May 30, 2009
Attention, Grandmas!!!
Consider getting Grandpa Do It! I Do It, Too! for Grandpa for father’s Day!
Every day experiences turn into special moments for Grandpa Ron and Grandson Austin. The book captures some of those moments. It is a picture book with Austin-like sentences to describe the pictures. Most of the pictures are from photographs when 2 and a half year old Austi spent a week with us in Reno. Others are from Seal Beach and Long Beach, CA and the Portland, OR area. I turned the photos into drawings using photo applications.
It hits on the message that we may seldom be given the opportunity to know the impact we make on another, even very young, individual. Live as though it will happen always and then cherish the memories. It demonstrates “family relationship togetherness” and little ones watching and learning from grown-ups – namely grandpa! It helps foster self-esteem and demonstrate how every day activities can be special. Just taking the time to go places, explaining things to kids and playing with the kids can be something they remember for the rest of their lives.
There are some blank pages at the end of the book for you to put your favorite family photos or memories or the kids could draw themselves with their family. When they are all grown up 20 years later it will be fun to rediscover those special pages at the end!
The story has a Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level of 1.8.
The book is printed in the USA.
I call it a children’s book. Grandpa Ron calls it a grandparent’s book. Read it and decide for yourself! The kids enjoy talking about the activities and details in the pictures. The adults remember their own special moments – either as kids with their grandparents or as grandparents with their grandkids. Oh, and moms and dads get their own flashbacks, too!
I do it, too!!
Click the Amazon link on the right hand side of this page or click here to purchase!
Resellers, Non-profits and Libraries can obtain copies at a discount from BookSurge Customer Service 1-866-308-6235 Option 6. It only takes about 10 minutes to set up an account.
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Book Notes, Places to Explore, Routine Activity | Tagged: child, children, family, Father's Day, fun, Gift Idea, grandchild, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, Grandpa Do It, grandparent, kids, play, Routine Activity | 
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Posted by mygrandmasue
May 30, 2009
One shop Grandpa Ron and I ALWAYS visit when we are in Carmel, CA, is Thinker Toys. It is on the corner of 7th and San Carlos. There are educational toys galore! There’s trains and books and games and just all kinds of play things! We must admit that we do enjoy seeing all the games we grew up with as well! 🙂
Their Motto is: “Cool Toys for Thinking Kids of All Ages”
On-Line Motto is: “Great Toys for Thinking Kids of All Ages”
There is also a shop at 480 DelMonte Center in Monterey, CA.
Leave a Comment » | Places to Explore | Tagged: Carmel, child, children, educational toys, family, fun, gifts, grandchild, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, grandparent, kids, Monterey, Places to Go, Toys | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
May 29, 2009
The Huntington is a beautiful place once owned by Henry E Huntington of railroad and Southern CA real estate fame. During his lifetime he collected fine and rare books to create one of the best libraries in the world, accumulated an impressive collection of British art – including Blue Boy and Pinkie, and constructed 130 acres into beautiful botanically-significant gardens.
The camillias are gorgeous – and one of the largest collections in the US.
The Huntington is at 1151 Oxford Rd in San Marino, Ca.
626-405-2100
Leave a Comment » | Indoor Activities, Nature Activities, Places to Explore | Tagged: Art Collection, child, children, family, fun, garden, grandchild, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, kids, nature, Places to Go, San Marino, Southern CA, The Huntington, The Huntington Gardens, The Huntington Library | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
May 27, 2009
Growing up in Fort Atkinson, WI, we periodically visited the local Indian Mounds in Indian Mounds Park as a school trip. There are eleven mounds consisting of tapering linear, conical, bird and turtle mounds. I found them fascinating back when I was 10 but I never thought I’d be studying Indian civilization when I was all grown up! Here is a list of Indian mound parks in Wisconsin (You have to scroll down to Jefferson County for Fort Atkinson.). The Princess Mound is at the Lake Mills Aztalan Museum at the Aztalan State Park, the site of a ceremonial and residential Native American town established around 1100 AD.
Leave a Comment » | Nature Activities, Places to Explore | Tagged: bird mound, child, children, family, Fort Atkinson, fun, grandchild, grandma, grandpa, Indian mounds, kids, nature, Places to Go, turtle mound | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
May 27, 2009
Austin and Bella had fun watching the fish going up the fish ladder at Bonneville Dam in Cascade Locks, Oregon near the Columbia River Gorge. In May, a huge ball of sturgeon was discovered at the base of the dam by fisheries biologists, who at first thought it was debris. Sturgeon are one of the Columbia’s largest and most ancient fish. We have enjoyed feeding the fish and strolling the grounds at Bonneville Dam on several ocassions.
Leave a Comment » | Nature Activities, Places to Explore | Tagged: Bonneville Dam, Cascade Locks, child, children, Columbia River, family, fishery, fun, grandchild, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, Green Hour, kids, nature, Places to Go, Sturgeon | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
May 25, 2009
A great place to fish or birdwatch with Grandpa is Horseshoe Lake in Southern Illinois near Cairo. It has lots of large-mouth bass and catfish. The whole lake is 4 feet deep (3 ft average). It used to be part of the Mississippi River. There are 15 bald eagles in the Horseshoe Lake area in winter – they like the over 150,000 Canadian Geese that show up too! There is another Horseshoe Lake closer to St. Louis that has Cahokian significance and also the same kind of outdoor experiences available: fishing, boating, hiking, camping, birding and picnic areas.
Leave a Comment » | Nature Activities, Places to Explore | Tagged: birding, boating, child, children, family, fishing, fun, grandchild, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, Green Hour, hiking, Horseshoe Lake, kids, nature, picnic area, Places to Go, Southern Illinois | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
May 21, 2009
Lots of activities for little ones are on the calendar at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, Missouri. Then there’s the Butterfly House in Faust Park, 15193 Olive Blvd. in Chesterfield, EarthWays Center at 3617 Grandel Square – St. Louis, and the Shaw Nature Reserve at Hwy. 100 & I-44 in Gray Summit. Family classes and activities are offered at the Shaw Nature Reserve. The mbgnet is a wonderful, interactive learning and information tool that is a lot of fun to use. Virtual tours are also available!
Leave a Comment » | Nature Activities, Places to Explore | Tagged: butterflies, Butterfly House, child, children, Earthways Center, family, fun, garden, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, Gray Summit, Green Hour, hiking, kids, Missouri Botanical Garden, nature, nature education, nature study, Places to Go, Shaw Nature Center, St. Louis | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
May 20, 2009
One of our favorite drives is the Avenue of the Giants. It is a section of Highway 101 in Northern California. By chance I popped in the CD “Music to Disappear In” into the player. Grandpa Ron and I had one of our most spiritual experiences driving through the redwoods with the god-like music playing. It was just so totally awesome! I even got a photo of fairies dancing in the sunlight in a small clearing in the trees. I’ll have to get that photo posted so you can see for yourself!
Roadside America has its own take of the tourist attractions to probably stay away from! 😉
Leave a Comment » | Nature Activities, Places to Explore | Tagged: Avenue of the Giants, car day trip, car tour, car trip, child, children, family, fun, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, grandparent, Green Hour, hiking, Redwood Highway, redwoods | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
May 19, 2009
Chocolate, dark chocolate can help you stay healthy and can even help you lose weight! Great news for us chocolate lovers! Ghirardelli has 100% chocolate drops that I love to nibble at 3 in the afternoon. Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco is one of my favorite haunts – and across the bay is the San Leandro Factory Outlet.
Then there is Hershey, PA; Chicago and Times Square for Hersey’s Chocolate! Here are videos of the Hershey Factory tour. I am told it is a tasty time! Enjoy!
1 Comment | Indoor Activities, Places to Explore | Tagged: Chicago, child, children, chocolate, Chocolate World, dark chocolate, family, fun, Ghirardelli, Ghirardelli Square, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, Hershey, kids, Places to Go, San Francisco, San Leandro, Times Square | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
MyGrandmaSue 