Testing The Ice: A True Story About Jackie Robinson

 In the early 1950s, legendary baseball hero Jackie Robinson literally "tested the ice" for his kids who so eagerly wanted to skate on the frozen lake near their home. Under Sharon Robinson's skillful authorship and Kadir Nelson's vivid illustrations, TESTING THE ICE also becomes a stunning metaphor for her father's remarkable racial breakthrough.

I received this book to review and read it to my children during story time like any other book in our library. The kids loved that it was a different kind of book from the Dr. Seuss or other children books we've been reading. My son was mostly excited about being able to find his name over and over in the story. They wondered if I would take it back to the library, to which I tried to explain to them, that this book now belongs to our family. It will be lovely to read this book to my children as they grow older so they can learn of this great hero who broke through the racial barrier in the baseball arena and paved the way for so many of his fellow men. Life stories like these are dear to me.

Sharon Robinson shares this book as a glimpse into her childhood growing up as Jackie's daughter. She recounts special times spent with her dad as he shared how he was chosen for major league baseball and the obstacles he faced and overcame. One of these stories includes one winter day when she watched her father 'testing the ice.'

This was the moment when Sharon first understood the courage it took for her father to step out and break baseball's racial barrier. Even though her father couldn't swim, when the children wanted to go out on the frozen lake to skate, he bravely went out on the lake to test the ice to ensure it was safe for the children to skate. To Sharon, her father was the 'bravest man alive!'

And we agree.

This is a very good read that is short enough for my children attention span and enhanced by the vividness of Kadir's wonderful illustrations.

Jackie is portrayed as a strong and loving father who took an active part in his family's daily routine. I wish I had a father like that. I wish I had my father period. That's also apart of being a hero.

Watch this video featuring author Sharon Robinson and illustrator Kadir Nelson

Biography

Sharon Robinson is an educational consultant for Major League Baseball and vice chairman of the Jackie Robinson Foundation. She founded Major League Baseball’s Breaking Barriers: In Sports, In Life, a national character education program designed to teach children the values and traits they need to deal with barriers and challengers in their lives. She is the author of many widely praised nonfiction and fiction novels including Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America as well as two middle-grade novels, Safe at Home and Slam Dunk, with cover art by Kadir Nelson. Ms. Robinson divides her time between New York City and Florida.

Kadir Nelson used Jackie Robinson’s personal family photographs as inspiration for his artwork in Testing the Ice: A True Story about Jackie Robinson. His many award-winning books include two Caldecott Honor books, Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad, written by Ellen Levine, and Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom, written by Carole Boston Weatherford. His own book, We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book and received the Coretta Scott King Author Award.


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Testing The Ice: A True Story About Jackie Robinson

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Aloha Friday: Birth

My Question:

When you gave birth, who was there?

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When I gave birth to my son (firstborn), one of my sisters-in-law came to spend the week with us (dh and me). However baby was a week late and SIL could only extend her ticket by two days. I was induced and went into labor and she got to be there and held him even before I did :) However she had to leave just mere hours after he was born. 

After giving birth, I got sick in the hospital for two weeks. They still do not know what was wrong with me.

 

With my daughter, it was my husband, my mother-in-law and my brother-in-law. My MIL came to stay with us for the birth and help out. She got to be in the room (OMGM-Ohmygirlymouse)!!! My BIL (Hopefully he wasn't in there!!!) was passing through from Fla to go back home and stopped to visit and got caught up in this precious time. 

It's been quite interesting these births. I will like to see what it will be like with my next baby. 

 

Have a wonderful weekend! Aloha!

Kailani says "In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response."

If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link on Kailani's blog. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!





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Aloha Friday: Birth

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HALO Big Kid's SleepSack Review

October was National SIDS Awareness Month, however this shouldn't just be kept in one month. Every day women are having babies all over the world and they should know of this silent killer that can strike without symptoms and even occur with the most healthy of infants. SIDS is the leading cause of death in children newborn to 1 year. The cause of SIDS is unknown, and the more aware we are of what we can do to lessen the chances of this happening to a baby...a family, the better.

The people at Halo SleepSack are doing everything to ensure parents and caregivers know the ways to help prevent SIDS.

100% Organic Cotton SleepSack™ Swaddle

Before I was a parent, I've only heard of this SIDS in passing. The moment I became a parent, I poured over materials, scouring for information on this SIDS that could rob my baby of her/his life. I was such a nervous mess that this could just happen out of the blue. I did everything I learned and still went in to check on my babies every 20 or so minutes during their sleep. Even now that my kids are 2 and 4 years old, I still go in to check that they are alright.

When my son was a few months old, someone from our church gave us a wearable blanket for him and I was so very grateful! This was passed on to my daughter when she was born, but now she has outgrown it.

100% Cotton SleepSack™ Wearable Blanket - Prints & Solids

I was so excited when HALO Sleepsack sent me one of their Big kid's sleepsack to review! It is perfect timing because the weather is getting so cold now and my daughter doesn't keep her blanket on. I'd go in her room five or so times a night and it would be bunched up in her crib with her in an uncomfortable position. I don't like to think that she is too cold during the night and yet turning the heat can be rather uncomfortable.

Micro-Fleece Big Kid's SleepSack™ Wearable Blanket  (Click for larger images)

When the sleepsack arrived, I put it on her that very night. It was expected  it to be low 40s! It fitted great in a big blanket, comfy kinda way. I thought her legs would stay inside the blanket because it seems so big, but they came out all the time. Even though I put socks on her feet, when she falls asleep I go in and pull the sleepsack back over her feet :)

I also tried it on my four year old son. It fitted him perfectly! But he handles his blanket a bit better now, so it is better for my daughter.

I love the color! Red is my favorite and I love how soft it is and I especially love the legs in the blanket! My daughter loves her sleepsack blanket and it doesn't hinder her running around-before-bedtime groove.

I'm so surprised and excited to find out that they had it in so many sizes! You can get from preemie right up to 5t! I used to think the sleepsack was only for babies up to a year or so!

I will definitely have to get a smaller one for my baby in my next pregnancy.

#1 Safe Sleep Product:
The HALO^® SleepSack™ Swaddle and SleepSack™ wearable blanket are perfect solutions for use in your hospital environment. Introduced in 2000, the HALO^® SleepSack™ wearable blanket is the only product that carries seals from leading SIDS organizations in both the U.S. and Canada and is universally recognized by nurses and moms for its thoughtful design and exceptional quality.

About the company:
HALO Innovations, Inc. is dedicated to creating a healthier and safer sleeping environment for adults and children.
HALO's commitment to safety goes beyond its products. We are also interested in helping to educate parents about safety for their children. In this area of our website you will find links to useful health and safety information.

Bill Schmid
Founder, SIDS Parent and Father of 4

In 1991, Bill Schmid and his wife suffered an unspeakable tragedy when they lost their infant daughter Haley to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which is the sudden, unexplained death of a seemingly healthy infant up to an age of one year. Schmid, a professional engineer, has more than 20 years of experience in airflow technology. After the loss of his daughter, Schmid began an exhaustive review of the latest medical research on SIDS. In the United States each year, SIDS is the cause of death for approximately 2,500 children, making it the leading cause of death in otherwise healthy babies after one month of age. While there are several theories about the potential causes of SIDS, known risk factors are associated with increased probability of the syndrome, including the baby’s sleeping environment.

As an engineer, Schmid devoted himself to finding new and creative ways to address these risks, which are primarily centered around loose bedding.  Bedding can bunch up around a baby’s nose and mouth potentially causing dangerous re-breathing of carbon dioxide.

With these risks in mind, Schmid formed HALO Innovations and created the SleepSack™ Wearable Blanket, which is intended to eliminate the likelihood that a baby can get entangled with clothing and loose bedding during sleep. The SleepSack™ wearable blanket is sleeveless and is worn over pajamas or a bodysuit to take the place of loose blankets. Since its launch, the SleepSack™ brand has become the nation’s best selling wearable blanket for babies.

Here are some Safe Sleep Tips from the HALO website:

Back is Best for Baby's Safest Sleep......

By following these simple steps, parents and caregivers can help their baby survive and thrive:

• Place your baby to sleep on his or her back at naptime and night time

• Use a safety approved crib with a firm, tight-fitting mattress

• Remove all soft bedding and toys from your baby's sleep area (this includes loose blankets, bumpers and positioners)

• Use a SleepSack™ wearable blanket to replace loose blankets in your baby's crib

• DO NOT put your baby to sleep on any soft surface (sofas, chairs, water beds, quilts, sheep skins, etc.)

• Room sharing is safer than bed sharing

• DO NOT dress your baby too warmly for sleep; keep room temperature between 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit

• DO NOT let anyone smoke around your baby or be in a room where someone has recently smoked

• Educate relatives, baby sitters and other caregivers about these important safety tips

• Tummy time is important for babies while they are awake and being supervised. Place your baby on his or her tummy for playtime to help strengthen their upper body muscles. 

Visit HALO SleepSacks on Twitter and Facebook .

More information about SIDS
US Annual SIDS rate per 1000 live births: (Source: CDC and National Center for Health Statistics)

 For more information click on the logos below.
  



Thank you HALO SleepSack for the opportunity to review the big kid's sleepsack and participate in the SIDS Awareness. This is very dear to my heart. 


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HALO Big Kid's SleepSack Review

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Monday Mingle: 01-11-09 - The princess and the spider

If you'd like to join in the fun, do a short vlog on your blog answering the week's questions (however many you choose), post the above button on your site and link up at Eighty MPH Mom. Visit the other participants, learn about them and have fun! Trust me, if I can do it, then you can. Look down there at the amateur :). Plus you can send in your questions to Jennifer for the next mingle. Come on jump in!

This week's questions:

1. Tell us a joke!

2. How old are you?  We are all friends here - we won't tell!

3. Do you like to dance? Are you a good dancer?

4. What were you for Halloween? Your kids?  Do you do anything special for Halloween?

5. What was your favorite subject in school?  Subject you hated?

 



You can click on image to make larger.

In Support for Christine and her worthy promotion:

Live, Laugh, Love and Bloggings
Sign the Pledge: MOM SENDS THE MESSAGE (no texting while driving!)

NEXT WEEK'S QUESTIONS:

1.  What actor or singer did you have a crush on growing up?
{- submitted by Shannon from The Mommy Files}

2. How did you meet your husband or boyfriend? 
{- submitted by Shannon from The Mommy Files}

3. If you could time travel to the past or the future, which would you choose and why?
{- submitted by Greg from Telling Dad}

4. Have you seen any good movies lately? Which ones are worth seeing? (other than kiddy movies)

5. What are your plans for Thanksgiving?




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Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters 'Snack Pack" Prize Pack Giveaway 11/19
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Unilever Beauty Tip Of The Day and Giveaway 11/19

Monday Mingle: 01-11-09 - The princess and the spider

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Care.com $500 Gift Certificate Giveaway + other prizes!

Care.com is doing another fabulous giveaway for the month of November which is National Family Caregivers month! 

This should be fun and exciting for us parents who have to use caregivers at one point or another in our lives. Most of our caregivers are like our own family.

---------------------------------------

Details of contest:

Starting on October 29, you’ll be able to nominate a caregiver who deserves to be called a Care Hero by visiting www.facebook.com/caredotcom and nominating them. Share their photo and a short story of why you think they should win, then get your friends involved in helping Care.com choose the overall Care Hero—their comments on your nominee’s photo will help them win the contest!

At the end of November, Care.com will choose a Grand Prize winner to be the 2010 Care.com Care Hero. The winning caregiver will receive a $500 "Care Package" including hotel stay, tickets to a show, and dinner on us. As a thank you, they'll also give you--the nominator--a $100 restaurant gift certificate to show our appreciation. Plus, they'll choose weekly caregiver winners who will each receive a $100 restaurant gift certificate. And if you nominated a weekly winner, they'll give you a free, 3-month Premium Membership to Care.com.

So go to Facebook, share a photo of your Care Hero, and tell Care.com what they'e done for you. And be sure to thank during National Family Caregiver Month!

Prizes:

Finalists: Care.com will select 3 Finalists each week in November. Each Finalist will receive:

• A $100 dining gift certificate!
• Each Finalist’s nominator will receive a free 3-month membership to Care.com.

Grand Prize Winner: At the end of the month, Care.com will select 1 Grand Prize Winner from among the 12 Finalists. The Grand Prize Winner will receive:

• $500 in dining, entertainment, and hotel gift certificates
• As well as a bag of goodies from Care.com!
• The Grand Prize Winner’s nominator will receive a $100 dining gift certificate and a bag of goodies.

Also in November, specifically November 6th-8th, Care.com will be hosting another Free Weekend! All members get free access to Care.com for the whole weekend! That is pretty cool! 






Breast Cancer Awareness: Yoplait's Save Lids to Save Lives Giveaway 10/31
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Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters 'Snack Pack" Prize Pack Giveaway 11/19
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Unilever Beauty Tip Of The Day and Giveaway 11/19

Care.com $500 Gift Certificate Giveaway + other prizes!

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Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) Restraint System

You'll remember my post about supporting The NHTSA's Child Passenger Safety. It is good to know how to keep our families safe, especially in today's world where everyone is so distracted. I hope you will all recheck to ensure that your children are safe in their seats when driving.

According to a NHTSA study, 3 out of 4 kids are not as secure in the car as they should be because their car seats are not being used correctly. The LATCH system (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) was developed to make it easier to correctly install car seats.

The NHTSA would like readers to know that there are wonderful resources
available for free to help them make safe choices about car seats and
to help them use their car seats properly for maximum safety.

Twitter: 
An actual safety expert mans the @ChildSeatSafety
account on Twitter, and they will continue to answer any questions
that parents have about child passenger safety.  This is such a unique
resource from a government agency!
 

Facebook:

NHTSA has a Facebook page at
http://facebook.com/childpassengersafety where parents can learn about
everything from LATCH to locating inspection offices.

Website: 
The Ad Council and the
NHTSA have created a site with all the resources parents need to keep
their smallest passengers safe: http://childcarsafety.adcouncil.org/
Find your local inspection station, watch instructional videos, and
even take a fun quiz!

Recheck and see if your child is a bit safer in their seat. It is better than saying 'if only...'

Not sure which child safety seat to use?
Are you looking for a vehicle safety seat for your infant, toddler or 4-8 year old child but overwhelmed by the choices and worried about how to properly install your car seat? Our 4 Steps for Kids campaign will help you properly choose and install the correct safety seat for your child. Simply click on the images below:
 

4 Easy Steps to Protect our Kids
Infant	Toddler	Child	Tween

Breast Cancer Awareness: Yoplait's Save Lids to Save Lives Giveaway 10/31
**
Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters 'Snack Pack" Prize Pack Giveaway 11/19
**
Unilever Beauty Tip Of The Day and Giveaway 11/19

Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) Restraint System

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Aloha Friday: Getting my washboard back

My Question:

Do you exercise?

******************************************

I didn't used to, but since I've had my babies I notice my little pouch in the front wont go away, so now I have decided to start exercising. Not just for the pouch, but also for good cardio. I also wanted my tummy back to it's washboard state before having another baby. So I bought these two dvds to help me. I love love love the tae bo one, but the belly dancing one is ....harder to incorporate. I don't have the time or energy to do it after the tae bo. I don't exercise everyday either. maybe twice a week, sometimes less if things are too busy. 

Kailani says "In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response."

If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link on Kailani's blog. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!





Breast Cancer Awareness: Yoplait's Save Lids to Save Lives Giveaway 10/31
**
Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters 'Snack Pack" Prize Pack Giveaway 11/19
**
Unilever Beauty Tip Of The Day and Giveaway 11/19

Aloha Friday: Getting my washboard back

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'"He doesn't know that mommy is afraid too...

I play HGTVPro Football and since the games have begun, I would come in 16 or so out of 20. But this week I came in 2nd!!! and 4th and 5th in my leagues and I'm so stinking excited!

I love even more that my dh gave me props. He always does so well in his fantasy leagues and pick -em games.

Just something about your dh acknowledging you. It just feels good.

I wanted to join a yahoo fantasy league, but the league that I joined up with, did not begin. Everyone was so upset. Oh well. Next year I'll try again.

************************************

We returned our library books and dvds and got fresh ones. I went to a different library this time. It was interesting. I'll try a new library the next time too and see which one is a good fit for me and the kids.  I did return the books and dvds to the original library though and then went to the other library to check out more stuff.

I got home and wiped them down with disinfecting wipes because I'm a germophobe like that! Then the kids get to delight themselves in reading and being read to!

This week is all about Dr. Seuss. Did I mention how much I love Dr. Seuss? :)

I have to keep reminding the kids over and again, to take good care of the books that does not belong to us. Oy! So now I'm a helicopter-book-watcher.

I love books and it pains me if they are treated badly, so I try my best to protect them.

They were also having some sort of book sale and I bought 'The English Patient' for $0.25! I'm so excited about that. I did watch the movie and liked it. Plus I love anything with Ralph Fiennes in it! He is just fine :) and reminds me of my dh in profile. Maybe I'll buy the movie sometime...

I also wanted to get the book " Captivating by Elderedge, but it was out so I signed up to be notified when it becomes available.

*****************************
I have chores to do here at home. I must or I'll start to panic. It turns out if my house isn't clean, I"ll get anxious and hyperventilate.
I'm almost done though. Just need to scrub bathrooms and wipe the floors. I'll be wiping with my mop and bucket. Turns out that steam mop is just useless afterall. They do say be careful what you wish for.
That thing is flimsy and leave too much wet on my floor. I like a good strong wipe (twice ) to ensure that my floors are clean.
Bah. Now if only I could get my $$ back. Good thing it was a gift card I won.

***************************

Last night it poured rain and thunder and lightning. My son was afraid and cried. I went in and dimmed the lamp for him and stayed talking with him for a while until all my responses were hm hm  so that he could relax and fall asleep. When I left he was calm and didn't seem to care that it was still thundering. He doesn't know that mommy is afraid of the loud thunder and lightning too :) I'll tell him later and we'll cuddle together just the same. For now I'll be fearless mommy.
When I left and came back, he was in dreamland :) My sweet boy.

Today it's windy and beautiful sunshine.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Aloha!





Breast Cancer Awareness: Yoplait's Save Lids to Save Lives Giveaway 10/31
**
Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters 'Snack Pack" Prize Pack Giveaway 11/19
**
Unilever Beauty Tip Of The Day and Giveaway 11/19

'"He doesn't know that mommy is afraid too...

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WW: Save The Tatas!

 Enter my Breast Cancer Giveaway below and support the cause in anyway you can.

Yogurt is good for you! Or give the kids as snacks.

A walk/run/marathon, a party for donations, visiting someone in the hospital, reading to them or just sit and listen, play a game.

Do your own self breast exam etc.

So much to do, so little time.

Mahalo!


For more Wordless Wednesdays check out 5 minutes for moms , Wordless Wednesday and 7 Clown Circus and Go Graham Go!  and Ordinary and Awesome



Breast Cancer Awareness: Yoplait's Save Lids to Save Lives Giveaway 10/31
**
Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters 'Snack Pack" Prize Pack Giveaway 11/19
**
Unilever Beauty Tip Of The Day and Giveaway 11/19

WW: Save The Tatas!

Read more...

H1N1 - Are we making decisions in fear?

 This is scary. These people have not done enough research to say this vaccination is good. It's just a desperate response in panic. You cannot do that to a country.

I'm so glad that she is out and telling her story. My heart breaks for her.

Our family has never done flu shots. We give the kids regular vaccinations, but not flu shots.

I've been listening and reading and the more we discuss this, the more we are deciding that we might not be doing this flu shot, just like all the others.

However the media is being used as a propaganda tool to cause much fear and panic so that people respond in fear instead of logic or/and also to make this flu shot mandatory. That's despicable.

It's the same way, I think there was not a recession, until the media started it's propaganda and then everyone started to hide their money and stop spending.

I really hope families will take the time to discuss this and demand answers.

Bellaziz (Crista) from Bellaziza's Favorite things posted this on her blog and I found it very interesting and wanted to share with you for discussion or just some more information.






Breast Cancer Awareness: Yoplait's Save Lids to Save Lives Giveaway 10/31
**
Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters 'Snack Pack" Prize Pack Giveaway 11/19
**
Unilever Beauty Tip Of The Day and Giveaway 11/19

H1N1 - Are we making decisions in fear?

Read more...