Words from the Heart

 Today, I have the honor of sharing a guest post with the author of I Can't Wait to Love You Forever, Patricia Eckerman Ambas.  I highly recommend this book both for the content and the illustrations. I wished I had a copy of it way back when I was raising my girls. Patricia is a talented writer. I hope you enjoy her post. Grandchildren Connections Grandparents are powerful forces. The ones who can be the second parents, but more of the love and fun, and less of the discipline. Not even close to being a grandmother yet, I consider myself close to the source of what grandchildren want (as a beloved and loving granddaughter myself) and raising three children who have a close connection with both sets of grandparents. I have two tips to share with you that can begin to cultivate a stronger relationship with your grandchildren.  One of the reasons I’m sharing on this topic is that I’m finding some of my biggest book fans are grandparents. They love buying my books for their grandchildr

How I wish I could have had a book like this when I was raising my four daughters! I Can't Wait to Love You Forever by Patricia Eckerman Ambas is a delightful and heartwarming story of how a wise mother helps her child prepare for the birth of their sibling.  Eckerman does a superb job of showing just how games and positive reinforcement can teach children to deal with situations that, for the child, can be confusing, scary, or sad.  In addition, Amira Daaboul's illustrations make this book come alive! Her soft colors and gentle portraits of mother and child bring a feeling of peace and harmony. My favorite page was the last of the story. No spoilers...you will simply need to read the book to understand why! I highly recommend I Can't Wait to Love You Forever for anyone expecting an additional child in their family. This book will become a treasure in your home library! ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Patricia Eckerman Ambas loves sharing stories - everything is a story waiting to be

  As a child, I struggled to read aloud. I read fine silently, but when asked to share what I read, I had a difficult time articulating the story. If I read aloud without the ability to isolate words, the page looked like a jumble of letters. This was embarrassing, especially when the teacher told the class that I was an obstinate, lazy child! Back in the late 50's and early 60's, special education was not part of the school curriculum. Children with learning difficulties or, as I like to say, different abilities, either acted out and became behavioral problems or became invisible and hoped no one would notice them. I was the latter. Thankfully, I had a sixth-grade teacher, Sr. Ralph, who saw my talent for painting pictures with words and encouraged me to read and write. I read everything I put my hands on and taught myself how to share what I read.  During our poetry celebration, one of my poems was placed on the wall. Sister Superior commented on its beautiful images. I was s