Amazon Mom
Book: “Dash” by J. Elizabeth Mills
Even though our girls are twins they have very different personalities. One of the few things they have in common is their love of horses! Both of them absolutely love anything about horses. Lately I have been noticing that more and more horse books have been pulled off the shelf to read and when we go to the used book store they are always on the look out for new “horse” books.
The other day I noticed that Karlie had been carrying this Scholastic book Dash by J. Elizabeth Mills around for several days and reading it over and over. I asked if she would be willing to read the book to me and she did! It is still hard to believe that my girls are old enough to be reading me books. Granted this one isn’t a huge book but it does have four short chapters.
The story is about a little girl named Jenny who wants to participate in a barrel racing competition. She and her horse Dash train really hard for the big day. Both of our girls love this book. If your child loves horses and is starting to read independently this would be a great book to add to your library.
Book: “Gregory the Terrible Eater” by Mitchell Sharmat
Brina and Karlie recently received Gregory the Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat from Uncle Paul, Aunt Mirm, Noah, Noelle and Nadia. The girls loved reading about Gregory the goat. Gregory’s parents were concerned because he wanted to eat eggs, vegetables, fruit, and fish when “normal” goats eat tin cans, tires, boxes, clothes, and other garbage. His parents take him to see Doctor Ram to find out how to help Gregory eat more like a goat. This is a silly story that makes our girls laugh. If your kid like animals or have spent some time around goats they will probably enjoy reading this story as well.
Book & Pony Set: “Misty of Chincoteague” by Marguerite Henry
Book Misty of Chincoteague (couldn’t find a picture of “Misty” and “Phantom” that came with the girls set)
Book & Pony Set – Misty of Chincoteague (with “Misty” and “Stormy” similar to the one we got, but couldn’t find a picture of the first book with the ponies)
My girls are very different in many ways, even though they are twins, but they do have two things in common that they both love…….books and horses / ponies. While I was in India my Mom came to stay with the girls and she brought their birthday gifts. She gave the girls the book and “Misty” & “Phantom” ponies. They were so excited when I got home to show me their book and ponies that went with it. After we finished reading the current book they were going through they both agreed that the next book should be Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry. Every time I would read the book the girls would get out the ponies and each of them hold one while I read. They loved this story about a little boy and girl who worked hard to buy and raise these ponies. It was a cute story that our family enjoyed.
All the incidents in this story are real. They did not happen in just the order they are recorded, but they all happened at one time or another on the little island of Chincoteague. All the characters in the book Misty of Chincoteague really lived on Chincoteague Island. – Marguerite Henry
The part that was really neat about the story is it was based off a real family and event “Pony Penning Day”. After getting into the book you quickly grow to love the Beebe family. The grandparents dialogue is a little choppy to read but otherwise it was a wonderful story to share with your kids especially if they love horses or ponies!
Book: “Who Got Peanut Butter on My Daily Planner?” by Cindy Sigler Dagnan
One of the perks of traveling is that I get to catch up on some of the books I have been wanting to read. One of the books I read on a recent trip was Who Got Peanut Butter on My Daily Planner by Cindy Sigler Dagnan. The subtitle is organizing and loving your days as a Mom. It was a fun and lighthearted book that I enjoyed reading. The girls loved the cover of the book with the little boy spreading peanut butter on the planner. While I don’t do as much with my paper planner these days, everything has gone more digital for our family so we can keep up with everyone’s schedule, many of the principles the author talked about still apply.
She made a lot of great points about the choices we make as parents, especially as Moms. Even if I could afford to pay someone to do all the tasks I do, I could not pay them enough to love, spend time with, nurture, or share my values with my children I love this quote from Cindy Dagnam’s book because raising kids is not always easy nor do we did it perfectly but no one else can raise our kids like we do.
Every day we make choices of what to do with our time, energy and talents. While not everyday is productive it is important that we continue to invest in the lives and hearts of our children. While we as parents are raising our kids together it is also healthy for us as Moms to establish friendships with other Moms. The author gave some examples such as Women’s Bible Study, MOPS group, Girls Weekend Away, Book Club, Moms Play Group, and more.
Cindy Dagnam discussed many topics that were good reminders for me:
- Perfectionism is a load you can drop
- Ask God to help you recognize your kryptonite tendencies….rather than attempt so many things in your own strength
- God placed you in this home with this family for His purpose
- Be flexible and build extra time into your plans. Children don’t like to always be hurried.
- Memories are even more important to your children than a spotless house.
- Live your priorities and the rest will fall into place
These were some of the ones that really stood out to me because they are areas I need to work on more in my own life. At the end of each chapter there is a study and reflection section which includes questions, scripture reading, action plan, journal, and a verse to memorize. If your a Mom of kids, especially young ones this is a wonderful book to read. The author does a good job of reminding us that we are not perfect but with a lot of prayer we can still make a positive impact on our husband and children.
Book: “Gulliver’s Travels” by Jonathan Swift
My Mom started reading The Great Illustrated Classic Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift to the girls while I was in India. This week we finished it and both girls enjoyed reading about all the different places Gulliver traveled to, the people he met, and the adventures he had on his journeys. A couple parts had the girls on the edge of their seats because they might be scary but it ended up being fine.
Gulliver traveled and met people who were only six inches tall, the Lilliput’s who took him as their prisoner. On another adventure he encountered the Brobingnag’s which were giants even the flies were huge compared to him. He encountered many more interesting people in his journeys around the world including the Yahoos, Laputas, Lagados, Glubbdubdribs, and more!
CONGRATULATIONS to Our “Wits & Wagers Family Game” Winner!
The name has been drawn for the giveaway!
CONGRATULATIONS to
Ashley Genovese
for winning a copy of
Wits & Wagers Family Game by North Star Games!
Thanks for making a comment in honor of our Giveaway!
An email has been sent to you with more information*
Enjoy Playing Your New Game!
Don’t forget to enter our next Giveaway (the next giveaway will be announced later this morning)!
*Giveaway must be claimed within 5 business days of the prize being announced. Failure to claim the prize within the allotted time frame means you forfeit the prize.
Book: “Swiss Family Robinson” by Johann Wyss
Before I headed out on my India adventure I started reading one of my favorite books as a kid to the girls, Great Illustrated Classics The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss. My Mom finished reading the book to the girls while I was away and then watched the movie with them. Karlie was convinced that she was ready to live on an island in a tree house after reading the book and watching the movie (although she said it would be ok if the pirates didn’t come).
It has been a lot of fun reading the girls some of my favorite books as a kid. They love listening and enjoy the adventures the stories take us on. This book is about the Robinson family that gets shipwrecked on an island. The family learns to live off the land, build a home in the trees, and their journey. It is full of great adventures as the family explores their new home. If you have kids that love being read to this is a fun book for the whole family. Plus after reading the book you can watch the movie which is always something great to look forward to as well.
Book: “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The girls and I just finished reading the Children’s Illustrated Classic The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. They LOVED it! It was a good story with enough of an adventure to keep them asking me to read “just one more chapter tonight, please Mom”!
The story is about a little girl from India named Mary Lennox. She was spoiled by everyone and had very little interaction with her parents. When her parents died she was sent to live with her Uncle in England, Lord Craven. Her Uncle was a sad man who was still mourning the death of his wife from 10 years ago and really did not want to have anything to do with Mary other then to make sure she had the food and necessities she needs. Mary learns to love life in England and has grand adventures exploring the manor’s gardens. As she continues to explore outside, learns how to garden, and meets new friends Mary was able to keep more then one hidden secret that took those living in the large manor by surprise.
The girls really enjoyed having me read this book out loud to them. The pictures and story really came alive for them as we processed on through the book. If you have you girls (or boys) and you are looking for a good book to read to them you should check this one out!
Lunch Box “Love” Notes
Earlier this week I shared about our “Love Bug” Notes and received several emails regarding where to purchase similar notes so I decided to share a little bit more. Here are some fun ones:
Includes 105 colorful cards and over 100 silly stickers for help you brighten your child’s lunch.
The book over 75 includes tear-out notes with Bible Trivia.
Just tear out a silly riddle to make lunch enjoyable for your kids.
Example – “What’s the funniest place to eat lunch? In the laugh-eteria!
Remind your child of God’s faithfulness with over 75 tear-out notes that you can put in their lunch box. Each note includes a verse.
Hugs in a Lunch Box for Ages 5-7
Age specific lunch box notes to send with your child.
If you have some Amazon Gift Certificates from Swagbucks these would be great to add to your basket! Do you send lunch box notes to your kids? How often and do you usually write your own notes or send pre-made ones? If you have a great “lunch note” book that you have used please feel free to share a link below!
Book: “God Gave Us You” by Lisa Tawn Bergren
This week one of the books I read to the girls before bed was God Gave Us You by Lisa Tawn Bergren. Several of Lisa’s books have become family favorites over the past couple of years. The girls love the illustrations as well as the story and I like that Lisa’s stories stimulate conversations about God, creation, love, and more.
The story starts as Mama Bear is tucking Little Cub into bed when Little Cub asked “Mama, where did I come from?” Mama Bear goes through a simple version of how Little Cub was created, including pregnancy and the excitement of preparing for the new baby. I love that the book mentions how the parents prayed for Little Cub even before she was born. Lisa did a great job answering a common question little kids ask parents in this short and sweet book.
Overall I think Lisa Tawn Bergren provides a good story with beautiful illustrations by Laura J. Bryant. The story gives nuggets of valuable information about pregnancy and babies. The only thing that I didn’t “like” in this book (which was minor) was the author used the word “borned” during the conversation between Mama Bear and Little Cub. Even though I know Little Cub was asking the question it distracted from the overall rhythm of the book a little bit. This would be a great book for those who are having a second child or a young child that is asking a lot of questions about where they came from.
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Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from the publisher through the Waterhouse Multnomah. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”