week and a half I have used RDA12 daily by adding it to my coffee, tea, oatmeal and even my breadcrumbs when I made chicken cutlets the other day and no one noticed. The website has way more information than I could ever explain so if you think this is something that would benefit you, head over to RDA 12 and read how they create this product.

After reading much of the information, I am probably using more than I need and will start cutting back. You need about 1/4 a teaspoon and I have been using a teaspoon and sometimes 2. I need to remind myself that this is not a seasoning and it will last way longer. The website says that the bottle should last me 4-8 months. That sounds great to me AND it is so easy to use which is my favorite part.

Of course fresh fruits and veggies are always the way to go but if you are not eating enough, maybe this is the route for you.

Goddess' Book Suggestions for Ages 1 - 6

Goddess is going into 3rd grade next month and reading is still very hard for her.  She knows the sounds but has a word retrieval problem. For such an intelligent girl this frustrates her and makes her not want to even try. 

She has been in special reading classes since I demanded it the middle of 1st grade. I saw the problem in Kindergarten but since she has a high level comprehension and knows her to use her resources while reading such as understanding the story, the sentence structure and using photos. This problem was not seen by the teachers, she totally faked them out but not her mommy! I knew it and thankfully she is in class this Summer as well for reading. I see changes. She has gone up 4 reading levels but unless she really wants to, reading is horrific for her and me. As I spend time begging and she spends her time resisting which is why I usually get her books way below her level to build her confidence. It seems to work and as a book lover mom, it kills me that she is so resistant.

We have spent a lot of time reading this Summer, here are some of her favorites. 

The 411 by Maria & Goddess:

We love board books. They are great for resistant readers because they are fun! The pages in this book are tabbed with a full moon, a shooting star, a crescent moon, house and owl. Which is the fun addition to this story. While she knows this nursery rhyme she didn't mind reading it out loud to me.

The pages are beautifully filled with a nighttime sky and owls sit with word bubbles over their heads as they wait for the beautiful night sky to provide the background for their magical slumber.

Goddess read this book out loud and enjoyed the cute owls and their excitement over the sky especially the smallest one who needed one more peek before sleep.

The 411 by Maria & Goddess:

She loved this book because the words were "super big" (her words). She also liked the repetition of the story.  Little Dino like many children is in a biting stage and his mommy is telling him what he shouldn't bite and what he can bite like his healthy snack of cracker, apple and carrot.

Goddess thought it was funny that Little Dino wanted to bite his mom and that there wasn't a single word she needed help with.

We think this is a great book for teaching positive behavior and good manners in a really fun way.

The 411 by Maria & Goddess:

I love the cover of this book. Addison is definitely angry and there is no denying it, just look at that face!

Goddess loved Addison's name Princess Lorelei Tiffany Genevieve Sinclair who is upset because it is raining out and who wouldn't be? After all she can't do all the fun things she usually does like pick flowers and dance by the fountain or walk her dogs. 

Addison's mother, The Queen lets Addison know it is OK to cry and be angry but that she is a princess and needs to take a deep breath, and let someone know how angry she is because she will feel better.

I love this story. Addison is "heard" which is really what most kids want and feels much better. Adorable book! 

There are more Princess books too like Sad, Scared and Happy. Great series for young girls. 

The 411 by Maria & Goddess:

This is a book I read to Goddess and she loved. It is a great first chapter book for young readers as each chapter has about 3-4 pages and color pictures to make the book less intimidating. 

In this book Sidney is the new kid in a new school and nothing feels right until he meets two new friends Gomez and Sydney. 

Everyone needs friends and things will get better if we give it time as Sidney soon sees. What happens in third grade when a boy and girl share a name? Read this chapter book with your child and find out.

I loved the chapter titles like Weirder Things Have Happened and The Cafeteria Is The Scariest Place On Earth. They set the young reader up for the chapter. Getting my kids to read longer books have been a challenge and I think the fun titles and pictures really add to the story!

Get Those Back Packs Filled With Bic Back-To-School Line-Up

The kids and I are having a wonderful Summer together but this is the time of year we start going through their school supplies from last year, downloading their supply list from the schools website and making a list of things we need. While the kids supply lists aren't asking for pens this year, they will be soon along with many kids going back to school next month.

We received a very generous shipment from Bic last week and have had a great time trying out the new pens and other accessories over the past few days.

If you are like me, you love a REALLY good pen! You know the one that you would freak if someone were to snatch. When I find a pen I love, I buy a ton of them and I can tell you that picking a favorite from this haul is impossible. I loved them all. BUT...since I am among friends I think the Bic for Her Gel and Marker pens were awesome. They not only move fluidly over your paper, they look great too!  Why spend a ton of money on a designer pen when Bic is making them at prices we can afford??!

Here is my way too long video about the pens...

My Day At The Bay

This past weekend I headed out to Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn to see my sister, niece and nephew. It has been two years since I have seen the kids and three years since I saw my sister.

For this country girl, living way outside the city traveling there was definitely hard for me. Bridges, highways and loads of traffic is something I don't deal with anymore in my neck of the woods. Plus having two very excited children in the backseat who were oohing and aahing over everything made me anxious. My head felt full and noisy as I worried about directions and crazy city drivers all in a damn hurry.

It was a nice visit, just for the day and my kids had a blast plus...it was nice to take photos somewhere else.

These boats are moored out in the bay and the owners get to them by boat. 

These tables are set up and ready. They were empty all day. I would totally sit there.

There were so many moored boats

Fishing trips anyone? You know when they are heading back because of the trail of seagulls

The red ball was very popular as Goddess jumps in it was snatched by Handsome

Love it!

Especially in B&W

Handsome braved the sun

Many folks were there fishing all day

Handsome finally gets the red ball for a while

a tiny fight over the red ball but it was squashed quickly when it was removed

Some million dollar apartments

 

My boo boo posing for me as usual

A Book All Parents and Caregivers Need to Read!!!!

My beach read the past two weeks

The 411 by Maria:

Every parent I know recalls saying or thinking, why don't kids come with manuals? Well, you need not ask this anymore. On August 8th pick yourself up a copy of Jill Rigby's Raising Respectful Children In A Disrespectful World. 

Open the pages and read about three different styles of parenting: 

Parent-Centered:  Where parents are more concerned with their own agenda than their child’s best interest.  I know many of these parents.

Child-Centered: Parents are more concerned with getting their children's approval than their kids well-being.  I know quite a few of these parents too!

Character-Centered: These parents are more concerned with their children's character than their kids comfort.

I must admit that I fall in between the last two. While I don't want my kids approval, I want them to feel they have a voice. I know them very well and see them for who there are. They are not MINE. I do not own them and realize my job is to make them the best people they can be and people that others want to be with but I don't want them to ever feel scared, afraid, disappointed, alone, sad, mad or hateful. This sometimes makes for a difficult time when it comes to discipling.

However, I do ask for respect and want them to be respectful toward others.  I have always felt respect costs you nothing and you should always give it. 

NOW..where Jill Rigby comes in...she taught me that many parents are focusing on self confidence where we should be concentrating our effort on self worth! I completely agree. She also mentions how parents should be their children's coach, not their cheerleaders because cheerleaders can not win the game. Love this analogy. 

So many parents tell their kids, they are the best, they are great, smart, yada yada yada. Jill gives scenarios and parents reactions showing why something doesn't work. 

My favorite section of the book was about discipline and how discipline is not punishment. This is something I feel many parents DO WRONG. I remember one of my employers who I wasn't particularly close to saying that if you discipline with love in your heart it is the right discipline. This was long before I had kids and it is something I always think when I have to be THAT PARENT. Kids are kids and they make mistakes. We as parents know better and sometimes we have to discipline.  It is something I hate doing but try my best to make sure I am not punishing.  There is a story she mentions about one of her kids not clearing the table and having to be reminded. She made him do his task 10 times. Asking to be excused, picking up his plate and taking it to the sink. Imagine 10 times. BUT..he never forgot to do it correctly after. LOVE IT!

This book is a real eye opener. Less talk. Very practical, insightful and advice that will make any parent say..."I've been doing it all wrong!" If you want to be the best parent you can be, this is truly the book.