A STORY TO ENJOY WITH YOUR KIDS
In the first post of Grandparent’s Lifeline, I promised to contribute to the community by sharing my stories. I had hoped to share my new audiobook, Baxter Meets His Magic Grandpa free of charge to the blogging community. Unfortunately, I cannot technically do that through the blog. Therefore, I am doing the next best thing and posting the audiobook text for you to share with the children in your care (Age 3-8 yrs). The story teaches skills to help our children stop and think. My next post will contain teaching strategies to reinforce the skills. My grandkids have enjoyed listening to the audiobook. I have enjoyed the peaceful driving time which it has provided me. There is a link to the audiobook at the end of the story.
The text of the story is sixteen pages long. It will take up the remaining space of this post.
Baxter Meets His Magic Grandpa
(A Story for Grandparents and Caregivers
To Help Active Children Stop and Think)
By Dr. Jim Foley
Pg. 1
Baxter had never met his Grandpa. He lives far away on the other side of the forest in a grandparent village. One day, Baxter’s parents told him that Grandpa was going to move nearby to be closer to the family.
Baxter was excited but a little scared. He thought grandpa was very old. He probably didn’t see or hear well and needed a cane to hop around. Baxter was used to zooming around and had never been around old rabbits. He was afraid that he might hurt grandpa.
Pg. 2
The next day Baxter was speeding through the forest. He screeched to a halt when he saw something shiny. It looked like candy. Baxter unwrapped it and out fell a nut. Further down the path, Baxter found another package with some delicious berries. He stopped by a big oak tree. Baxter smiled as he unwrapped a delicious apple.
Just then, Baxter jumped as he heard, PRESTO, CHANGEO, SHAZAAM! HEALTHY TREATS!
Out jumped the strangest old rabbit that Baxter had ever seen. He was dressed like a wizard and held a wand.
“Surprizareeno, bet you thought that you found candy! Grandpa put delicious fruit and nuts in the candy wrappers. Magically, now you have healthy treats!”
Pg. 3
GRANDPA!!!! Where is your cane? CAN YOU HEAR ME?
Grandpa started to laugh. He laughed so hard that he rolled on the ground then hopped to his feet.
Baxter, I used to be the fastest animal in the forest just like you. I was a quick walker in the Grandparent Village. So, this rabbit still has plenty of hop!
Pg. 4
Baxter smiled and yelled “Let’s go home, Grandpa!” and took off down the path.
Grandpa called after Baxter, “Come on back here a minute.” He waited under the oak tree.
“What’s the hurry? Let’s talk about what we do next.”
“Sorry, Grandpa. Sometimes, I am in a big hurry!”
“Well well, Baxteroo! It sounds like you are a lot like Grandpa used to be. I would speed through the forest but sometimes I forgot to wait for others or listen to what they had to say.”
Pg. 5
“Your grandpa learned some tricks to be happy in the forest. The first trick had to do with this oak. When my energy got to be too much for the other animals, I came to this spot. I called it the “Slow Poke Oak”.
“What do you mean, Grandpa?”
“It helped me slow down. Try it yourself, Speedy. Start running! “
Baxter circled the tree. He ran and ran until he could run no more.
“Good, Baxter! How do you feel?”
“I feel like I turned down my buzz. I can move just right!”
Pg. 6
“Now, time to head back to the magic cave! Let’s walk together, my little pal.”
Sure, Grandpa! Where is it?
“It’s a surprise, you’ll soon see.”
Baxter and Grandpa walked down the path next to a peaceful stream. Grandpa could see three beavers building something at the water’s edge. All of a sudden, Baxter put on a burst of speed and yelled “Hey Billy, meet my Grandpa” The beavers jumped in the air and dropped the log they were carrying. The log floated away in the stream.
Pg. 7
Billy Beaver shouted, “I have had it with you, Baxter. You are always flying around and making noise while we are working! It took us two days to chew down that tree and there it goes down the stream. Why don’t you just leave us alone!”
Baxter hung his head and walked away. Grandpa could see a tear in the corner of Baxter’s eye. They walked quietly for a while and sat together next to the stream.
Pg. 8
“Baxter, I could see how excited you were when you saw your friends. You wanted to introduce them to your Grandpa. I know that you are a good friend. You didn’t mean to cause trouble. All you could think about was your good news and did not see the beavers at work.
I used to get very excited too and rushed so much that I didn’t notice things. I lost a few forest friends until I found some magic tricks to bring them back.”
A smile came to Baxter’s face, ”Grandpa can you teach me the magic tricks?”
“Why of course! Grandpa is my name and magic is my game.” Grandpa pulled a carrot out from behind Baxter’s ear and danced down the path.
Pg. 9
As Baxter and Grandpa skipped down the path, Baxter said, “this is the way to my house. I thought we were going to your Magic Cave”
Just then, they turned the corner and could see Baxter’s burrow. It was on the side of a beautiful green hill.
“Wow, What is that?”
Next to Baxter’s burrow was a new burrow. The sun glistened off the glass and the stones around the opening. Wild flowers and vines covered the new burrow. On top of the door was a wizard’s hat made out of twigs and pine needles.
“Enter the CAVE OF MAGIC! ” said Grandpa as he hopped inside.
Pg. 10
Baxter followed Grandpa and gazed at all the amazing things inside the Magic Cave. On the top of one wall were the words, “Magical Tools”. Grandpa hopped over and took a shiny, red stop sign off the shelf.
“Magic Tool number one: first, I had to learn to stop before I got myself into trouble.”
Then Grandpa went back to the wall and took a wizard’s hat off the shelf.
“Magic Tool number two: This is a thinking cap. Once I learned to stop, I had to learn to think before I moved too fast or spoke too soon”
Pg. 11
Baxter took the stop sign from Grandpa and put the wizard’s hat on his head.
“OK Grandpa let’s go! I am ready for some magic. No more fights with my friends!”
Grandpa started to chuckle. “Baxter, the magic is not in the stop sign or the hat. It’s inside you. It takes time to STOP AND THINK.
We have some real work to do in the Magic Cave before you’re ready for the forest.
Pg. 12
“Baxter, you already have a stop sign and a thinking cap. You just have to use your imagination and see a picture in your head. Watch.”
Grandpa said, “Stop” and held his hand out in front of him.
Then he said, “Think” and put his imaginary cap on top of his head with his other hand.
“Now comes the hard part, learning when to use your imaginary tools.”
Pg. 13
“First, you have to know when you usually have trouble
Second, you need to practice using your tools when trouble is ahead. How could you have used your magic tools today with the beavers?”
“Well, Billy Beaver is my best friend. I always get excited when I see him and sometimes I move too fast and talk too loud. Sometimes, he is working and gets upset.”
“Ok, Let’s practice using your tools.
Close your eyes and imagine a picture of Billy working by the stream.
Put up your stop sign and whisper to yourself STOP ….
Take a deep breath, slow down and put on your thinking cap and whisper to yourself THINK
Think of what you will say, like, “Hi Billy, do you want to talk?
Now, think of a picture of you and Billy smiling and talking together.
P. 14
“Now Let’s make a list of some of your other “Stop and Think” times.”
Baxter thought and thought and hung his head. “Grandpa, my life is one big Stop and Think time.”
Grandpa chuckled. Baxter boy, I know what you mean! Pick just one. After we practice, you can pick another. How about at home?”
“Ok, probably when I am excited to see Mom or Dad when I come home. I fly through the door and it slams. I shout to Mom or Dad but sometimes they are doing important stuff."
“Good job, Now let’s practice the steps: Stop and Calm Down, Think about your actions and words.”
P. 15
Baxter and Grandpa practiced and practiced. They didn’t even stop for a carrot break! Finally Baxter was ready and set up a plan with Grandpa.
The next day, Grandpa met Baxter on the way home from school. They walked home and grandpa hid in the bushes beside Baxter’s house. Baxter stood in front of his door and practiced. Grandpa could see Baxter whisper “Stop” and put his imaginary thinking cap on his head. Baxter whispered the words that he had practiced and slowly opened the door. Grandpa moved closer to watch Baxter.
Pg. 16
Baxter slowly hopped through the door and said in a quiet voice, “Hi Mom and Dad, I’m home”.
Mom looked stunned as she dropped her book to the floor. Dad stared wide eyed from the stove as he cooked. He tried not to get burned.
They both said, “Baxter is that you? We thought it was some other bunny. What happened?
Baxter said,”Well, I guess you could just say It’s magic! “
He turned looked out the window and winked at his grandpa. His grandpa winked back and they both smiled!
The End
I hope you all enjoyed the story. You will find some tips to use with your grandkids and kids in my next posting.
Here is the link to the audiobook:
https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/Baxter_Meets_His_Magic_Grandpa?id=AQAAAEDqDVtNoM&hl=en_US
