Dolls by Shirley D

I hope you enjoy my tribute to my mother who went to her rest in 1998 at the young age of 68.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you who stop by.

My mother loved her kids and grand babies, loved old folks and was an animal lover. She enjoyed bowling (got a 200 once) and golfing later in life. She was a bit of a tomboy, liked camping, road trips, cruises and  hanging out at the beach on the week-ends. Our family bonded and ate easy prep can food dinners as we went on family sand buggy trips.

She entered the doll making world after all the kids were grown and gainfully employed. She made sculpey dolls, created porcelain dolls from scratch as she poured them in molds, sanded and cleaned them, painted them, fired them and sewed all the clothes. You will see what beautiful work she did. Now that my children are grown and gone I have more time to be creative myself, yes there is life after young kids.

It would have been nice to have enjoyed that season of my mom’s life, but…what ya gonna do, I was a very busy young mother with small children and 3000 miles away.

Shirley D, my mother

My mother also made baby blankets for my children besides all of the dolls you will see below. She loved her dolls and bears. I do not know how many dolls she made, these are the ones I inherited and she made for my kids. I have three other siblings with kids. When my mother passed on, my father was really drowning in her collection. He was going to miss her, but he was very happy to shed a small stadium of peering eyes.

The first set of pictures are peasant dolls, the toy seller’s head turns so you are able to change back and forth to the young or old face, very cool.

The bottom two pictures are sculpey dolls. They are made from scratch, not molds and the surface feels waxy. 

Doll in a box, Campbell doll 

Clown & Flapper doll, Stevie doll

Baby dolls 

Oriental dolls, I believe one of these belonged to a royal family and my mother made a mold from the original doll.

Pinkie, Blue Boy & Little boy doll. 

The Pinkie and Blue Boy dolls are really beautiful, they have so much detail. The Pinkie & Blue Boy dolls were a set, she would give one away & of course the doll dealers would want the set, so they would purchase the other doll. 

How has your mother made her imprint on your life? Is she or was she creative, loving, or a woman of God? What example has she set for you? I would love to hear from you. Please make a comment below.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Ms. Dawn

Other posts you may enjoy…

♥ Woman of God-Song

♥ Doing What They Do-Song Lyrics

♥ SMA Child’s tribute to mom 

 ♥ Tissue Paper Vase for Mom

I like you, you're fun!

Kids love games and challenges, attention and bonding and unknown to them we can craftily teach them what they need to learn. Here is a simple game to play with kids to help foster good hand washing or hand sanitizing practices, preventing the spread of germs that make us sick and creating an atmosphere of learning and laughter.

Safety pin game:

Remember the games you’ve played at baby showers, this was one of my favorite, it really keeps you on your toes.

1. Collect 5 small safety pins for each person who will be participating. 

2. Attach the pins on outer clothing, you can connect the pins to each other if you like.

3. Set the rules for playing.  Make rules simple for younger children. The older children 5-8 yr olds will enjoy this game the most. Play this game as you go out shopping.

A. Remind the children that when they touch things and then touch their mouth, nose or eyes, this is when germs get into their bodies.

B. The object of the games is to not touch your mouth, nose or eyes with your bare hands, it is OK to use a clean tissue to scratch an itch or wipe a runny nose, just no bare hands.

C. When you see a participant touch their mouth, nose or eyes, that person must give one of their pins to you. You call out-You touched your _____, give me your pin & sanitize. Mom-your job will be to help with the sanitizer after the child touches his forbidden mouth, nose or eyes, a little dab will do ya. Later when you make a potty stop everyone can give their hands a good washing, another teachable moment.

D. The one with the most pins at the end of the shopping trip gets to pick the special activity or treat that you will all enjoy together.

Sooo, items you will need: safety pins, tissues (let each child put a couple in his pocket) and hand sanitizer. 

I like carrying one of the Purell hand sanitizers which has a niffy easy to get to plastic holder that straps to your shoulder strap or a ring on your handbag. The little bottle is easy to refill with your favorite sanitizer.

Hand sanitizer helps prevent germs.

 Other activities you may enjoy to re-enforce learning. Sing a hand washing song.

Name surfaces that may have germs, have an older child write the list as you shop.

Read more posts about hand washing and germ prevention:

♥ H2N1/Swine Flu

♥ Rhinovirus/The Cold 

♥ Strep Throat

Sign up to our posts to receive fun crafty projects, health tips for kids, inspirational thoughts about life and family and TSN musical adventures and more.

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Let us know if you enjoyed this post, we would love to hear from you. Let us know if you and your children enjoyed the germ prevention bonding game. Comment below.

Ms. Dawn, The Singing Nurse

Squirrels prepare for winter!

Prepare & Promote Good Health?

Squirrels are known to gather acorns to get ready for the big wintry cold season ahead. They scamper around in the leaves and race up and down the trees to get prepared, it is just in them.

Well, like the squirrels, we want to get ready too; it is just in us to protect the health of our families. We would be honored to help prepare you and your children for the cold and flu season coming soon. Burr!  And, we’d love to partner together with you to promote healthy living to the public.

Go here to learn how The Singing Nurse can help prepare your family/students.

We’d love to hear your ideas. Please respond below in the comments box.

We all know the feeling when we are caught in a tight space and the gentleman next to us starts coughing, blowing his nose and yes, spreading those yucky germs around. People can be very inconsiderate by not protecting the public from their germs. So it is our job as conscientious parents and teachers to teach our children healthy consideration for the greater public health good and seize teachable moments as good public health ambassadors.

“Healthy”, what is it? The Merriam-webster.com dictionary meaning says:

1: enjoying health and vigor of body, mind, or spirit

2: revealing a state of health <a healthy complexion>

3: conducive to health

“Consideration”, what is it? The Merriam-webster.com dictionary meaning says:

1: continuous and careful thought <after long consideration he agreed to their  requests>

2 : a matter weighed or taken into account when formulating an opinion or plan <economic considerations forced her to leave college> b : a taking into account

3: thoughtful and sympathetic regard

4: an opinion obtained by reflection

“Healthy consideration”, what is it?

So, as we reflect on enjoying health, we make a continuous thoughtful regard and “do something”,  and take action on our reflection.

Some of our thoughts on Healthy Consideration and the actions to take:

Healthy consideration is:

♥ Covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue.

♥ Sneezing or coughing into your elbow or shoulder.

♥ Washing or sanitizing your hands if you coughed or sneezed into them.

♥ Staying home from work away from others while you are sick.

♥ Keeping your child home from school if they are ill.

♥ Staying away from shopping or going to large gatherings such as kid activities or your house of worship when you are ill. 

Promoting healthy consideration and wellness to others:

We most likely will be in a position to encourage someone to stop spreading their germs around. We may have the opportunity for a teachable moment while handing someone hand sanitizer or a sanitizer wipe when you see they need to clean their hands.

♥♥♥ Remember to do it as sweetly as possible with bushels of “consideration”, taking into account that they most likely are not feeling well.

Creative ways to promote healthy consideration:

Print up business cards(you can let your children create messages) or print on a sticker and stick it to a small bottle of hand sanitizer or pre-packaged handwipe with a healthy message like:

1. Please Cough & Sneeze in Your Shoulder “Don’t Spread Your Germs Around”.

2. Sorry you’re not feeling well, please cough or sneeze in your shoulder.

3. Sorry you’re not feeling well, please don’t spread your germs around.

4. Sorry you’re not feeling well, please accept this hand wipe to wipe the germs away.

5. Not near a sink, please accept this hand wipe to protect all of us from germs.

Some TSN ideas:

We ♥ Living Healthy, please “Don’t Spread Your Germs Around”

Sing & Learn w Us, Hear the ♫ Song @ TheSingingNurse.com

We ♥ Living Healthy, Hand Washing is Important, ”Rubba Dub Dub”

Hear the ♫ Song @ TheSingingNurse.com

Here are some comments that others have said about promoting good public health.  Below are some #hashtag ideas for twitter searching. We’d love to hear yours too. To follow TSN on twitter click here.

A young family man/professional working in NYC suggests:

“How about something edgy like”
#keepyourgermstoyourself
#sharehealthnotgerms
#germspreaderssuck
#curbyourgerms

Check out TSN health lessons for kids, click here.

Have a happy healthy winter,

Ms. Dawn, The Singing Nurse

You may have some ideas to promote healthy consideration, what do you plan on doing to promote healthy living with your family this cold and flu season?

You may like these posts : reasons to wash hands

#1 H1N1

#2 Rhinovirus

#3 Strep Throat

#4 Influenza (flu)

Stay out of tall grass!

Lyme Disease Preventions for Kids

Disease carrying ticks are still with us. We are enjoying a longer season of warm weather, longer grass cutting season and the ticks are enjoying more time eating warm blooded meals from us and our children. We need to protect ourselves and our children and be more diligent than ever to prevent Lyme disease and other tick borne diseases.

We may think the ticks are gone for the season, think again. I was visiting with a friend today and one of those pesky little ticks was crawling on my face, yuck! I hear because of all the rain and moisture we are going to have more fleas, ticks and mosquitoes.

We wanted you to know about one of our favorites Lyme disease prevention resources. The 5th lesson plan in our new Nurse created health lessons book, “The Singing Nurse: Health Lessons for Kids”, is where you will find it.

The Lyme disease prevention unit includes a tick borne disease fact sheet and letters home to parents. The health lesson also integrates; creating props, letter recognition for young children, singing the catchy tune, “The Tick Song”, doing hand motions, and creating a multimedia presentation.

Lyrics to “The Tick Song” to listen click here

1) Your head may feel achy, your joints may feel shaky

And you may want to cry-wa, wa

2) So your body you check, make sure there’s no tick

Cuz you don’t want to cry-wa, wa

Don’t you get Ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichiosis)

Babesiosis (Babesiosis)

Ehrlichiosis or Babesiosis or Lyme

Break:  Stay out of tall grass (wear light colors)

In your socks tuck your pants (wear light colors)

When coming inside check your body every time.

1. Our lessons are easy to follow!

2. Our lessons save you time!

3. The kids have a blast while learning!

4. The process totally engages kids!

Come Sing & Learn with us!

Purchase your copy today!

By Mail: 29.95 + 5.00 Processing and Handling click here

By Download: 24.95 sent to you via email within 24-36hrs click here

PayPal and All major credit cards accepted

1st Picked Accidental Pumpkin

We had to pick our 1st Accident Pumpkin , you can read the poem here.

Pumpkins and apples always remind us of back to school and learning, classrooms, library books, playground adventures, the nurse’s office, field trips, meeting new and old friends, and promoting health and safety to our young children.

We wanted to introduce to you, “The Singing Nurse: Health Lessons for Kids”, our brand new nurse created health curriculum for curious preschoolers to early elementary aged children. Our music driven curriculum is a fun and a creative way to promote good health habits in your children.

We love living healthy and your quest for healthy living is probably why you stopped by to visit us today. We’d like to help you educate your kids in a way they will actively participate.

Each of our lessons are filled with kid appealing:

♥ Games and crafts to reinforce each health concept

♥ The Singing Nurse sing-a-long tunes with catchy melodies and lively beats

♥ Creative suggestions for multimedia productions

♥ Resources containing: graphics, letters to parents and helpful websites

Each of our health lessons are easy to follow and include learning about:

1. Hand washing

2. Dental Hygiene

3. Dentist Visit

4. Flu Prevention

5. Lyme Disease Prevention

6. Audiologist Visit

7. You are Special

8. Body Parts/Kindness

Interwoven within the lessons, kids will discover the working of germs, good health habits, the awesome animal kingdom, visiting health care workers and learning about themselves and their uniqueness. The Singing Nurse Health Lessons for Kids was lovingly created and tailored to the eager and curious minds of our greatest treasures, our kids.

To hear song samples click here and listen in the bandbox player.

To see an overview of all the lessons click The Singing Nurse Overview PDF.

For more details click here.

Obtain your copy today by clicking on

Order by mail 29.95 + 5.00 Processing and handling

Order by download 24.95

PayPal and all major credit cards accepted

Please share with your friends and professional contacts the exciting news of our brand new fun filled Nurse created Health Lessons for Kids by The Singing Nurse.

We did it again and hope you do too…

Influenza (Flu)-another reason to wash your hands and to cough or sneeze in your shoulder.

Yours truly, The Singing Nurse took the plunge and is here to remind you to get your flu shot if you are able. Remember it’s not about us, even though getting the flu shot will benefit us as well.

Getting our flu shot is an act of kindness towards those we love and especially to the medically fragile people we rub shoulders with everyday.

The flu shot this year includes H1N1 and 2 other influenza viruses. Check out the CDC website, they have gobs of great info on how they choose the viruses and all the scientific stuff, if you are into to that sort of thing. The resources at the CDC would provide great info for a school science project for older children in school or homeschoolers.

Children of course have the highest rate of infection because they are together in close proximity.

Symptoms may include:

*fever   *sore throat   *chills   *fatigue   *cough   *headache   *muscle aches

Infants, the elderly, pregnant women and people with health conditions may become very ill.

The flu can also cause: high fever, pneumonia and diarrhea and seizures in children.

Tens of thousands die, and more are hospitalized from the flu each year.

The CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that all people 6 months and older receive the flu shot.

Flu season is usually between Oct and May.

Check with your doctor before getting a flu shot to make sure you and the children in your life are able.

Adverse reaction to the shot can be from very mild discomfort to a very rare life threatening reaction.

Call your doctor with any question and 911 for anything that appears life threatening. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and seek help. When in doubt check it out.

This post has been a summary from the info found @ the CDC and AAP websites.

Check out their great handouts for parents.

Songs to Listen/Purchase Rubba Dub Dub **Don’t Spread Your Germs Around

Children’s hand washing lesson.

*color sheet*games*crafts*lesson*animation

Posts you may like: H1N1 Rhinovirus/cold Strep Throat

For Healthy Children and Families,

Ms. Dawn, The Singing Nurse

Dawn Ginese 9/5/11

What’s that bush tucked under the stairs

I don’t remember planting it there

It seems to keep growing with no help from me

The sun rays warm it, the stormy rains water it

And all I use are my curious eyes to see

This accidental pumpkin bush is growing just for me

Someone placed a smiling pumpkin one October day

It glowed with a candle and grinned for weeks

And mellowed with time to mush and seeds

Thanks to those of that first carved creation

Of smile and glow and mush

Who left this beautiful wildly growing

accidental pumpkin bush

So here it is September and upon that gangly vine

is the ripening of a huge orange pumpkin

that soon will all be mine.

I’ll carve him, I’ll clean him, and place a light inside

This unexpected pumpkin, who crossed the path of mine

I too will leave my grinning guy behind

My pumpkin’s smile will flicker and yes he’ll soon be mush

But he will be the next years, accidental pumpkin bush

What are some of your favorite pumpkin experiences; pumpkin picking, growing pumpkins, recipes, favorite books or pumpkin crafts?

Nice picture of our 1st picked, “Accidental Pumpkin” click here

Psalm 19:5

]]> http://thesingingnurse.com/the-sun-rejoices/feed/ 0 http://thesingingnurse.com/dad-im-a-lot-like-you/ http://thesingingnurse.com/dad-im-a-lot-like-you/#comments Thu, 16 Jun 2011 01:45:18 +0000 admin http://thesingingnurse.com/?p=1434 All the Things You Like do, Yes Dad, I’m a Lot Like You

Go outside feel the sun on my face, I like feeling the wind blow my hair

Sit on the deck watch the birds fly by, squirrels in trees, they catch my eye

All the things you like to do, yes Dad, I’m a lot like you

Can’t go in a boat on a lake like you, but I love when you bring me a fish or two

I can’t skip stones or throw a stick, but I love the site of our dog chasing it

All the things you like to do, yes Dad, I’m a lot like you

I can’t walk but you carry me, to the tub or to the deck, Dad, I love your kisses on my neck

I know dad that you have deep thoughts, of things that could be, but now are not

All the things you like to do, yes Dad, I’m a lot like you

One fine day we’ll sit down and discuss, all the cares here and all the fuss

I’ll hug your neck, I’ll kiss you back, yes dad, we’ll look forward to that

All the things you like to do, yes Dad, I’m a lot like you

Love you Dad, Happy Father’s Day,

Kian

D.G. 6-7-11

Items you will need: pipe cleaners, paint, construction paper, scissors, glue, thick white paper, a picture of your child.

1. Bend the pipe cleaners to make different shapes, create a handle to hold on to.

2. Dip different shapes in to different colors and press on to the construction paper.

3. Do hand over hand for children who do not have use of their hands, they will enjoy the craft as well.

4. We trimmed our creation and glued thicker white paper inside for writing on.

5. We also glued our picture on the outside of the card.

Have fun with it, all children will enjoy creating a card for someone special in their lives.