U is for UMI Shoe Review

We were so excited to see the UPS man today. A brand new pair of sandals by Umi Shoes arrived! I have no experience but I have heard wonderful praise for their product. So when I received the opportunity to review their shoes, I jumped at the chance.

I decided to choose a size for my grand daughter, Alexis. The shoes are in European sizes, but the comparison size chart is perfect. We chose the Tampico sandal in a two tone brown. Alexis was so excited to put them on her feet. She barely gave me time to take a picture.

The sandals have a double velcro strap at the ankle. The colors are like rich dark chocolate and milk chocolate intertwined. They are absolutely beautiful shades of brown. The style is perfect for the young lady who isn't a toddler anymore but not quite a "big" girl.


Umi Shoes believes that it takes years of experience to make a great pair of shoes. They also believe that caring for little feet also means caring for the earth. They have high standards for safety and durability and meet strict guidelines for child-safe materials. As well as being great shoes for your child, Umi Shoes are great for the environment.

Become a fan of Umi Shoes on Facebook and Follow Umi Shoes on Twitter to keep up with the latest on their shoes and little feet.

As you can see, the sandals are a fabulous fit and Alexis is an absolute diva about showing off her new footwear.

X is for Xylophone

X is the toughest letter in the English alphabet. I found lots of cool words that begin with the letter X, but the were all Greek to me.(ha ha -no pun intended) Most of the words that begin with X are in fact Greek words. But they don't mean anything to me.

I pick Xylophone because most everyone had one of these musical contraptions when they were young.We were making beautiful music and our parents thought we were attempting to break the sound barrier. OK, so neither one of us were correct.

But I think that when you watch a child play a Xylophone, it is magical. The look on their faces when they first discover that they are making the sounds and changing the sounds. I have yet to see anything but joy on a young child's face as they discover the joy of making music.

C is for Catastrophe

We are at C for the A-Z Challenge. There are lots of great topics, but the best one for me today is Catastrophe. We all have done those cutsie projects with toddlers. I am no exception.

I found this great Easter bunny project to do with my 3 1/2 year old grand daughter. Many thanks to It's Always a Party at the parkers for the wonderful idea. But sadly, our execution was lacking.


We decided to make just bunnies and not use cupcakes...wrong! There is no support. If we had just made the faces it might have worked. We were so diligent in putting the bunnies together.
But catastrophe happened when we got to the ears. A 3 1/2 year old wants to put it together. She doesn't care as long as it looks like a bunny. And she did a really go job till they started to fall over. "Mawka, the bunnies are dead!"

We were able to complete a dozen of the bunny creations. Do they look perfect? Maybe not. But when you get to be a part of making a memory with your grand daughter, it doesn't get any more perfect than that!

One To Grow On! Kids Audio Stories Review

One To Grow On! audio stories for kids by Trenna Daniells are absolutely charming cd sets that every parent should have. Grandparents too! Your child will want them all.

My children are grown with kids of their own. And I have the pleasure of being able to spend a considerable amount of time with them. I know how important reading is to children. But I am human and sometimes it is easier to let them watch that cartoon on tv or let them play 1 more video game when you're trying to get dinner on or any other necessary task. But with these cd's, we as parents can stop beating ourselves up.

There are 4 sets in the One To Grow On series. The series is color coded, which enables proper storage if you own more than 1 set. Each set consists of 4 stories on 2 cd's. Each set/color teaches a fundamental value, from exploring change to acceptance and how to be better people. The stories are told so that children find them fun and intriguing. Learning valuable lessons can be fun and Trenna Daniells does this with these stories.

My 4 year old grand daughter loves the stories. Her mom put one of the cd's in on a recent drive. Mom wasn't sure that Alexis was really getting anything out of the story. But she was shocked. Alexis was able to recite what was happening in the story. Kids love to listen to the stories. She wanted 'Mawka' to hurry up with them so she could have her stories back.

As well as offering the highest recommendation for these One To Grow On stories, this review is to let Alexis hear her stories again. Check here to listen. You'll be glad you did.

Ireland Turns 3

My grand daughter Ireland turned 3 and this weekend she had a Hello Kitty party. Everything was as pink and as Hello Kitty as any little girl could want. Mommy did a great job! She got a new dollhouse and lots of presents. I think she had a great time.

"Mom and me"
"It's my party"

Modeling the lastest in Hello Kitty Rainwear!

Pin the bow on Hello Kitty

As it got later, the grownups had a little celebration of our own. We celebrated with Hello Kitty Cocktails designed by Karla. It was 3 parts Tequila Rose to 1 part Pinnacle Whipped and lots of crushed ice. Pink and yummy!

The "big" girls celebrate.

WWMKD

I am the mom to 4 wonderful kids. They are all grow now. My three sons now have children and my daughter is only 19 and has lots of time to become a mom. Was I a perfect mom? No...who is? It is the hardest job in the world. But I gave it my all and I must have done something right because all 4 of them are wonderful young people.

What Would My Kids Do? Although they are way past the age of "needing" a mom, I think they would be lost if I were gone. Say...abducted by an alien. First off who would take the pictures? Mom always has the camera when the family gets together and no doubt she has it with her on Mars. She will be taking pictures of alien things instead of her adorable grand kids.

If I were abducted, I think that some of my kids would loose a few pounds. Who is going to provide the open refrigerator and pantry? But then they would miss me telling them to "stay out of that, I am saving that for something." And they would definitely miss the home baked banana bread! I can hear them now. "Mom better not be making banana bread for those space creatures. They don't even grow bananas in space!"

But if I were abducted by aliens, I think my kids and grand kids would miss the little things... a hug, a kiss, a phone call. Does Skype work in outer space? And is there a new app for that on my iPhone?

Being a mom of adult children gives me a little more to offer my kids than the moms of toddlers. When a mom creates a drum with a coffee can and beans for a 4 year old, she is praised and adored. But my 20 year old children can look at me a laugh. "Mom what are you thinking". Don't get me wrong. I don't take any offense to this. This is something else my kids would miss. They would miss my silly little quirks and miss making jokes about them. Of course they would be laughing at my abductors. Wondering what I was saving to recycle into the next best gift. And what about the homemade gifts. Even though they like the bells and whistles of the newest gadget or the sleek new fashions, they would miss mom's homemade gifts. I don't think sending them a vial of moon dust is gonna cut it!

At this stage of their lives, Mom stands for a constant friend, listener, advisor, cheerleader, and grandmother. I think they would miss me being there for their kids most of all. They would miss their kids not having me bake cookies with them, or do little craft projects with them. And especially when they need a night alone, they would miss knowing that they can count on me to take their kids for an hour or so. Or even overnight if needed.

The best thing about being a mom is that it doesn't matter how old your kids are, they will always need me. And I know in my heart they would miss me if I were gone. They also know that there is no alien out there anywhere strong enough to keep me from my kids and grand kids. They are my life!

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms blogging program, for a gift card worth $25. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

God Gave Us So Much Book Review

I received the book, God Gave Us So Much, free for review from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. The book is from Lisa Tawn Bergren. This book is actually a limited-edition three-book treasury. The three stories included are God Gave Us The World (which I have previously reviewed), God Gave Us Love, and God Gave Us Heaven. Lisa again uses a polar bear family as the center of her stories.

Once again, the illustrations are by Laura J. Bryant. Her artistic recreation of the stories are bright and colorful. Young children find the pictures entertaining.

The second story, God Gave Us Love, the story is told by the grandpa bear. He shows the polar cub how big God's love is. It touches on the different types of love, and how they are all important. I was amused at how the love between a mama and papa was portrayed. Exactly the way child would perceive their parents' love. But ultimately, how big God's love is.

The third story, God Gave Us Heaven, the papa is teaching the polar cub the lesson. This story was a little more difficult for me to read because of my sister's recent death. But the reaction of my grand daughter when I explained why I had tears, "it's ok...you will see her again" made me realize that kids get what Lisa is saying. The story touches on death, heaven, and eternity without putting a fear in children.

There are 3 more stories in the series. I give this book 5 stars. I would encourage you to pick at least one of Lisa Tawn Bergren's books to read to your child.

Please be sure to rank my review below. Thank you.

Early Gift Shopping

What an awesome deal. I always Christmas shop year round, but I am always on the lookout for great deals for birthday gifts as well. I came across this great deal at Target. It is a set of 2 Barbie and Ken doll for only $5.00. YES, both dolls for only $5.00. The deal is available in the store or online.
Only 10 months to finish my shopping! :o)

Weekend Recovery

I had the busiest weekend imaginable! I had 5 of my 6 grandchildren staying with me. They range from 5 months to 5 years in age.

Can we say CHAOS!!!!

Not really. I love spending time with the little critters. I am just not as young as I use to be. We made valentine cards, decorated cupcakes, played soccer, watched a movie, decorated a valentine choo-choo train (edible of course), read lots of books, took lots of pictures, and somehow managed to get in 3 decent meals a day.

I found a great deal a week ago. Gingerbread train kits that sold for $10.00 at Christmas time, were reduced to 99 cents. So I picked one up for the kids to decorate as a valentine train. The kids don't care what holiday it is supposed to be for...all that matters is that they get to make a mess decorating something . And the magic perk...they get to EAT it!

The finished project!

Malachi and Ethan eating as much as they decorate!

Ireland and Elijah hard at work!

Little ZoZo just waits for her next feeding with lots of smiles for Mawka!

All in all, the weekend wasn't so bad unless you consider lack of sleep a problem, the noise decibel of a freight train irritating, or the constant demands for a drink of water or a drink of milk a problem. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat! The privilege of being such a big part in these little lives brings so much more joy than the few inconveniences.

I look back on my family growing up, and realize that there was so much love and enjoyment that my own parents could have received in their own lives if they had given of themselves to their grandchildren. Nothing beats hearing the excited scream when you open the door, "GRANDMA!" or "MAWKA!"

And when all is said and done...there shall be peace!

Baking with Alexis

Decided to bake valentine cakes with Alexis. The perfect holiday for a little girl who loves PINK!

Out of the oven...

Ready to decorate...

Just a little more!

Yummy!!!

Zooey wants to know when she gets to eat one!

Awesome Day With Ethan and Ireland

I had a great visit with with my grandkids. Time with Ehtan and Ireland always makes me laugh. They are too adorable for words. Ireland is fast approaching her 1 year anniversary with Type 1 diabetes. As this disease is hard on anyone, it is especially difficult to discover when you are 2 years old. Thank goodness my son and his wife have experience with diabetes. Tyler's sister (my youngest) was diagnosed with Type 1 at 14 and Shannon has alot of Type 2 in her family.

I only get to see them about once a month and I enjoy every second of it. Rthan's new phrase is "It's freakin me out!" And he says it about everything! Ireland has these crystal blue eyes that just melt your heart. She is definately a diva in the making.

God Gave Us the World Book Review

I received the book, God Gave Us the World, free for review from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. The book is from Lisa Tawn Bergren She writes of a polar bear cub who is learning that God has created everything. The mama bear shows her cub that God has created all living things with a purpose. The cub learns a valuable lesson on creation and diversity.

The art by Laura J. Bryant is wonderfully entertaining. The art work depicts the story beautifully and in a way that draws the child into the story.

I would reccommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading to a child. The story of creation is told in a thoughful manner and to the point of children wanting to ask questions, but questions that we as their elders feel confident in answering.

I am looking forward to reading the other books in this series as I am sure so will my grandchildren.