Summer Has Begun!

Emily finished school and summer has officially begun for the Stewart family. This past week, we celebrated the beginning of our summer break by taking our annual family vacation. And I think there is a rule somewhere that says if you drive through Utica, Ohio, you have to stop at Ye Old Mill and get some Velvet Ice-cream. If not, there should be!

 

This particular trip was the first time in ten years that my mother wasn't part of the group, but as I sat by the fire admiring the view of the lake, I knew she would have loved the place I chose. Maybe she  even looked down upon us smiling at the grand kids.

 

Seeing as this was our first stay at the Lakehouse nestled on the edge of Burr Oak Lake, we weren't sure what to expect, but the scenery was outstanding, the wildlife abundant, the house extremely well maintained, well stocked, and it had more then adequate seating everywhere imaginable.

 

But the fun didn't stop there because on our way home we stopped at the Hocking Hills Flea Market where Emily sat in a big chair, where we bought the most delicious kettle corn, and where we found some bargains on mini antique bottles.

And despite all this busyness, I still managed to read a fun picture book called Duck on a Bike which is the tale of how Duck inspired all the farm animals to go for a ride with none of the humans any the wiser. Definitely a book worth looking for. There is even a version with an audio cd available.

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 Literacy Musings Mondays for more great blogs as well as my personal website Fun With Aileen where you will find more on reading, writing, and my very own chapter and picture books. And finally, you can find me on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.

Summer Reading Finale and Small Moments In Time!

This past week we attended the library's Summer Reading Finale where Emily enjoyed spending time with her friend. There were centers set up with activities for the kids like hula hooping and craft making, and there was free ice cream. Now I ask you, who doesn't love free ice cream?

 
Bobby took Friday off this week so we had a cook out Friday evening and invited my mom and sister over before we all headed out for our Friday night fun__Summer Bowling. After, we stopped at a little ice cream shop for our second day of yummy ice cream.
 
We also participated in our usual Saturday morning farm market where one of my vendors had some vegetables that were so beautiful; I just had to capture the images permanently. And while I was managing, selling, and socializing, the children took advantage of the bubbles I brought.

 

And lastly, we spent Saturday evening at some friends house celebrating a birthday with a feast and a bonfire. Some very adorable tiny kittens were involved as well, but none of them managed to sneak into our car for the ride home.
 
Thinking about all the little things that constitute our week, I realized how important all the seemingly small events are. I realized that these ordinary everyday occurrences are what bind us together as a family. They are what help us to create the memories that sustain us throughout our life times.

The two books I chose happened to be about parents and children and the beautiful bonds we create. The first book was about a father and daughter and was called Ask Me. The father and the daughter in this story take a walk and along the way the daughter keeps asking her father to ask her what she likes. She then regales him with all the things she enjoys like lightning bugs and ice cream cones. It is simply written and quite a beautiful story that children and adults will more then likely enjoy together.

The second book I read was called Where's Mommy? It was the story of two girls, one human and one a mouse. The two girls are friends but they don't tell their family members because they fear that their families will not understand. One night, as each girl gets ready for bed, she comes to the realization that her mother is not there to tuck her in. Her mother is missing. Each girl searches for her mother and in the end, they each find a delightful surprise.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. And feel free to drop by my personal website, Fun With Aileen, any day of the week for even more on reading, writing, my very own early grade chapter book, Fern Valley, the sequel, Return To Fern Valley, the soon to be released Cooking In Fern Valley (fall 2015) and my very first picture book, Quack and Daisy! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.