Oo is for Oh!

Oh, no! It snowed this morning and I wanted to do a

"summer is coming" post.

Oh, well . . . here it is anyway.

Oh, and by the way, you can read or sing along with the song

on page 245 of the Children's Songbook

Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green?

Do you fish in a stream, or lazily dream

on the banks as the clouds go by?

Is that what you do? . . . so do I!

Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green?

Do you swim in a pool, to keep yourself cool,

or swing in a tree up high?

Is that what you do? . . . So do I!

Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green?

Do you march/watch parades, or drink lemonades,

or count all the stars in the sky?

Is that what you do? . . . So do I!

Actually this is my real summer to do list:

1. Go to Oregon to see the ocean

2. Go to Alaska to see the Land of the Midnight Sun

3. Go to Cedar City to see some plays

4. Eat lots of watermelon, cantaloupe, and ice cream

5. Try to post one picture book title/and or activity idea for each letter of the alphabet

Tell me five things you want to do this summer and obviously, then I will have to give you a fabulous prize!

Oh, what a fun summer I hope we all have!

Love, Grandma

Nn is for Numbers

Let's play name that number!

How many hats is cute Luke wearing?

How many Wades are in this picture?

How many cute cousins are chillin' on Grandma's floor?

How many crazy cousins are horsing around on Grandpa's grass?

How many counting books are on Grandma's blue table?

How many numbers on are Jack's blue closet?

How many colors are in Eddy's paint box?

How many numbers are on Grandpa's refrigerator?

Here are a number of other things you can do today

. . . tomorrow . . . or whenever:

Find 1 number notebook I gave you

on your 3rd birthday and look at it just for fun.

Eat 2 treats afterwards then sing

the 4 seasons song or

5 little monkies jumping on the bed.

Take a 6 second nap then pick up and put away

7 toys and do 8 jumping jacks. Next find 9 numbers

to put in Chapter Nn of your alpha-book.

Color pictures, stick stickers, or cut items from a

magazine to match each number.

Then give me 1 good reason to give you a fabulous prize.

Happy counting,

Love Grandma

Mm is for Middle

Did you know that Mm is in the middle of the alphabet! We made it there sooner than the middle of May! Are you midway through your alpha-book, too?

In honor of this momentous occasion, would you mind answering this question for me . . .

Does Grandma's Alpha-Blog need more or less:

pictures?

poems?

stories?

general chatter?

recipes?

book suggestions?

activity ideas?

fabulous prizes?

and/or professional technical support from your smarter-than-me-mothers?

Happy halfway to Z!

Love, Grandma

Mm is for Moms

Sing (or read) this post to the tune of

"A Happy Family"

(Children's Songbook page 198)

I love this Mommy

she loves Luke, Brody and Zach. We love this Mommy, yes sir-ree! She loves Ryan and Jack, so you see, They are both happy families. I love this Mommy, she loves Eddy (and the baby girl in her belly) We love this Mommy, yes sir-ree! She loves baby Wade, so you see, They are all happy families! Remember Mommy this Sunday! Maybe you could make her a meal (and clean up the mess afterwards) . . . or give her a gift, card, hug and kiss! Maybe you could also draw a picture of your Mom in Chapter Mm of your alpha-book. Happy Mothers' Day!

Love, the mom of your moms

Ll is for Library

This is the place where I go to work a few times each week.

It may look rather weird and old from the outside, but inside it is filled with amazing things!

Alphabet books . . . Board books . . .

Cookbooks and Computers . . .

CDs and DVDs . . . a giant Dictionary . . .

Encyclopedias . . . Fairy tales . . .

Good things to read Galore . . .

Holiday books . . . the Internet . . . Joke books . . .

Kind Librarians. . . .

Magazines . . . Newspapers . . .

books about the Ocean . . .

Poetry and Picture books. . .

Quiet corners to Read . . . Storytimes . . .

Travel books about everywhere in the U.S.A.

and places to Visit all over the World.

Xciting isn't it!

You must Zip on over to a library near you

because libraries are everywhere and free!

When you visit your local library, here is a list of things to look for:

1. A board book for your little brother

2. A cookbook or craft book for your Mom

3. A picture book (or 2 or more) for you!

4. A read-along book

(it comes with a CD that tells the story

as you look at the book)

5. And last, but not least, the time

of the next storytime or special activity

Let me know what you find on your next library visit

and perhaps you will be lucky enough to win a fabulous prize.

Happy looking at the library!

Love, Grandma

Kk is for Kids in the Kitchen

Recently there were some kids in my kitchen . . .

. . . looking for something to nibble on . . . . . . while their cousins and . . . . . . big brothers were . . . . . . frosting and decorating . . . . . . and eating their names!
Here are some treats you might like to create in your own kitchen:

Fruit Smiles
Cupcake Garden
Heart-shaped Pretzels
Ice Cream Cookie Cups
Kabobers and Shake-a-Pudding Dip

Happy kitchen kapers!
Love, Grandma

Jj is for Jellybeans and Jello

Spring has sprung.

Easter has come.

Just in case you have any jellybeans left over

from your Easter basket, try this fun project:

Write you name in big letters on a piece of paper first.

Lay jellybeans (or M&Ms, fruit loops, or any other tiny treat)

onto the letters to "spell" a sweet name

or:

Sprinkle jello powder onto a plate or shallow pan.

With your finger, write your name in the powder.

Lick your fingers when you're finished of course.

Have a jolly good "Jj" day!

Love, Grandma

Ii is for I Spy

I was wandering through my house on an alphabet hunt

and I spied with my little eye:

A delicious red fruit that starts with Aa

Something to look at or read that starts with Bb

A time-telling device hanging on the wall that starts with Cc

Something to put food on or in that starts with Dd

Something to crack and cook . . .

or decorate for Easter that starts with Ee

Beautiful growing things in our garden that start with Ff

(or Dd is you want to get technical)

A cute tin animal decoration sitting on the table that starts with Gg

Something to put clothes on inside the closet that starts with Hh

And a glass of cold, frosty cubes that start with Ii

What did I spy?

Now it's your turn to go on an alphabet hunt in your house.

Tell me what you find and I just might give you an

incredibily fabulous prize.

Happy "I spying"!

Love, Grandma

P.S.

Thank you very much

for the happy

birthday present.

The next time

you come to our

house to say "hi"

we will give you a ride!

Hh is for Houses

Houses

a poem by Jean Conder Soule

I live in a house with windows and doors,

Ceilings and walls, and carpeted floors.

But not all houses are built like mine.

Some houses, you know, have a different design.

For instance, the cows on my grandfather's farm

All live in a barn to be safe from harm.

(Of course this isn't a barn and cows don't live here.

Who does live in this house?)

A bird's house is high up on a limb

He lives in a nest just right for him.

(There is a birdhouse in this back yard,

but who lives inside this house?)

Pigs like to wallow in muddy pens,

And out in the woods bears live in dens.

In addition to the boy who makes excellent pig noises, who lives in this house?

Foxes are safe in their hideaway holes

And so are badgers, rabbits and moles.

Who lives in this hideaway house?

But of all these houses, both large and small,

I like the one I live in best of all!

And who lives here?

Your homework assignment today is to play "hide-and-seek" inside your house . . . then run all the way around the outside of your house . . . then draw a picture of your house (and glue the other Hh things) in Chapter Hh of your alpha-book. Maybe you could even write your house numbers down and start learning your address!?

Happy "home sweet home"

Love, Grandma

Gg is for Green

Did you know green is the national color of Ireland?

Shamrocks and leprechauns are green . . .

so are turtles, frogs, emeralds and

the Incredible Hulk.

Green means "GO"

Green reminds me of spring as the grass turns green

and green things start popping out of the ground

Grandpa has a green thumb . . .

Grandma drives a green car.

We once lived in a house with a green front door.

I like to eat green things like asparagus, broccoli,

kiwi fruit and just picked peas,

but I have never eaten green eggs and ham.

Betsy has greenish eyes and Wade has a green bedroom.

Emily's and Great Grandma Hawkes' favorite color is green.

Today seems like a good day to wear green . . .

eat something green . . . and maybe even make a

green collage in Chapter Gg of your Alpha-Book.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Love, Grandma

Gg is for Guessing Game

It was great having all eight grandsons over for a visit last Saturday.

So this post is all about you boys!

Guess which little grandson Grandma or Grandpa

is holding in these pictures . . .

Then guess what the fabulous grand prize gift is

for the person or persons with the best guesses. Happy guessing! Love, Grandma