Nn is for Names

March has Celebrate Your Name Week

Names are nice. That is how people know who you are.
Celebrate your name this week by reading a nice name book such as
"Chrysanthemum" by Kevin Henkes
"My Name is Not Alexander" by Jennifer Fosberry
"Name That Dog!" by Peggy Archer
"A Porcupine Named Fluffy" by Helen Lester

Celebrate your name by writing it in a creative way
with cookie dough . . . or with fruit loops . . . or with M&Ms
. . . or in pudding . . . or with cut out letters from a magazine
. . . or with pipe cleaners . . . or with play dough . . . or with paint
. . . or with legoes . . . or with spaghetti noodles!

Or celebrate by playing "Name That Cousin!"

Name that cousin . . .
1. Who chopped 20 onions for a science fair project
Zachary
2. Who loves his two middle fingers when he is tired or hungry
Nash
3. Who survived having a tooth pulled by the dentist
Brody
4. Who loves to play with doors and the utensils in the dishwasher
Owen
5. Who played his first official soccer game last Saturday
Jack
6. Who drags a stool around to assist in her mischievious adventures
Lindsay Lu
7. Who was a goalie at his last soccer game
Coltin
8. Who wishes he could spend every minute of every day outdoors
Luke
9. Who has learned amazing tricks in his tumbling class
Eddy
10. Who is has the best memory at matching games
Ryan
11. Who is your youngest cousin who can read all the abc's
Wade

Name that cousin or be creative with your own name and win a nice prize!
Happy Celebrate Your Name Week!
Love, Grandma

Dd is for Dr. Seuss

March 2 is Dr. Seuss' birthday

Happy Birthday to the man who wrote about a cat in a hat
and Thing One and Thing Two . . .
about a Grinch who stole Christmas and Cindy Lou Who.

Happy Birthday to the man who created green eggs and ham
. . . Horton the elephant . . . and Yertle the Turtle.

Happy Birthday to the man who invented words like
zizzer-zazzer-zuzz and dibble dibble dopp dopp.

And a happy birthday Dr. Seuss present is all yours
if you happen to read a Dr. Seuss book today or tomorrow
or for sure if you read something every day this month!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss readers!
Love, Grandma

Ww is for Weather

Welcome March!

The weather in March is described as "in like a lion and out like a lamb". It sometimes begins with lionlike roars of winter and gradually quiets down like a lamb as spring gets nearer. Welcome this brand new month and read a windy weather book . . . or watch out your window to see what the weather in your neck of the woods is doing . . . or look for lions lurking somewhere on this blog.

Happy windy reading, weather watching and lion looking!
Love, Grandma

Ff is for February Finals

February has an extra day!Did you know that February 28 is National Tooth Fairy Day? I don't know if you have ever been visisted by her yet, but celebrate all her hard work by brushing AND flossing your teeth today! Did you also know that in most years February only has 28 days, except this year (and every fourth year) February has 29 days. So now you have one extra day to check off a few more February alpha-adventures!

During February did you make some animal art . . . have a "hearty" breakfast (lunch or dinner) . . . create a dog or an elephant out of hearts . . . figure out if the groundhog saw his shadow . . . hug someone . . . hunt for hearts in your house . . . say "I love you" . . . eat some jiggly jello . . . kiss mommy or daddy . . . write a love list . . . mail someone a valentine . . . notice how many marshmallows were in Grandma's glass jar (103--which makes Jack's plus Ryan's guess the closest!) . . . find any presidents' faces on money . . . read the "Queen of Hearts" or any other story about valentines . . .lose a tooth or brush your teeth . . . give away any Xs or Os . . . or take a snoozzzze? Write down a letter for each alphabet adventure you had this month and get ready to leap into a new month!

Happy final days of February!
Love, Grandma

Ll is for Love

February is the month of love

I know that Valentine's Day is long over, but I learned from a very cute library book called "Love, Ruby Valentine" that it is never too late to say "I love you".
Here is a list of eleven things I love:

I love Zach more than all the shrimp in the sea.
I love Brody more than all the pajamas in his pajama collection.
I love Luke more than all the air in the great outdoors.

I love Eddy more than all books in his
Mommy's picture book collection.
I love Lindsay Lu more than all the spots on a million ladybugs.

I love Coltin more than all the puzzle pieces in Grandpa's puzzle collection.

I love Wade more than all the cups and cars he has "organized".
I love Owen more than all the snowflakes in winter.

I love Jack more than all the legoes in his collection.
I love Ryan more than all the super powers
in all the super heroes put together.
I love Nash more than all the stars in the sky.

Now it's your turn to write a list of eleven things you love in your journal or Chapter Ll of your Alpha-Book. They don't all have to be people, either. Maybe you also love brownies or books or holidays like I do. Show or tell me some of the things you love and I would love to give you a lovely prize!

Happy love list making!
Love, Grandma

Pp is for Presidents

February is a Presidential Month

George Washington, the very first President of the United States, was born on February 22. You can see his picture on one dollar bills. Abraham Lincoln, a later President of the United States, was born on February 12. You can see his picture on pennies. Now we have an official holiday on the third Monday in February to remember all the Presidents of the United States. Why not go on a money hunt today and see if you can find the face of any other Presidents.

Happy Presidents Day!
Love, Grandma

Jj is for Jell-O

February has jello week

Did you know that in 2001 Utah declared Jell-O
as the official snack of the state of Utah
and designated the second full week in February
as Jell-O week. Before the week is over,
celebrate by making jello jigglers or
. . . jello marshmallow pinwheels or
. . . jello cookie cups!

Have a wiggly, jiggly, "there's always room for Jell-O" Day!
Love, Grandma

XOXO is for Hugs and Kisses

February is a good time for hugs and kisses

X's and O's are useful for more than playing tic-tac-toe. Did you see XOXO's on any candy or valentine cards you received yesterday. Then you probably already know XOXO means hugs and kisses. Valentine's Day may be over, but I still wanted to send you a hug and a kiss. My hug to you is in the form of one of my favorite photos and this poem by Shel Silverstein: I will not

play at tug o'war
I'd rather play at hug o' war,
Where everyone hugs
Instead of tugs,
Where everyone giggles
And rolls on the rug,
Where everyone kisses,
And everyone grins,
And everyone cuddles,
And everyone wins.
As for the kiss . . . you must read one of my favorite books called "Sloppy Kisses" by Elizabeth Winthrop especially if you think kissing is yukky!

Happy XOXO to you all!
Love, Grandma

Vv is for Valentines

February 14 is Valentine's Day

Fourteen books I love to read around Valentine's Day are:
1) "Cupid" by Babette Cole
2) "Counting Kisses" by Karen Katz
3) "The Day It Rained Hearts" by Felicia Bond
4) "Elmo Loves You" by Sarah Albee
5) "I Love You Through and Through" by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak
6) "Love Bugs" pop-up book by David Carter
7) "Love, Splat" by Rob Scotten
8) "Mouse's First Valentine" by Lauren Thompson
9) "Queen of Hearts" by Mary Engelbreit
10) "Snowy Valentine" by David Peterson
11) "Some Things Go Together" by Charlotte Zolotow
12) "Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch" by Eileen Spinelli
13) "The Unvalentine" by Sam Beeson
14) "Valentine Surprise" by Corinne Demas

Maybe you can look for the some of these books
the next time you go to the library or visit me!
In the meantime you can find a sweet message here.
Happy Valentine's Day
Love, Grandma

Tt is for Twelve

February 12

Just in case you didn't get enough hearts during the week
of a hundred hearts, here are twelve more
for your viewing pleasure.
How many hearts can you find in your house
if you go on a heart hunt?
Happy 12 on the 12th!
Love, Grandma

Hh is for Hearts

February is heart month
The most important heart you have is beating inside your chest and you should take good care of it this month and every month. But we are using the shape of a heart to make or do one little thing each day during this week of a hundred hearts!

Day Seven:
With a heart-shaped cookie cutter
you can create all kinds of sweet treats or . . .

. . . you can guess how many marshmallow hearts
are in this jar and win a sweet treat!

Day Six:
With one purple heart, four lavendar hearts,
one white heart and one tiny pink heart
you can make a bunny rabbit.
(Cut one of the lavendar hearts in half to make the rabbit's ears.)

Day Five:
With one big green heart, three small light green hearts,
a small black circle and a bigger blue circle,
you can create a seal balancing a ball on his nose.

Day Four:
With two pink hearts, one paper covered toilet paper tube,
one pipe cleaner bent in half and curled and some hearts stickers,
you can build a beautiful butterfly!

Day Three:
With three gray hearts and one gray rectangle
you can create an elephant.
Cut one heart in half to make the elephant ears.

Day Two:
With one light blue heart, two dark blue hearts,
one small blue heart and one pink shape
you can make a puppy!

Day One:
With one yellow heart and two orange hearts
you can create a lion.

Happy Week of a Hundred Hearts!
Love, Grandma

Gg is for Groundhog Day

February is here! It's time for groundhogs to wake up.
Do you think the groundhog will see his shadow today?
Do you think we will have six more weeks of winter?

Happy Groundhog Day!
Love, Grandma