What had happened was

Where in the world did March go?!!  I thought everything was starting to come to a crawl again when all of a sudden, somebody hit the gas!  Well, there's a lot of catching up to do and it may take a few posts to do it justice, so bear with me while I try to recount what's been happening in the life of Grammy.

Back in February, I told Papallama that we hadn't been to the fine state of Alabama in quite a while.  Mama Cat had made a few treks to SC for one reason or another, and I didn't want that to stop us from catching up with Jaybird who has been very busy on his new job.  Besides, we're still learning about the area where they live, and that's always fun. So the first weekend in March, we put our banjo on our knee and went to Alabama. 

It fit!

Being part of tornado alley, we were welcomed with tornado watches when we arrived.  Their home is atop a mountain and the view of the sky is just spectacular, especially when storms roll across.  That day, unfortunately, was disastrous for parts of Alabama, but luckily not where we were.  Mama Cat has come to deeply respect weather alerts.  Scary the way it has intensified the past few years, isn't it?

Saturday morning, the sun was shining, and we headed to one of my new favorite cities...Chattanooga!  We haven't run out of cool ways to spend the day there yet!  We started with lunch at Urban Stack, a local hamburger joint.  I can not even begin to describe how delicious their burgers are.  When I say I had the best burger I have eaten in my life, that is saying alot.  I have eaten plenty of burgers, believe me.  From the bun to the patty and everything in between, it was mmmmmmm, mmmmmmmm, crazy mad good! 



See that happy baby? 



Then we went to the Tennessee Aquarium.  I had always heard how fabulous it was, so I was eager to see.  I love the SC Aquarium, the Georgia Aquarium, and I visited the aquarium in New Orleans before Katrina hit, so I've seen some great aquariums.  Of the four, I gotta tell ya, I think Tennessee has 'em beat.  It is comprised of two buildings: one for freshwater, one for saltwater.  Mama Cat and Jaybird bought a family membership, and from the look on Baby Bird's face as he took his first tour, I think they'll get their money's worth out of it. 

Last, but not least, we crossed the street, and enjoyed some Ben and Jerry's ice cream.  In case you didn't know, I am an ice cream addict.  No, really, I have a serious addiction to the stuff. 

And what was Baby Bird into as far as books go?  He is a boy on the move, so books need to be tough and attention grabbing.  He loves board books and lift a flap books.  Karen Katz has the corner on this market.

Mama Cat and Baby Bird had been battling viruses before our visit, so Sunday morning, as we sat around, Mama Cat began to get very drousy.  Wondering why she couldn't keep her eyes open, Jaybird asked her what she had taken for her cold.  When she checked the bottle, she discovered she had taken the night time version.  Oh, well, that gave us the motivation to go ahead and hit the road for the five hour trip home.  The virus?  Well, there's more to come on that...

cough, cough...

Are We There Yet? Are We There Yet? Are We There Yet?

In just a few weeks, Baby Bird will be making his appearance!  Mama Cat is looking great, but she is well aware that BB is getting bigger and bigger each week.  I was able to feel him moving around and he is packing a great punch and definitely not the little butterfly flutter I felt when she shared his movements with me the last visit.  Soo excited to see this little boy!!!

So is his nest ready?  Not just yet.  Mama Cat and Jaybird just moved to Alabama, and while his nursery is painted, there are some repairs that must be addressed before the furniture is set up.  Breathe, Mama Cat, breathe.  It will all get done in time.

In the meanwhile, she was showered on her last trip to SC and sent home with books, books, and more books!  Yay!  I love baby showers that stock the library!  She got some wonderful titles, classics, and new ones alike. 

I gave her Little Mouse and the Big Cupcake. Little Mouse is in a hurry, but he finds a chocolate chip raspberry filled cupcake that is much too big to handle alone.  His friends come by chippng in to take a nibble until finally...it's just the right size for Little Mouse.  I loved the message of sharing, helping, and the wonderful illustrations that tell the tale.  I know Baby Bird will love it, too. 

She received so many wonderful classics.  The Country Bunny, 

Guess How Much I Love You , The Golden Children's Bible,

Skippyjon Jones just to name a few.

If there's one thing my girls and I have in common, it's that we love to plan a party. This was so much fun and was a much needed opportunity to gather and celebrate this bundle of joy.

Now, let the countdown commence!

Is he here yet?~

Wacky Wednesday

Do you like green eggs and ham?  Do you like them, Sam I Am?  You do?!!  Well, here is a recipe from the blog, Babble, that you are sure to love.  You should fix it on March 2 to celebrate what would be Theodore Geisel's 107th birthday.  I can not believe he has been gone for twenty years now!  Still, generation after generation, we enjoy his crazy rhymes, and countless children no doubt cut their reading teeth on his silly stories.  Don't you just love the colorful characters?  Like Thing 1 and Thing 2?  Here are some cute cupcakes and other goodies from Good Life Eats if your itty bitty's school is having a Seuss day.  And chances are high that they are since March 2 is Read Across America Day!   PDub's favorite Suess book is Wacky Wednesday.  His Papallama gave him a book with a collection of just right Seuss books in it and this is one he likes read over and over.  Now that's wacky!!  It makes me happy that a guy like Theo could capitalize on his ability to rhyme and reach.  "A person's a person, no matter how small."  

~Let's remember that, y'all. 

Chapter Two

Being a first time Grammy has definitely been a new adventure.  It is so different from being the mom.  I love the time I get to spend with PDub, and he is my best little buddy in all the world. 

Now it is time to begin a new chapter, Chapter Two.  The one I should title, 'Mama Cat'.  Yes, Aunt Cat and Uncle Jaybird are going to have their very own baby!  I will keep you posted on the milestones, but just to get you started, I can tell you they have heard its little heartbeat.  (Awwww...)  And it has little fingernails and toenails now.  Cat has outgrown her britches already, but you wouldn't know it to look at her.  But tell her she is showing.  She'll like that. 

I already have a book for Baby H, too.  I won it at one of my favorite blogspots, PB Junkies.  Alicia Padrón illustrated ABC Baby Me! by Susan B. Katz.  "Adore me, Bathe me, Cuddle me, too, Diaper me, Encourage me, Fix my Boo..."  I love the multicultural babies that Alicia drew and the fact that she included GRANDPARENTS in her illustrations!  It won't take any time before Baby H will be able to relate to all the activities in this sweet board book.  I am giving this signed copy to Cat, but I will be giving this at all baby showers from now on.  It's the perfect gift for new mommies and babies.  Thank you, Alicia, for getting this wonderful book to me all the way from Venezuela!

Chapter Two.  I can't wait.  This is one time I won't skip to the end of the book to peek.  I am enjoying this adventure one grandchild at a time!

It's a page turner!~

Good Night, Sleep Tight

My mother in law always put the girls to bed with this little rhyme:
Good night, sleep tight,
Don't let the bedbugs bite,
Wake up bright
In the morning light
To do what's right
With all your might.
 AND DON'T LET THE BEDBUGS BITE! (with an added tickle here)
It is one of those very sweet memories that they have grown up with, especially now that she is approaching her 90th birthday.
 
The recent news of real bed bugs is enough to give anyone a bad case of the willies, and I sure hope they don't migrate to the South, but something tells me they will soon join our lice, termites, ticks, cockroaches, and fireants.  Bugs love us down here. 
 

And just in time for their invasion, PDub has moved to a big boy bed!  He had finally discovered a secret his mama at law had known for several months.  He was more than capable of climbing out of his crib. 

 

He LOVES his new bed.  He has a pillow for his head now and still keeps the 'blankie' that his great aunt Bee knit for him.  He loves it so much, he is known to beg for a few extra minutes in the morning to just sit and be by himself in his bed to sing and talk and wake up at his own leisure. 

 

Now in thinking about books for this blog post, I wondered, "Bed or Bug books?"  How about one of each?  The first I came across is Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! by Bob Barner.  Mama at Law is not crazy about the outdoors, in large part due to the fact that is where bugs live.  She has already instilled in PDub the lesson that "spiders will bite you!"  Since we also have Black Widow Spiders here, I am okay with that.  But not all bugs are bad, and maybe this book would be a goodwill ambassador on their behalf.

A must have book for bedtime is Time for Bed, by Mem Fox. It has beautiful watercolor pages and a gentle verse sure to lull even the most energetic two year old to sleep.  It may even put Mama at Law to sleep, but then again, she's an easy target. 

Good night, sleep tight...

Remember to Stop and Smell the Elephants

I am recuperating reporting today from my latest adventure with PDub and his Papallama.  They took me on a grand safari Saturday at the zoo!  This was our second journey with PDub to the zoo.  He went last fall after just turning one plus a few months, and at that age, he soaked it up with his eyes.  He couldn't tell us what he was seeing, of course.  But this weekend, Papallama and I had him to ourselves for the day, so Papallama decided a safari in 90+ degrees would be fun! 

With our little red safari wagon, Preston led the way up the path.  Lo and behold!  Something caught his attention, and Preston began to trot, no, run toward the African giant looming ahead! 

"ELEPHANT!"  he shrieked.  Oh the joy and amazement he shared with all in earshot.

"Hello, elephant!"  he shouted over and over to the two pachyderms.  He continued to gaze at them, announcing their presence to each new visitor that passed by, as if to say,

"People!  This is the mighty elephant!  Stop and give him the attention and adoration he deserves!"

I think we could have ended our safari right there.  After a long pause to give him lots of time to take it in, we had to literally pull him away from the exhibit with promises of more animals, just as grand.  Foolish Grammy and Papallama.  There were no such animals as grand as those elephants.  Oh, we saw snakes, spiders, birds, lions, giraffes, and even a baby orangutan who put on a comical act with a cardboard box.  But it was the elephants he returned to at the end of the day.  It was the elephants he recalled to his mama and daddy at law when he returned home.  It was the elephant that I will never see the same way again.  Thank you, PDub, for reminding me not to take God's creatures for granted. I see them now with new eyes.

So that brings me to the subject of today's read.  How did PDub know the elephant when he saw it?  Well, I believe it had to be in large part because of his picture book of words.  His animal book,My Big Animal Book (My Big Board Books)is one of his favorites. I have one for him at my house, too.  He has been able to do the point to the (fill in the blank) trick for while now, but here I saw firsthand the importance of equipping him with books AND experiences to build a solid foundation for the learning to come. 

He is rapidly adding words to his vocabulary right now on all fronts: reading, listening, speaking.  He repeats almost everything he hears. (Papallama asked him, "PDub, are you copying me? "Yes," grinned PDub.) Between now (He has a birthday coming up in two weeks!) and his next birthday, his vocabulary will grow to 1000 words or more perhaps.  And once he starts school, he will need to add 2000-3000 words a year just to keep up. 

How will that happen?  I believe strongly that books will provide the richest resource for that.  Experiences will make it real and meaningful.  It calls for a grand safari!

Don't miss the elephants!
~Grammy

Mommies Read!

As Mother's Day approaches, I want to mention a few books that are gift worthy for mommies of all ages. You may want to enclose a hankie with them though!

On the Night You Were Born is a book that will touch the heart of a new mommy.  A baby is such a special gift and hard to put into words, but the art and verse of this book put it to song. Nancy Tillman writes,

"On the night you were born

the moon smiled with such wonder

that the stars peeked in to see you

and the night wind whispered,

'Life will never be the same.'"

How much does a mother love her children? I Love You More , by Laura Duksta,is a flip book that, just like love, never ends.  It was my choice for a Mother's Day gift to my daughter her first Mother's Day.

Runaway Bunny celebrates its 60th anniversary, but its message is ageless. A mother's love goes with you wherever you may go.  Margaret Wise Brown speaks the language that children understand.  She is one of my very favorite authors. 

That brings me to one other note of interest to readers.  A previously unpublished book by Margaret Wise Brown has just been released.  I am eagerly awaiting its arrival.  Just like The Runaway Bunny and Goodnight, Moon, I believe The Fathers are Coming Home will join their ranks as classics.  I will be giving one copy away when the blog reaches 100 followers.  Perhaps that will be in time for Father's Day!

To all the mommies out there, Happy Mother's Day!

~Grammy