Jumpin-Beans

You know how I feel about reading and how I love to read with Broxton.  The fact that he grabs a book for me to read to him, or for him to read to me... Well, it makes me so proud and happy! Imagine my sadness when I read the following:  According to  United We Serve , a nationwide service initiative that helps meet growing social needs resulting from the economic downturn, 80% of preschool and after-school programs serving low-income populations have no age-appropriate books for their children.   A recent study shows that while in middle-income neighborhoods the ratio of age-appropriate books per child is 13 to 1, in low-income neighborhoods the ratio is 1 for every 300 children. The most successful way to improve the reading achievement of low-income children is to increase their access to print. Communities ranking high in achievement tests have several factors in common: an abundance of books in public libraries, easy access to books in the community at la...

I never thought I would have the opportunity to be a stay at home mom... I have worked since I was 15, so I just did not see that as an option.. Then, we were able to let me do so and here I am... I love it so much.  It is a job, just one that is not paid with monetary amounts.. But, the kisses, memories and experience I get while having the best job in my opinion is one that I would not trade for anything in the world... Now, I am not judging. Some do not have the opportunity, some just do not want to...  To each their own, but for me... It is right... Being a stay at home mom is wonderful and I am happy to see that Chicken Soup for the Soul has decided to do a book of 101 stories for Mothers about Hard Work and Happy Families. The chapters include:  Decisions, Decisions The Daily Grind Outside the Box Becoming a Specialist Working from Home Ladies Who Launch Gender Benders The Dividends Pink Slips Looking Back I...

Have you watched WILFRED? I haven't... when it came on, it looked sort of dumb.. (in the previews) but I will admit, I have been drawn to see what it was about...but I did not want to start and wonder if I have missed something.. So, I now own season one... I will let you know what I think about it once I watch... Here is the synopsis: Elijah Wood stars as Ryan, a down-on-his-luck lawyer who forms a unique friendship with his sexy neighbor's pet pooch "Wilfred." Everyone else sees a dog, but Ryan sees a bong-ripping, beer-chugging, foul-mouthed Australian bloke in a furry suit (played by the outrageously funny Jason Gann.) By unleashing the surly, sweet and always adventurous Wilfred, Ryan may just learn to stand on his own hind legs and embrace the insanity of real life. Here is a deleted scene on You Tube... If you have seen this show, I would love your thoughts on it! FTC Compliant Review Policy: The product(s) featured in this revie...

As you can tell by my posts on different movies, I love working with Fox.   They have been around forever and I hope they continue to do so! I just received 2 different emails that I wanted to share with you on the "what's going on at Fox" end of things.. ---------- Up first:  FOX CINEMA ARCHIVES:    Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment today  debuted  Fox Cinema Archives , a new manufacture-on-demand (MOD) series for film aficionados and collectors that goes deep into the studio’s vault to bring some of its most classic films featuring some of the biggest stars of the twentieth century to DVD for the first time.  M ovie lovers can purchase a wide variety of films from the  Fox Cinema Archives  series at major top-tier retailers with more titles to become available in the coming months. The first wave of titles includes: Dangerous Years  (1948),  63 min. After a botched robbery, a district attorney p...

If you know someone who is a family caregiver, you know that they deal with more than their fair share. From Wikipedia:    A general definition of a carer/caregiver is someone who is responsible for the care of someone who has poor mental health, physically disabled or whose health is impaired by sickness or old age. Chicken Soup for the Soul has now released a book for Family Caregivers:  101 Stories of Love, Sacrifice and Bonding.   The Chapters Include:  Lessons Learned All You Need Is Love Finding Joy Acceptance Laughter is the Best Medicine Perseverance Blessings  Saying Goodbye This book really hits home for me..  First of all, my grandaddy is not in the best of health...  So, that in itself breaks my heart...  My mema has to take care of him and yes, she is his caregiver... Also, a friend of mine is married to a guy that was diagnosed with ALS.   They are young and in love and fa...

You know how much Broxton loves the I SEE ME books...  We have had the chance to review 2 of them and he is always looking at them (never mind one is a Christmas book!)  Well, I just got an email that I wanted to share with you... FREE SHIPPING:  From now until July 5th... Enter coupon code :  'yayforme" at checkout  (Domestic shipping only.  International and Canadian Customers will get a $7.95 shipping discount.  Expires 7/5/2012 *** This is not a paid or sponsored post, I just wanted to share the great deal with you.  ***

Being a military spouse, I love to see companies that honor the sacrifices that our men and women of the Armed Services deal with... That was why when I saw the chance to share a bit of great news from Dollar General and Proctor & Gamble, I was all over it... Throughout the month of June, in recognition of the men and women of the U.S. military and their families, Dollar General is teaming up with Procter & Gamble to honor those true Every Day Heroes who have made sacrifices for their families, their communities and their country.   Dollar General truly values these heroes and their experiences and offers many career opportunities for returning veterans.  Dollar General is the winner of the 2011 Military Officers Association of America Distinguished Service Award and was recognized in  GI Jobs  magazine’s list of Most Military Friendly Employers. Now, you can honor the military heroes in your life and your community: Dollar General ...

It is GIVEAWAY time!!!!!!!! Ready to win a great DVD for your preschooler?! On your mark … get set … go for all new fast and furious entertainment in  Awesome Adventures: Races, Chases & Fun,   racing onto DVD, Digital Download and On Demand June 12, 2012 from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment.   Zoom into action-packed fun with   six rip-roaring adventures featuring preschool favorites  Thomas & Friends ™,  Fireman Sam ™ and  Bob the Builder ™.  Always driving home lessons in friendship, loyalty, responsibility and teamwork, this trio takes the checkered flag every time! DVD SYNOPSIS Racing engines, run-away go-carts, and monster chases lead to thrills, spills and rescues! Thomas and Hiro discover there’s no need for speed when trying to be a Really Useful Engine; Fireman Sam is rescue-ready when Norman and James forget to put safety first; Bob the Builder’s Machine Team keep their eyes open to big adventure and big fun,...

"If you struggle as a parent to read the Bible yourself, how can you pass a love for God's word along to your children?"   Wow... talk about a way to grab your attention and never let it go.. I read that sentence on the back of the book, Together Growing Appetites for God, and I knew it was one that needed to be read by me. I am only just starting it, but already... it is hitting home. In this book, the mom is trying to read the Bible to her 3 preschool children.   She is reading (and stopping to answer questions of no relation to what is being read, as well as making food and everything else you can think of...) and wondering if she is just reading this out loud to herself... Then, she SEES it... No, she isn't reading it out loud only to herself...  She is also reading to her little ones, as she sees them reenacting what they had just heard... Here is the synopsis that I was sent:  Together-   Overwhelmed and discouraged wi...

I have never posted these pictures, but I need to...    I want to.. As everyone knows, I am so proud of my husband.   With him being gone the first year of Broxton's life, it was hard... and I was so happy when he returned from deployment... Not just the fact that he was home...  BUT- because it was nice to see so many people out there in support for him!   So, this post today, is to show you this homecoming through the eyes of the military wife.   Yes, this was from 2010, but I still have tears in my eyes as I look back through them.... OUR CARAVAN RIDE HOME:  This was the lead off in our caravan home :) We had police escorts to get all of our caravan home together.   This was awesome, we had the Patriot Guard escorting us as well.   We had to stop to let them refuel (and to meet up with more for the ride home.)  While we waited for everyone to fill up, we just stopped in the middle of the road... P...

I have mentioned before about finding a church...  I have also mentioned about enrolling Broxton into preschool. I am so excited for it and I know Broxton is too... I love that we have found a church home and everything, as I really want Broxton to be raised up with a church home.  I have to tell you something, I am still learning in my faith.   I am not that familiar with the Bible, so when I had the chance to review the book, Parenting with Scripture, I was eager to do so. Once it arrived, I had to go ahead and have a look and I am very impressed with it. I even had to make Marc listen as I tried to explain it to him. I feel as though this is a great book for one that is just learning, as well as those that are more familiar with the Bible. Let me try and explain it to you... Once you open the book, you have a word. Let's go with Courage for the sake of this post... The book then gives the definition: Courage:   n. ...

After posting a movie that we did not like, I thought it would be nice to go ahead and post one that we did enjoy!  I hate that I have not seen the other Flicka movies, but we had the chance to watch Flicka : Country Pride and it was great. I am not a horse fan, but I am not against them either... I just don't own any and really have no desire to go riding either... But, that doesn't mean I hate them... I knew that Clint Black was in it, along with his wife... but that was about it... So, I talked Marc into watching it and Broxton had to get his horses out to play with during the movie... SYNOPSIS:  When Toby (Clint Black) takes on a job at a stable with Flicka in tow, the owner’s teenage daughter Kelly (Kacey Rohl), quickly bonds with the wild horse. A budding equestrian rider, she hopes to break Flicka for an upcoming competition, despite her mother’s (Lisa Hartman Black) disapproval. With the competition approaching, a rival trainer stealing business, an...

***** This post has been edited, as of 7:56 pm on June 18, 2012. ***** I am so confused...  That is the only way that I can even think to start this post... This past weekend, I was so excited to have a couple movies lined up for us to watch... (Reviews are coming, no worries...) First Movie to watch... Margaret...  I hate to have to break this to you, but I thought it was pretty awful. I was so excited, as the cast was awesome...  Anna Paquin,  Matt Damon, Mark Ruffalo, Mathew B roderick... Let me clarify something first... It is a follow up to a movie called YOU CAN COUNT ON ME.   (I have not seen that, so maybe that was why I was not a fan of this movie...) But, let me tell you my thoughts on this movie... First of all, I can not figure out why the movie is called Margaret.   As far as I can remember, there was not a character named Margaret in the whole movie... Second of all, I just can not figure out any of ...

Father's Day is special to me...  Because I have the best daddy in the world...  I also have a pretty cool father-in-law!   Finally, because I married a man that is a wonderful daddy as well.   With these Father figures around, Broxton has some pretty big shoes to fill!!! Marc and ALL his boys!   My dad putting Broxton's high chair together for us, while Marc was deployed.   I do not have any pictures of Marc's dad on my computer...  But, we are seeing him soon, so that will all change soon! Hope you all have a wonderful Father's Day!