Red Sings from Treetops by Joyce Sidman and Illustrated by Pamela Zagarensk-
I don’t usually list the illustrator but this book’s art deserves to be recognized!  The pictures are different and beautiful and have a style all their own that compliments the poetry of this book beautifully!  Besides being beautiful to look at the words are beautiful to read and listen too.  The colors go through the seasons; as the seasons change so the colors change what they represent.  Red in spring is different than red in fall.  ”Red sings from the tree tops” in spring: “Red swells on branches bent low” in fall.  My favorite description in the whole book is purple in the fall, “Purple: the smell of all things mixed together.”  To be honest I am not a huge fan of poetry but this book is done very well.  The prose are neither do difficult or too simplistic for my daughters.  This book is great for talking about colors, the seasons or just helping children with reading comprehension.  But most of all, this book is good for getting those who may not enjoy poetry to admit that when it is done well, it is a beautiful thing!

Crunch Munch by Jonathan London-
A book much like our other favorite Wiggle Waggle, Crunch Munch takes children though a series of animals and the sounds they make while eating.  A fun, simple book to be laughed at and enjoyed!

Sleep Big Bear, Sleep! by Maureen Wright-
A fun read aloud book about a bear who miss understands Old Man Winter’s message that it is time to sleep.  Getting sleepier and sleepier Bear wanders around until Old Man Winter yells and he finally hears.  A silly book great for talking about hibernation and the changing of the seasons.

Please comment and let me know your favorites! 

Ok, so three of these are library books but they are on the purchase list!

I have always loved to read, but lately I am discovering that authors of really great children’s literature are way more talented than many authors for adults.  Here are a few of our recent gold nuggets.

First the ones we actually purchased but were first checked out at our local library:

The Adventures of Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
This book’s charm lies in the fact that the main character is a young child and he acts like one.  My daughter loves this book because Harold’s imagination works just like hers.  He is delighted, surprised and even scarred of his own creations!  This just makes the story so much fun!  I enjoy reading it to her because it makes me laugh and reflect on the beauty of an imagination unhindered by reality.  You may also enjoy the quips about “drawing up a chair” or “drew up the covers”.  Lovely little word plays for those old enough to get them.  This particular edition includes four Harold stories.  My daughter’s favorite is Harold’s Fairy Tale.

Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins
My Son went crazy over this book!  It was one of our few gold nuggets we get every so often from our library.  Within the first week I was reading it several times a day!  It is the first book he would sit still for.  So, after it had to go back to the library I knew I had to buy it.  It is a lovely backwards counting book that features apples, animals and a farmer as well as a catchy sing song rhyme you will be singing in your sleep, Yippie Fiddle De Fee!

Thomas the Tank Engine Collection by Rev. W. Awdry 
These are the original stories with the original wording.  This means that the Sir Topham Hatt you are used to hearing about on the videos is the Fat Controller.  The stories deal mostly with engines exhibiting an undesirable character trait and the consequences resulting from their actions.  Some reviews I read did not appreciate this type of story.  They did not like that bad little engines were getting their due.  Personally I see nothing wrong with stories like this for children.  All of the engines take their turn being “silly” and getting into trouble.  The only complaint I would have, if you wanted to read really deep into it, which I do not think the children do, is that when one engine is being “silly” the other engines seem to take great pride in being the good engines.

That’s All For Now!  Next Post: Very Nice Gold Nuggets that we haven’t bought yet!

That being said, I have a ton of things I just can’t wait to share with you all, both local and far away!  Books so good we had to buy them are up first!  So pay attention and update that amazon account!

I do wish I had written about this earlier but perhaps the same phenomenon that kept me from making a dentist appointment kept me from writing about how great it went!  Honey Bear was 4.5 before I made an appointment for her when most pediatricians and pediatric dentists recommend a first visit at 3.  Well, Schnookums was just over 3 so maybe I get points there right?

I choose Dr. Elizabeth White because she was who my pediatrician said his kids saw.  Yes, tell me who you trust your kids with PLEASE!  Here is a rundown of our visit.

We walked into a very well decorated, very pleasant waiting room.  It had a Jungle Theme with kid sized tables where kids could look at the books and magazines which were clean and well kept.  There was also a very beautiful stained glass reception window.  Take a picture tour of the office here!  We were then called back together to talk about what was going to happen.  Then both girls were taken to have their teeth cleaned… WITHOUT ME!!!!  I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t somewhat of a basket case at this idea, but they did have each other.  I tried not to show my reserve as I walked calmly back to the waiting room to enjoy some time alone with B-bear.  

About 30 min later I was called back again to discuss x-rays and how their teeth looked.  Each girl received a Princess Tooth Brush (no cheapness here), a goodie bad, and a token for the “Prize Machine”.  Of course there was no candy in the prize machine, just prizes.  

The girls’ reaction to all of this was so much better than I could have hopped for!  Dr. Elizabeth came out to say hello and I found her to be very sweet and someone who could make even my Honey Bear, who is not very good in new situations, feel comfortable!  After all, the minute we left she was asking if we could go back sometime.  ”Yes,” I said, “In six months.”

So, make that appointment today!  The sooner the better!  It is important to take care of our children’s teeth!

Disclaimer: After our WONDERFUL visit, I asked the office of Dr. Elizabeth White to sponsor our Dothan Mom’s Meet-Up group.  She agreed.  I would not have asked her to sponsor us and in doing so recommend her to the 300 members of our group if I was not pleased with her services.

The Dothan Area Botanical Gardens is a beautiful place for a morning walk, afternoon stroll or a photo session.  We have used it for all three!  The best part is, it is FREE!  There is a brand new building on the property featuring a reception hall and bathrooms!  The later is especially important if you plan on bringing children. 

Here are some highlights from our last visit:  

The fountains are always a huge hit

The Koi pond fascinates the children! Bring the fish food!

Here are some of Schnookums 3 year pictures:

The Lily Garden

Just remember, just because your scenery is lovely doesn't mean the child will smile...

The Rose Garden is so so beautiful!

The hydrangeas are now in bloom and they are AWESOME!!!

Hope you go and enjoy!!!  This really is a beautiful garden!!

Hello Spring!  And what an early hello it is for this Yankee turned Southern Belle.  The idea of not only planting but also harvesting many things before Memorial day is so foreign to me it has taken a good 7 years to get used to!  Strawberries in April!  Beautiful Red Tasty Strawberries!  Yes, it is true and the best place to pick in Dothan is Cottle Farms on 231.

This farm along the highway offers gallon sized buckets of strawberries for $12 or gives you a bucket to pick your own for $10.  I suggest that if you have a few minutes that you pick your own.  I picked 3 gallons in about 45 minutes with 3 kids in tow… who did more eating than picking, as can be expected.  The advantage of picking your own is you get to choose the reddest, ripest berries!  YUMMM!!!  I ate so many after we got home that my oldest daughter chided me and told me that too many would make my tummy sick.  

So, enjoy spring and go get some Strawberries!  Also, for all you other misplaced Yankees, don’t miss the blueberry season which starts in May, not July.  Updates on that to come! 

The Teach Me Time Clock has been a very nice addition to my daughter’s room.  We purchased it for her for Christmas and we have been very pleased with it.  This clock has both a digital and analog display so that children will learn to tell time both ways.  It is also a night light.  It has a very soft glow and my husband and I prefer it to the harsher LED night lights on the market today.

Its best feature is that it changes to a green night light at a preset time letting my daughters know it is ok to get up now.  They watch for it and often before I can get up out of bed, take care of my younger son, they are both well on their way to being dressed and ready for the day!  No more 6am wake ups!  No more, “But it was light out Mommy!”

This product was recommended to me by a very good friend and we couldn’t be happier with it!  Check out their website to read more.  There are many more features we have not explored on the clock yet but am excited to as my girls get older.  For example, you can program it to talk and tell the time and have it say the time when one of the buttons are pushed.  It can also be programed to be an alarm clock with a snooze!

Let me know what you think!

My very last stop was in the very pleasant shop of Upscale Thrift.  It is right next to Gotta Have it Thrift Shop and the Sound Shop.  It is also open from 9am – 6pm Monday – Saturday.  There was more furniture and household items than children’s items or clothes.  The shop was clean and bright and I enjoyed my time talking with the owner.  Here are some pictures from my visit to give you an idea of what they have.

The children's section with a table/desk for $25! It took all I had to leave it there! I had already spent enough for one day!

Toys and the like

I did not come home with anything but enjoyed wondering around.  I also could not tell you about the prices because I am no good at non-children’s items yet.  But I encourage you to go check it out for yourself!  It is fun to wander around such places!  Here are the some more pictures:

2200 S. Oates St.

I finished up my day of Thrifting at Gotta Have It Thrift Shop and its neighbor Upscale Thrift. (tomorrow’s post)  I have been looking for these two new shops ever since I had heard their advertisement on the radio.  They are on the west side of 231S on the same lot as the Sound Shop.  Both shop’s hours are 9am-6pm Monday-Saturday.

Gotta Have It has clothes and a children’s section, but it also has household items and very nice looking furniture.

Here is the children’s section:

It is small, but it still had some very nice clothing items.  Just about everything is priced $5 except some nice dresses and outfits which were $12.  Brands I saw included, Gap, Little Me, and Kelly’s Kids.  The shop is smallish but clean and bright.

Here is what I came home with:

They were $5 total!  My girls faces lit up like Christmas trees when I walked through the door!  What fun they have had playing with them!  Once upon a time they made horse noises but they don’t even care that they don’t anymore!  I have no idea what these would cost if I bought them at a store… do you?