Hooray for Fathers!

When summer arrives, quite a bit of my week is spent in preparation for farmers' market and this past week was no exception. I spent last Thursday and Friday baking brownies, scotchies, and mini quick breads. It was another great market day and we had lots of great vendors. I came home with peaches, tomatoes, fresh garden lettuce, and some green onions to go with the soup beans Bobby asked me to make.

With the weekly market day out of the way, I set my mind to Fathers' Day which is just around the corner. Emily will be making a card for Bobby, I will wrap the dark chocolate candy I've been hiding, and I will plan dinner for him which will probably include a trip to the Rib King's tent. All these thoughts of Fathers' Day made me think of a gift Emily made several years ago. It was made using an envelope and was pretty easy, so I thought I would share it. First, you cut the very end off of a letter size envelope and then seal the back. Next, cut a small slit in the center of the top piece (about 1/2 inch) and fold down the ends to form a collar.

To make this envelope look like a man's outfit, you need some construction paper. Emily used a hole punch to make shirt buttons and a square to make pants. An alternate color of paper cut into a thin belt the width of the envelope creates a separation between shirt and pants. When they are all done, your child can slip their father's favorite candy bar inside!

In honor of fathers everywhere, I also read some great books where dads were the theme. The first book I read and probably my favorite of the three was Bertie: Just Like Daddy. As we all know, children try to emulate moms and dads and this adorable book has Bertie trying to be just like his father.

The next book I read was called Hunting The Daddyosaurus. It is a cute tale of a brother and sister in search of the huge and mysterious Dadyosaurus. The follow clues all over the house just steps behind the elusive creature, but in the end, they finally catch him.

And last but not least, I read Papa's Mark which is a beautifully written piece of historical fiction. Taking place at the time when colored men had just received the right to vote, Simms's  father eagerly awaits voting day. However, he can only write an x where his name should go. Simms, who isn't old enough to vote but who shares Papa's excitement, sets about to help Papa learn to write his own name. Night after night Papa practice, and on voting day, he proudly writes his name. I think this book would be a great addition to any American History lessons for both home school and traditional classrooms. It is a bit older having published in 2004, but worth finding a copy if you can.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Also be sure to drop by and join the Literacy Musings Monday Blog Hop where you will find other great blogs, or my personal website, Fun With Aileen, where you will find more on reading, writing, and my very own early grade Fern Valley chapter book series and my Quack and Daisy picture book series. And finally, you can find me on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.