What Would Owen Like!

It's been a long time since I've done some Saturday Shopping here at

The Yankee Burrow Life

and my Owen's 6th birthday is next Wednesday so let's see what I can find that he might like (other than Lego's). :0)

With Owen turning 6, and hating school (he's a bit spoiled being an only child and all, lol) Mandy was talking about teaching him more responsibility, so what about this magnetic responsibility chart from Baby Age?  Mandy may like it, but not my Booboo.

Now I could encourage learning with this awesome My First Super Science Kit from Fat Brain Toys.  This has enough supplies for over 75 experiments.  Ok, Mandy may not be so cool with this one. lol

Now we're talking...a motorcycle!  This one from Gilt is under $300.  That's a pretty good price.  Of course, if we can't get Poppa a new bike right now, we probably shouldn't get Owen one either. lol

Who remembers these merry-go-rounds????  They were great to ride on in the playground.  There was a large one in our local park, and the object was to see how many kids we could get on it, then 2 of the "big" kids would spin it and the first kid to go flying off was the loser, and the last one to stay on without puking was the winner.  Ah the memories. hahaha

Now we can have one in our yard, from WayFair Supply.

So, what's your vote?

What should we get Owen for his 6th birthday?

Be blessed,

Debbi

I'm Having A Throw Back Thursday

An old friend of mine just connected with me on facebook last week.  We were in our church youth group together, so now he made a page and we are all (most) getting caught up with our lives.  Check out this pictures...

What a great group of friends, and they all made in impact in my life.

Speaking of throw backs...look what I got from our church's yard sale!

Isn't that totally cool? An orange rotary telephone!  Time to turn back the clocks and turn in my cell phone.  I wonder if I could find a party line. lol

And on something completely different....

my next craft show.  So if you're in the area, stop by and say "hey". 

Be blessed,

Debbi

Owen's Graduation

Yesterday evening was Owen's graduation.  No, you didn't miss years of my posts, it was his pre-k graduation. lol.  So I thought that I would share this on my throw-back Thursday.  Let's start with yesterday.  (Warning....photo heavy.)

 

His "diploma".  Funny how I thought these things were silly....until it was MY grandchild. lol

 

Here's a nice one of us together.

 

 

 And here's a more natural one of us.

Here he is with proud Mom and Dad.

 

Yeah, goofy faces is a family trait.

His self-portrait.

Now some throw back pictures.  (I "borrowed" these from Amanda's facebook page.)

I started him out young with handmade.  I made this snowman bunting, but we discovered (because of the yarn I used) that he could not put his arms down.  Like that scene from "Christmas Story"'

 

 

Always a happy baby.

It's called finger painting for a reason. :0)

Playing with dirt from the plants?  It's all good at Gramma's.

Um, yea.  He needed no prompting for this one.  He did it himself at the dinner table.

And to close up my "ode to Owen" here he is performing his favorite song last night.  I know it was his favorite because I actually saw his lips moving. hahaha

 

That's it for Owen Day.  If you have a special little one in your life, check out my Kid's Section at The Craft Star.

 

Be blessed,

Debbi



Homeschool Monday - The Final Stretch

Well, we're in the final week of school.  Just reviewing our work and preparing for our EOG's.  (End of Grade testing).  Here in NC while our children have to be tested, you do not have to send in the results, just keep them on record.  The weird part of this is that in NC, the homeschooled children need to pass a national testing, while the public schooled kids do not, so the homeschooler is held to a higher standing.  That's ok with me.  That just means when my child enters the work force, she will be the boss. hahaha

Last Friday, our county homeschool group arranged a pool party at the local YMCA.  And yes, we HAD to go shopping for a new suit.  What a NIGHTMARE!  Why does society (or the fashion designers today) feel that young girls need to expose as much skin as possible?  Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not a fuddy duddy, but come on, get real, we are raising a generation of hoochy mommas and then wondering why the pregnancy rate for teens is rising.  Seriously?  Ugh.
Any way, we finally found one we both agreed on, sort of, and off we went to the party.  On the way there, it started to storm, so according to the Y policy, no swimming.  They did set us up in the gym with some bouncy houses.  But my group of middle schoolers were too cool for that.  (Except Hannah....lol).  I found the girls congregating in the doorway watching other young men play basketball.  Us mothers just watched them squirm and giggle, and so we giggled too.  Giggled for the girls, and giggled for our memories of when we were that age.  A long (long) time ago. hahaha

Now to decide on testing.  Here is an article from The North Carolinians for Home Education with tips on how to choose a test.
Since I order my testing supplies (and other curriculum) from Peidmont Education Services,  I did a comparison on the 3 EOG's they offer, and because we mostly directed our studies this year on math and language arts, I decided on the California Achievement Test.  I like that fact that 1) this is not Common Core aligned, 2) I can choose the subjects for testing, 3) I can test at home.
So, wish us luck.  Or should I say, wish Hannah luck. lol
Be blessed,
Debbi

Throw Back Thursday - Wonderful Vintage for Great Memories

For this throw-back Thursday, I thought I would go searching for some great vintage items that brings me great memories.

I'm a big kid at heart, and you can read about my vintage Fisher Price collection here, but I felt in the mood to look for other games today.

Who remembers this? The Mystery Date Game.  I loved it, but somehow I always ended up with Poindexter.  I spent many hours with my girlfriends dreaming about the time we would be old enough to have a "real" date.  hahaha.  I've seen updated reproductions but I found this original 1965 game on Ebay.

Now for fun, I found the commercial for this game.

How about the Spirograph?  I loved sitting there for hours just going round and round making cool shapes.  And those little tacks you used to hold the main ring in place were great to hold in your palm and then stick your brother in the arm or leg.  Of course, I never did that. :0)

And this last toy was my very favorite doll and best friend growing up.  Mattel's Chatty Cathy. We didn't have much when I was little, and most everything I did have was a hand-me-down, so I knew my mom and dad really scraped money together to get me this doll when it was new.  Man, I wish I still had her.

Check out her commercial.

If you would like to purchase any of these items, just click on the link.

So, what was your favorite toy when you were a child?

Be blessed,

Debbi

Throw Back Thursday - Random Memories

In order to freshen up and renew my blog, I've update my posting schedule.  I now have Homeschool Monday, Teaching Tuesdays (where I will share DIY ideas and tips), Wild and Wacky Wednesdays, and today is Throw Back Thursday.  Today my ADD seems to have kicked up a notch and I couldn't decide on any one memory, so here's a few scattered throughout the years.  And please, no giggling at my fashion style. lol

This picture was taken sometime in 1978 or 1979.  That's me, on my lap is my oldest son Greg, and my nephew Andy.  They were best of friends, and loved these matching sailor suits.  Yes, I tried to trim my own bangs....don't ask me why. :0)

This is my hubby Chuck and our son Brandon in 2008.  It was Brandon's first camping trip, and first time fishing.  He was so proud that he caught the first fish, and kept telling Dad to put it in his pocket.  So he did!  That poor fish, tail sticking out of the pocket.  Don't worry, we let him go back into the pond, and he swam away....quickly.  Probably went home to tell his mom about the crazy giants.

One of Brandon's favorite past times is standing at the end of the road, getting the trucks to honk as they go by.  This was taken in 2010 (I think) and I love how Brandon was being a good uncle to Owen.  Owen has called Brandon is best friend, and Brandon talks about Owen every day.  They are best friends, and I hope they stay that way.

This last one is a picture of my Daddy.  It was probably early '80s because my kids made that wreath for him.  He was so proud of all his grandkids.  I have to admit, I was Daddy's girl, and I miss him every day.

Well, that's the memory trip for today.  It was a short one, but I enjoyed it.  I hope you did too.  Leave a comment and share with me a favorite memory of yours.

Be blessed,

Debbi

This Deserves Sharing

I just read this on the Matt Walsh Blog and it made me smile, and cry, and it deserves to be shared.

Since I wrote about homeschooling last week, I’ve been fielding tons of email messages from people sharing their public education horror stories.

This one jumped out at me because it seems to echo the news about an elementary school that canceled its kindergarten play so that the kindergartens could focus on college preparation. I don’t know that this woman’s kid goes to that school (she didn’t mention it, so I assume he doesn’t), but she is dealing with a similar problem.

Honestly, I hesitated to share this with you because, to me, in my little bubble of innocence and naivety, this is almost too horrendous to believe. A kid in FIRST GRADE already giving up his hobbies and passions because he’s concerned about what his college application will look like?

Is it that bad out there? I guess it is. At least, this seems to be an indication:

Dear Matt,

I read your post about home schooling and decided to finally email you, even if I’m not expecting a response. My son, Peter, is in first grade in a public school. Recently, with a combination of Common Core and just bad educational strategies on the part of the school, my kiddo seems to have lost his interest and motivation. I don’t blame his teachers but I blame the system, as you pointed out. He used to love to learn and read, but now he comes home stressed out and anxious. He is reduced to tears when he’s doing his homework! The math work is INSANE! I don’t think I had the amount of tests and homework that he has even when I was in COLLEGE!

I’m writing to you because my heart was broken last week when my son, who has always been very creative, playful, and loved arts and crafts, came home and announced that he doesn’t want to draw or play with Legos anymore. I asked him why and he said that it’s a waste of time. When I asked him why it’s a waste of time, he said it won’t help him get into college! I’m not kidding! Yesterday he told me he “hates school more than anything.” I told him that school is good because it’s where you go to learn. He literally responded that he “hates learning.”

This is crazy! I feel like the school is crushing my poor kid’s spirit and now he doesn’t even want to draw or do arts and crafts with mom anymore. It’s all about testing and grades and “useful knowledge”, and I’m afraid that his childhood is being taken from him. I don’t know why I’m writing this to you. I just enjoy your opinion, and the funny thing is that my son likes you, too. He hears mom and dad talk about your blog at the dinner table, so now “Mr. Matt” has become kind of a mythological hero to him, lol. I showed him the picture of you trying to kill a spider and he laughed his head off!

What do you think about this, Matt? I just want to know your perspective.

Sincerely,

Anne

Dear Anne,

I think you chose the right words. If I’m a hero, it’s only in a mythological sense. In the real world, I’m noticeably lacking any heroic qualities at all. Still, I appreciate that you’ve opened up to me about your issue with your son. You know that I’m a homeschool proponent, so the first thing that comes to mind is that maybe you should consider other options outside of public school.

Of course, I don’t know your situation, so I can’t make that judgment call. It isn’t my business, anyway.

I thought that I’d write an email back to you, ranting about how kids are having their creativity and zest for life sucked out of them, but I changed my mind. I’ve ranted plenty on that subject, and I’m sure I’ll rant again in the future.

Right now, I’d like to address Peter directly, if you don’t mind. I wrote him a letter, and I’m hoping you’ll read it to him, or help him read it.

Here it is:

Hi Peter,

It’s Mr. Matt. I’m really worried, because your mom tells me that you think it’s a waste of time to draw pictures and play with Legos. I’m sad that you feel that way, because I bet you could draw an awesome picture of a dinosaur or a spaceship, but now the world will never get to see it.

Here’s the question, though:

Can you draw a picture of a dinosaur IN a spaceship? Check out the doodle I sketched this morning:

OK, maybe that looks more like a big hat with a picture of a lizard on it, but I tried my best.

I’ll admit that a few people in the history of the world have made cooler pictures. Has your mom told you about the Sistine Chapel? Look at this:

A guy named Michelangelo painted those pictures on the ceiling 500 years ago. It took him FOUR YEARS to paint all of them. If arts and crafts are a waste of time, then Michelangelo wasted A LOT of it.

Your mom also tells me that you hate learning. That’s too bad, Peter, because I love to learn, and I bet there are tons of things you’d love to learn about, too.

Did you know that there’s a type of cat called a cheetah, and it can run as fast as a car or a motorcycle?

Did you know that the temperature on the Sun is 27 MILLION degrees?

Did you know that your brain is smarter and more powerful than every computer on the planet?

These are really exciting facts. My life is more fun and enjoyable because I know them. This is what happens when you learn. You discover more about the world and yourself. Learning is like going on a journey over an ocean, or through a jungle, except you can do it in your home or at school.

There are a bunch of things I haven’t learned yet, but I hope I will one day. For example, I’ve always wanted to know why people yawn, or why it’s impossible to tickle yourself. Maybe you can find those things out and teach me about them. Or maybe nobody knows, and you can be the first person to ever answer the question.

Also, can you figure out what this weird animal is supposed to be:

I think it lives in the rainforest, but I’m not sure. I need help investigating this mystery.

See, I’m not even in school or college, but I’m always trying to feed my brain and increase my understanding of the world around me.

You should learn, and draw, and paint, and read, and play with Legos, Peter. I still play with Legos. You wouldn’t believe the huge tower I built last week. It literally touched the ceiling. Seriously.

Don’t worry about college and grown up stuff right now. You’ve got more important things to do. Things like:

-Running outside

-Rolling down a grassy hill

-Using your imagination

-Jumping through a sprinkler

-Jumping in a puddle

-Jumping on the couch (don’t tell your mom)

-Deciding what you’ll say if aliens land and you’re the first person to make contact with them. (I already decided what I’ll say. I’ll probably just tell them “hello,” and then I’ll ask them if they want some iced tea.)

-Painting and drawing pictures

-Writing poems and stories

-Reading books

-Playing games

-Daydreaming

-Eating ice cream

That’s at least 13 things that you should definitely fit into your schedule, especially playing, reading, and daydreaming. And ice cream, obviously.

My kids are just babies, but I hope they’re as artistic and creative as you one day. It’s a great power — a superpower — to be able to dream things in your head and then put them on paper. Sometimes it’s fun to dream something in your head, and just keep it there, and revisit your dream from time to time. It’s like you’re building a new world for yourself, out of nothing but your mind and your imagination.

I have a homework assignment for you: think of a story. Just make up a story. Any story at all. You don’t have to tell anyone, or write it down, or do anything with it. Just think of it. That’s all. Put yourself in your story — pretend you’re the main character. Think about it, just for the sake of thinking about it.

That’s the assignment.

When I was a kid, I liked to think that I was a time traveling ninja.

Actually, I still like to imagine that I’m a time traveling ninja.

My wife doesn’t enjoy it when I wear my ninja costume to the grocery store, or to dinner at her mother’s house, but I’m not sure why.

Anyway, I hope you continue to play, and draw, and learn, Peter. You’re a kid, and that’s your job right now.

Sincerely,

Mr. Matt

P.S. I know what you’re thinking, but just because I’m afraid of spiders doesn’t mean I can’t be a ninja.

It's time to just love our kids again, and let them be kids.

Be blessed,

Debbi

About these ads

The Craft Star Artist feature - Mel's Fun Suds

This week I am thrilled to feature a really amazing shop from the huge collection of shops at The Craft Star, Mel's Fun Suds.  This is one of the cutest shops I have ever come across...

This shop is run by a disabled Air Force vetran and his very proud wife.  They were looking for something creative to do together, and decided to make soap.  When their son enjoyed the fun shaped soaps at bath time, they decided to share them with the rest of us.  Yea us!

Let's see what they have to offer.

When I first saw this bunny, I totally thought is was a real chocolate bunny, but it's not, it's soap.  You get a choice of a wide range of colors when you purchase this Easter bunny gift set.  You get 2 bunnies to a set, one to give away, and one to keep for yourself. :0)

Now, I'm just a simple country girl, so I had to share this Cowboy Up Clean Soaps.  You get a set of 4 bendy toy cowboys with their feet encased in a bar of soap, and you get to chose the soap scent.

Who else remembers Kazoos?  I loved them as a kid, and this set of 8 Kazoo soaps is a winner with me.  The bright colors will get any child's attention at bath time. 

 These remind me of a funny story...when my son Josh was still small (about 4) he had learned a "new" word.  And despite all my discussions and bribes, he used this word...a lot.  One day I got a bar of soap and told him that his dirty mouth needed to be cleaned up.  Guess what he did....he took a bite out of that bar of soap and swallowed it!  I was a young mother, and FREAKED OUT!  I even called poison control.  The man on the other end of the line was chuckling and asked me the brand of soap.  When I told him it was Ivory, he said that since it was 99.9% pure to not worry, and to definitely not take my son too far away from the bathroom.  I think he was trying very hard not to laugh out loud.  

Now it's your turn, click on any link above and check out all 165 items in her shop.  And please share any fun stories you have of raising kids, or being a kid.

Be blessed,

Debbi

When I was ...... 12 we played hide and seek

Yesterday I was out and about with Hannah and our conversation moved to what it was like when I was her age.  Which got me to thinking, I have always talked about putting my memories down on paper, not because my life was that exciting, but I love history of all kinds.  I loved hearing stories from my parents and grandparents, and so I wanted to leave my life memories for my kids and grandkids.  And I figured that if I blogged my memories in a series "When I was..." then at least I will get some of them down.  And if you grew up in my era, maybe you'll remember too...

When I was 12, we were living in the Sheridan Projects in Tonawanda, NY, in a 2 bedroom apartment with my large family (7 of us).  I didn't want to live there, I was perfectly happy living as an only child with my daddy, despite living in the same house with Gramma Rose.  But no one asked me what I wanted, so off I went.  But it wasn't that bad.  We were poor, only I didn't know we were poor because all my friends were poor too. I pulled the old house up on Google earth, and the house still looks pretty much the same.

Anyway, we're talking early 70's, and my first boyfriend was my best friends brother and lived in the building next door.  There was a group of 6 kids my age and we would be gone from morning till bedtime, just wandering the neighborhood visiting other friends.  You see, back then, neighbors knew each other and watched out for each others children.  Cell phones were an just idea from The Jetsons, so I could not "check in", but my mom didn't worry about me.  I was safe within that community.  I would eat at whomever's house I was at at the time, my mom wasn't big on sit down family dinners. lol.  

During the summer, when it got hot, we would plug up the street drains with newspapers and flood the street so we could "swim".  The parents would sit on the porches and visit each other, and inevitable someone would call and complain about the water, and the city street crew would come and yell at us kids and take our pool away.

Most summer evenings you would find us kids playing hide and seek until dusk, then the siren from the local firehall would blow letting us know it was 7pm.  No matter where we were at that time, when the siren blew we knew it was time to head back to our own street.  There we would finish our games until the street lights came on and it was time to go into the house.

My very best friends parents had a corn roast every summer in their backyard.  It seemed like everyone in the neighborhood would pitch in, and kids were running everywhere.  In the back yard you could find trash cans full of beer (for the adults) and soda (for the kids) and then more cans full of corn on the cob, or clams, chilling on ice.  When you got hungry you just grabbed an ear of corn (or a hot dog) handed it to an adult, and they would throw it on the grill.  That was some of the best tasting corn ever!

When I reminisce on times like this, I feel sorry for kids today that have no idea how to amuse themselves or their friends.  They are too busy on their cell phones to actually spend time together face to face, and when they are together, they sit on opposite ends of the sofa with their nintentoes playing games.

Yes, I feel sorry for them, because they are missing out on that basic need we all have, human contact and caring,  and just plain fun!

(As I write this, my Hannah is sitting here staring at me because she's bored because I won't let her turn on the Wii today.  so sad).

What was your childhood like?  Do you think the kids of today have it better? or worse?

Be blessed,

Debbi

Getting ready for Quintin

I am big on family, and tradition...so when my oldest son told me that he was going to be a daddy (finally!) I started planning what I was going to make the baby.  Well, I was told about Quintin at Christmas, and he's due at the end of August, and I am just now getting things together for him.  Yeah, planning ahead has never been a strong suit for me. hahaha.  But this is what's going in the first box out...

This is Teddy...the very first gift that Greg had received from his paternal grandparents.  Greg was about 3 or 4 months old the first time he met them.  He loved this teddy, and carried him around with him when he got older.  Poor Teddy is worn, but that just means he was loved, and I'm sure Teddy is looking forward to meeting Quintin.  His arms and legs still move, but I've had to stitch his head seams several times through out the years, so Teddy would probably enjoy life on a shelf now, with an occasional hug or two.

Now this crochet fox is new, I received Timber from an amazing artist at Etsy....Robin Eppard.  Her shop is called Recreations, and is filled with wonderful easy to care for pets for your kids.  I joked around that Timber was so cute, I might keep him for myself, but hey, I'm Gramma, and we grammas give everything to our grandkids. 

I'm sure Quintin will have tons of fun with Timber, and since Mommy and Daddy decorated his room with a jungle theme, Timber will feel right at home.

And speaking of jungle themes, I have been saving these slippers for a long time.  I had made these slippers for Greg when he was about 10 (?) and I made cat slippers for Amanda and puppy slippers for Josh.  These are the only pair that survived the many moves through out the years.  I got them out and was going to try and figure out the pattern so I could make a pair for Quintin, but....

look what I found when I did a google search?

Yep, the original pattern book at the shop of cozyhomecrochet.  I have no idea when I lost mine, but I snatched this one up quick.  I am so excited and can't wait for it to arrive.  I'll be making a pair of lion slippers for Quintin, and this Christmas, all my baby grandkids, and great grandkids will be getting slippers! LOL

I am also working on a stuffed football, baseball, and mitt from an old pattern (1981) that I had made for Greg when he was only 4.  They will also be going to Quintin when completed.

So, what do you all think about traditions????  I sure hope Quintin will enjoy these items as much as his daddy did so long ago.

Be blessed,

Debbi

I'm in a funk!

I'm in a funk and I don't know why...the weather is rainy and the weeds in my vegetable garden are thriving...the kids are now out of school, so I can expect no "ME" time...my to-do list seems to multiply every night while I'm sleeping...and I don't feel like doing a thing!

I just finished a custom mat and frame job which gave me the excuse to buy a new mat cutting system, which made me happy.  And a few weeks ago I got a surprise visit from my youngest son Joshua and his girlfriend.

I can't believe he turned 30 on the 29th of May.  Impossible since I'm only 29 myself (yeah, I wish...lol).

On his birthday I was missing him very much, and was texting with him.  I told him I would bake him a cake if he would come and get it (he lives in VA, a 9 hour drive away).  We were joking back and forth about what kind of cake and then Amanda texted me to see if we were coming straight home from church.  When we pulled into our driveway, imagine my utter delight to see Josh and Tara standing in my driveway!  And I had not even had a chance to bake his cake, hahahaha.  They had been in Georgia and decided to make a detour (a 4 hour detour) to see me.  It made my day, and yes, it made me cry.  This is the first time Josh saw my new chicks and ducks, and he got a kick out of holding Quackers.

Last week we had a health scare with our son-in-law in Florida, but God took care of that problem quickly.  It made me realize that family is so very important, and it's difficult when family is spread all up and down the east coast (and I also have a brother and his family in California).  So I think to get out of my funk, I need to check my facebook page and see what everyone is up to, maybe make a few facetime phone calls,

oh, and get me some Owen time!!!  He always makes me feel better. 

Yes, I know, this picture is now considered "politically incorrect" and "threatening", but hey, I'm a country girl, and God blessed me with a cowboy grandson!

Be blessed,

Debbi

Where, or where, to sell my vintage?

Amanda and I have had a shop on Etsy for a few years now, but it's getting time to move on.  There have been too many changes there and it is moving away from the wonderful handmade venue that is was at first.  And now for the vintage sellers there, I'm hearing the same complaints of getting lost in the resellers and new searches and front pages.  If you have been following my blog, y'all know that we are starting to sell our handmade items on Handmade Artists, for 3 main reasons.

1.)  IT'S ONLY HANDMADE!!!

2.)  They promote ME and MY SHOP like crazy.  Yes, I have to work at it, but every item I list is tweeted and they have several sites that I am able to post my items for even more views.  Which is good for my SEO links too.

3.)  The customer support is out of this world!  And the camaraderie and support from the other artists is awesome.

Now, with that being said, I went on a search for a site to sell my vintage items.  Since I am a flea market fanatic, and love estate sales and auctions, I have way too much stuff for my little house.  So I did a Google search for "vintage items for sale on line" and the top result was Junkables.com.  I like the look of this site, a large front page with lots of items to scroll through, 42 sections to make your specific shopping easy, and an easy to use search link.  On the front page you'll see a link to their blog, and a chat page to connect with other vintage lovers.  So, let's see what items I can find...

The first section I checked out was music, since I have tons (and I mean A LOT)  of albums.  What a great collection of music memorabilia.  There were not just albums, but sheet music, instruments, and collectibles.  I got a kick out of this album by Tiny Tim.  I remember watching him the first time he appeared on the Tonight Show.  So funny!

You'll find Tiny Tim and much more Rose's Shop.

Next was the toy section...I had a pair of these metal roller skates!  You adjust them to fit your feet with a nut and bolt in the middle, and then head down hill hoping that the leather straps don't break. hahaha.  It was so much fun.  Falling was easy on these, but what is childhood without a few bumps and scrapes.  We actually used to skate in our dining room when the weather was bad.  I found these in the shop of Trish Harritt Antiques. 

Now I'm off to test their search option...I'm in the mood for Fisher Price, since I tend to collect those items for myself.  I found this great play doctor bag, complete with all the needed tools for any budding doctor (or nurse).  It looks like it's in great shape, and is very reasonable priced.  I found this in the shop of Nothing New Antiques.

I had to register as a member to be able to contact any of these shops, or to purchase any items, but that's not unusual for most selling venues.  The registration was easy, and over the next few days I'll be checking out the selling option here.  If any of you have ever bought, or sold, on this site, please share your thoughts here for the rest of us.  And until then...Happy Days to everyone.

Be blessed,

Debbi

When boys play

Owen spent the day with us yesterday, and while we had fun, he couldn't wait for little Brandon to come home from school. That's when the real playing began.  First the trains came out...

then after dinner it was fort time.

 

While there we shared stories and giggles.  Even Poppa tried to get in on the fun.  It's great to be a kid!

Be blessed,

Debbi