kidskastleplans

 
 My Dad is 83 and he designed a darling "kids kastle" for my grandson, Blake. Blakes' Great Grandpa, Popo, and Daddy
built the kids kastle and Blake just loves to play in his own special  playhouse with all of his friends even his Nona. Dad  just created four  new special playhouse plans for other families to build and enjoy.

 If you ever dreamed of building a  "kids kastle"  this is the way to go!

http://www.kidskastleplans.com/

The Wackiest Wildest Weirdest Animals in the World

I just finished reading another great book from Thomas Nelson Publishers. The Wackiest Wildest Weirdest Animals in the World by Jack Hanna is just perfect for youngsters ages 3-7. Talk about some weird animals!Have you ever seen a Binturong? Don't take this little fella to the movies because he smells just like popcorn. He's a cross in looks between a cat and a bear and is called the Bearcat.Children will be astonished by the "facts" about these wacky creatures. Included with each animal is "What they eat, Where they live, and How big they get." Wonderful photographs capture the only beautiful-to-their-mother Naked Mole Rats. Now here's an unusual weird fact. These mole rats are eusocial. Here's a new word for me that means " each individual is set to perform a certain function-breeder, soldier, worker - for its entire life." Reminds me of bumblebees and ants but these are the only mammals with this characteristic. This is a fun book to read and share with your kids or grandkids. A DVD is also included with Jack Hanna's Blunders, Bloopers, and Behind the scenes.I plan on giving this book to my grandson for his birthday.

Birthday Blessings

My birthday falls in June along with my husband, two daughters, grandson, sister and Tankene, my new kitty. It is a crazy month. The first part of the month began like this: my dear friends suprised me with gifts on my desk at work, a yummy lunch, more gifts, and my family had a surprise party Friday evening. Here's a note I wrote my friend explaining some of the details:
Good afternoon Sunshine, It sure was great to share some laughs and food last Friday! Many thanks for the dazzling blue pottery and the pink forget-me-nots, so -exquisite- I planted my reluctant-to-bloom, Christmas Cactus in my new pot with lots of rich soil. Did anyone hear my 911 message I sent out over the windwaves on Sat.? "Help Sunshine- I am working too hard in my garden." I over worked my hands and back and ended on a heating pad Sunday evening-ahh--as for the "surprise " party on Friday evening, Trace cleaned the house and made delicious chicken, my girls decorated the house, complete with balloons, butterflies, and sparkles. Blake blew up balloons and put sparkles in some mystery balloons- I had to "guess" which balloons had the sparkles inside, stomp on the balloon and collect the sparkles. Blake ended up throwing sparkles into my garden-- so one morning I may see a little flash of light and "Voila" a tiny sparkle will light my way! My winner's prize was a corn plant! What a blessing to have such loving friends and family! I really had a Happy Birthday.

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Crickets

Blake spent most of the Memorial Day Weekend with Nona and Popo. They were a bit hesitant to tell him "Mousey" had died but according to Blake, " Mousey was just sleeping". Popo said " Blake, Mousey is dead. Do you want to feel him?" Blake told his Popo " Yes" and to his dismay, Blake discovered Mousey was indeed stiff but insisted Mousey was asleep. Some time later, Thursday evening, Popo and Blake buried Mousey in the soil around the Hebe bush near Sly.
Friday Popo took Blake to the pet store and asked Blake if he wanted another mouse. Blake replied " No, Popo I want some crickets!" Popo paid 9 cents apiece and bought 6 crickets for Blake. Blake, Nona and Popo enjoyed the cricket's song all day and night.Tankene, the big white cat, couldn't understand what happened to his sweet " Mousey." He really missed him but was fascianted by the hopping crickets. The crickets were the size of a quarter and jumped all over the cage. Blake scrunched his face up to the cage and imagined that the crickets could turn Mousey's wheel.
Sunday morning Blake's Moma and Daddy arrived early, gathered up all of Blake's clothes and took Blake back home. Nona and Popo decided to listen to the crickets lovely chirping song one more night because it reminded them of the sounds of summer campouts when they were young. Monday evening the crickets were still singing. Nona set the crickets free out by the compost pile and cleaned out Mousey's cage. What adventures Nona and Popo have with Blake!

Mousey

A picture of Sly at 6 months old.

Our sweet little Mousey passed away last night. Blake and Nona looked inside the cage and Mousey was "sleeping". At least that's what Blake thought. Trace and Blake buried Mousey last night by the light of the moon near our beloved "Sly's" grave. How ironic for a black kitten and a tiny white mouse to spend eternity together! We all felt very sad about Mouse's death because he was such a playful little guy.Tankene had finally quit harrassing Mousey. Now we have an empty cage and a little sad place in our hearts. We said a little prayer for our Mousey and hope he is with Sly and Jesus.

Read and share DVD Bible

I finally had a chance to review the Read and Share DVD Bible from Thomas Nelson. Here are 13 stories from the Bible told in a gentle and loving way by the various narrators. The background music is so soothing that I found myself nodding off a bit but that's probably because it was Sunday afternoon. Children from babies up to about five years old will enjoy hearing the stories from the Old and New Testament. The stories are told in such a way that children will probably understand scripture better than some adults. I especially like the Story of Noah with all the animals of the world pairing up two by two for the voyage of forty days and nights. I got a sense of the enormous task poor old Noah took on to please God.I also like "Mary's Big Surprise" about when the angel came down to give her the news she was going to be pregnant with the son of God. What a dilemma! How would she say yes to God and explain the news to her husband to be, Joseph? Good thing Joseph also got a visit from an angel or he might have been an real angry man. I am looking forward to sharing this DVD with my grandson and would heartily recommend it to parents and grandparents of young children.

Children's Bible DVD

Read and Share DVD - Volume 1
DVD
By Gwen Ellis
Share the joy and wonder of God's Word with the children in your life.

Thirteen essential lessons of scripture starring the Bible's best-known characters. The Read And Share™ Bible on DVD combines an enchanting art style with a warm narrator and gentle musical underscore to transport kids back to Biblical times. The bite-size vignettes are perfect for the attention span of little ones, and give parents maximum flexibility to fit any time-frame.

Stories include: The Beginning, Adam & Eve, The Flood, Abram, Isaac & Rebekah, Jacob & Esau, Rachel, Jacob & God, John the Baptist, Jesus is Born, Jesus is Tempted, Jesus Love Children, and One Lost Sheep.

Additional Information
Check for Amazon.com Reviews
Check for Reviews on GoodReads.com
Other Books by Gwen Ellis

Nature's Treasures

We took a nature walk with Blake and found lots of treasures.
Here we are starting on the walk.
Here's Popo and Blake looking for wild animals.
A beautiful mushroom.

January is a great time to take a nature walk.

Aunt Joan

We just lost our very favorite Aunt Joan to illness and aging on July 17th. She was such a sweetheart, full of joy and sparkles, and loved birds. At one time, she owned about eleven parrots and cockatoos. She had a rascal named Ralph and a Scarlet Macaw named Valentine who loved to talk. They were just like kids and would sqawk at Joan when we were talking on the phone. She'd tap their cages with the " Big Bird Stick' and they would temporarily quiet down. One of her cockatoos talked like a CB radio because his former owner was a trucker. In her honor we will plant a special tree on our property as a living memorial. There the native birds may gather and sing their special songs and we will remember dear auntie.

Green Beans and Lettuce

I just couldn't resist planting more green beans in the garden. My grandson Blake just loves to eat the tender baby beans. He tells me, " Nona, I am really, really hungry!" I offer him choices but the only treat that will do is to pick a tiny bean and than pick another...and another. Lettuce is another crop that can be planted now. I found lettuce seeds for five cents apiece and planted some in containers. They have already popped out of the ground after five days! What vegetables do you like to plant in July?

Heat Wave and Trout

Central California is experiencing a heat wave: 106 degrees in the shade. Living in the Santa Cruz Mountains this kind of heat means many gardening chores simmer for another day. The gardens were watered in the cool of the evening and we've checked to make sure no plant was forgotten. It's just too hot to do much of anything but sit by a fan. Here's a great way to get out and enjoy the sweltering weather. We like to go to Henry Cowell Park in Felton and take a leisurely walk to the river. We all get in the river and go river walking in the cool water. After awhile the shore beckons and we sit on the beach and squish our toes into the damp sand. Ahh relaxation! There's fishing, hiking, and exploring to add to our fun. We wanted to share a picture of the first fish our grandson, Blake ever caught. It was a trout caught in Loch Lomond, fishing with his Mama. They breaded the fish, fried it and Blake really loved the flavor. Any good fish stories out there?

Mighty Bee's Great Escape

Mighty Bee, the tiniest of baby bees, flew into the Big House and landed on the window screen. The window was open and the Jasmine vine was full of lovely scented flowers, wafting into the room. Mighty buzzed around trying to make his escape but alas! little Mighty was stuck and scared. He tried to make a Big Buzz but quiet baby bee buzzing is all he could muster.Trace heard the soft buzzing and came over to the window to investigate. There was Mighty, trying to be brave but starting to lose his courage. Trace understood his plight, put out his finger, and little Mighty Bee crawled to safety. Steady Mighty Bee soon you'll be free and sure enough Trace opened the door and gingerly set Mighty down. He scampered onto the flower and felt the soft velvet petunia blossum underneath his baby bee feet. Soon he was sipping the sweet nectar and the dark memory of the Big House dimmed. Mighty Bee was finally safe!

Children's Stories

Blake visited us Friday evening and told us the following story: He has a cat named Kat-Cha that only eats pickles. We asked him what he thought of various family members and he reported that: Popo is a Milkhead, Nona is a Fly-Cat, Greatgrandma is a Flower, Mamma is a Jungle Gym. Where he comes up with these ideas is a mystery but it shows the enormous imagination of young children. I found an interesting Blog from Terra and it pertains to children and writing.

http://carmaswindow.blogspot.com/

Seeds to Sprouts

Great news! Last night I noticed that the marigold seeds I planted a week ago have germinated. My new trick is to place the newly planted seeds in a potting soil/sand mix on top of my fireplace hearth. The extra heat seems to cause earlier seed germination. This reminds me of an experiment I did when I took Ornamental Horticulture at Foothill College. The class was called "Nursery Practices" (or something very close) and I experimented with using different temperatures of water to water my seedlings. What do you think was the optimum temperature for rapid growth? I'll answer this next posting.

This is a picture of my grandson, Blake, getting ready to help his Nona and Popo sweep the deck