just as grandma's cookie jar should always be full of good things, this blog will be full of good ideas, information, activities and reviews of things to help grandma . . . and grandpa, mom and dad too . . . pass on a heritage of faith to the children in their lives!
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Growing up in the USA, I of course, know the National Anthem - the Star Spangled Banner and the history behind the song. Since I am a "Lost Canadian", I thought I should learn the history behind the Canadian National Anthem - and learn the Anthem, too. Today I am happy to share with you what I have learned.
First for the history behind the song, O Canada! -
“O Canada” came into being in 1880, 100 years before it became Canada’s National Anthem.
For the past few days I've been letting you know about the new books in my Candy the Kitten . . . and Me! books - today I want to let you know about one the children you love are sure to enjoy - What Makes Candy Purr? In this fun story children will get to learn about the things which make Candy, a sweet little calico kitten, purr. And, not only will they discover the things which make Candy purr, but they will be surprised to learn about animals which are not cats, but still are able to purr . . . such as bears! Did you know bears purr? In What Makes Candy Purr? the children you love will enjoy discovering not only about the things which make Candy purr, but will be surprised to learn about other animals which purr, too!
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June 14th is Children's Day, so, what might the children you love want to do if it is a warm, sunny day and they are at your house?
Play in the water! And, not just play in the water, but use squirt guns if you have them.
The month of May is Photo Month . . . although, as a grandma, I firmly believe any and all months are "photo months" since all times are excellent times for photos!
I've been sharing the things I've been learning about Canada and its Government and First Peoples, and while this "Lost Canadian" still has much to learn, today I want to share how you are able to find out if you are a "Lost Canadian", too! As I wrote earlier, I was so surprised to learn more than 1/3 of my ancestors were Canadian - there is a strong possibility some of them were also First Nations Mi'kmaq as well. And today I discovered my husband has Canadian ancestors from Quebec!
So, how can you discover if your ancestors were Canadian? Well, follow these steps . . .
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A few days ago I wrote about one of the books in my Candy the Kitten series of books - today I am happy to let you know about another one - this time, Candy's Favorite Place!
In Candy's Favorite Place, children will get to learn where Candy, a sweet little calico kitten, loves to spend time. She really likes to be a cat in a box and a cat on her princess pillows, but there is one place where she really loves to be and children will enjoy discovering Candy's Favorite Place!
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Children's Day is on June 14th this year - and yes, it is a real holiday. I was browsing on Pinterest and found a really fun idea for Children's Day . . . or for a sleep-over, or a fun Summer evening . . . and it would make a great gift for your grandchildren for Children's Day! You can make your own set, then stand back and watch the fun begin . . . be sure to have a camera handy!
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If you have been reading grandma's cookie jar for very long, you know I like to share with you silly holidays and special days . . . after all, when it is chocolate day, or pie day, or cookie day, or donut day, or ice cream day, who wouldn't want to celebrate with the ones we love???!!!
Growing up in the USA, I am fairly familiar with politics in the USA. We basically have a two-party system - Democrats and Republicans. There are a few other parties - Independents, Libertarians, and Green Party, but since the 1850's the USA has basically been a two-party system. Democrats generally supports a stronger federal government, social programs, civil rights, and environmental regulation while Republicans typically advocate for free-market capitalism, limited government intervention in the economy, a strong national defense, and conservative social values. Of course trump has completely remade the Republicans in his image - which is not a positive thing at all.
At any rate, this "Lost Canadian" wanted to learn about the political system in Canada, so today I'm sharing with you what I learned on-line . . .
In this day and age it is especially important for grandparents (and parents) to be focused upon passing confident faith to the children they love, but it can be a challenge to find resources to help us do this. Generations Quest ~ Cultivate the Faith was written for this reason and provides 52 weeks of lessons grandparents/ parents will be able to use to engage our grandchildren/children in learning how to love, know, and walk with God!
June 14, 2026 is Children's Day! Yes, it is a real holiday . . . (If you look it up on Google, it says the USA celebrates Children's Day on the second Sunday in June - this has been the official date since the 1800's - I really did not make this holiday up!!!) 
:-)
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Today is National Lemonade Day - now the idea behind this special day is to help children learn how to set up their own lemonade stands, so they are able to learn what it means to run their own business. You are able to learn more about it at this link.
Several weeks ago in my first post on "Thoughts From a 'Lost Canadian'" I wrote, "I have lived most of my life in West Michigan, just thirty minutes from beautiful Lake Michigan. I lived for a few years in Northern California, two hours from Oregon, where I met my husband - but I was born in West Michigan and have lived most of my life here. Of course I knew my dad and my grandpa, but my great-grandpa died before I was born. Along with not knowing him, I also did not know - until last week - my great grandpa was born in Argenteuil, Quebec, Canada, and my great-great grandpa and great-great grandma were born in East Hawkesbury, Prescott, Ontario, Canada, and Argenteuil, Quebec, Canada.
What do you remember from when you were a child? Which family memories stand out to you when you remember being young? For me, I remember times when my family got together . . . there were always amazing things to eat as my family had excellent cooks as my grandmas and my mom could all cook! There are few things in life as wonderful as time spent with family . . . when you can add in tasty things to eat . . . well, it is the "cherry on top"!
