Soup and Sleep

This past week sent us scurrying back to school lessons. It also saw the beginning of  a five week photography course Emily is taking with her home school aid Ms. Charlie. I'm not sure she loves taking pictures as much as I do, but I hope she at least enjoys the class.

We also attended our monthly Cook Book Club meeting where the theme was soups and sandwiches. Now I don't know about you, but I absolutely love soups and sandwiches. So much in fact, that I forgot to take any pictures. Emily made my recipe for lemon poppy seed bread, and I made turkey and bacon club sandwiches with avocado spread and white chicken chili.

I used a recipe from The Ultimate Chicken website with a couple of substitutions. I already had two cups of cooked shredded chicken and I had heavy cream instead of half and half because I didn't want to run to the store.  I thought it was delicious especially topped with shredded cheddar cheese, but Emily told me if we were having leftover soup for dinner she would fix herself a hot-dog. One day Ms. Picky's tastes will change just like mine did, and she'll wonder why she turned her nose up to so many tasty dishes.

Over the weekend it snowed here in Ohio. It probably didn't snow here as much as some parts of the country, but I was happy to see the snow and cold that did shower us because it will mean a good maple syrup season; and I surely do love fresh maple syrup.

And last but not least, I read a book titled The Goodnight Train. I personally don't have any trouble falling to sleep, but for some reason my male cat has decided for the past several days he needs me to get up at 2 or 3:30 in the morning. To help raise me from my slumber he digs incessantly on the sliding closet doors directly beneath the master bedroom making a ruckus that could raise the dead if that were possible. But I'm getting off topic, so back to the book.



The Goodnight Train is a cute rhyming book about children being lulled to sleep on a train traveling through dreamland. The sounds and sights that fill the night as the train makes its trek will surely delight children from five to seven.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Also be sure to drop by 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 if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.

Good Winter Reads!

This past week flew by like a whirl wind even though we weren't particularly busy. I guess the not particularly busy part is why I don't have any photos to share this week, and the flew by part is why I didn't get a chance to read any new books. None-the-less, I have compiled a list of books previously read that consist of winter subject matter. They range in date from 2008 to 2017, offering a selection of old and new for you to choose from.

I noticed that there was another book titled Red Sled when I was scouring amazon, and although I have not read this book, I think it would be interesting to read and compare the two.

In addition, while roaming around on Amazon, I also noticed two other books I haven't read that look interesting. I think I might have to make a suggestion to my children's librarian who generously ordered the last book I requested.

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.

Snow!

This past week Emily and I attended Cook Book Club and wouldn't you know, I forgot to take pictures. The theme was soup, but Emily made an eclair dessert she found on Pinterest (which was super delicious), and I made rolls to go with everyone else's soup.

We also had some roller coaster weather. You know that fifty degrees one day and zero the next kind of weather. And with the return to cold, we had snow. Lots and lots of snow. Of course we made provisions for our backyard buddies, but I'm pretty sure they are as tired of the snow as I am.

So I found it totally appropriate that the book I grabbed from my to read pile  for this week's review was titled Snow Bear. When I saw this book at the library, I just knew I had to read it even though it was from 1999. I had to read it, not only because it was a winter themed book; but because the paintings are by my superbly talented friend Wendell Minor. This story, about an Eskimo girl and a polar bear cub, is told from several points of view which I enjoyed. The mother bear watches. The older brother watches. And the girl and the cub become fast friends. Someone more dangerous than either mother bear or brother and his gun appears. But all ends up as it should. Wendell's artwork lends a hand in taking the reader on a wonderful arctic journey, and I'm pretty sure adults and children alike will love this book!

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.

Busy, Birthdays, and Books

This past week found me very busy schooling, taking my mom to an eye appointment, and getting ready for not one, but two birthday parties. Why was I planning two birthday parties for my daughter you ask. Simply because circumstances dictated it. My daughter has a friend in the neighborhood whom she adores, but who is two years younger then all of her other friends. She also has two local friends who don't know any of her schools friends, and she has one school friend who eats gluten free. 

 

Are you following so far? Emily really wanted to have chocolate cake for her birthday, but that wouldn't work for the gluten free friend. She also didn't know how well her younger friend would get along with the large group of older girls, especially when she wouldn't know any of them and they would all know each other.

So, I hosted a small cozy birthday party on Friday for our neighbor and the other two local girls. We ordered pizza, had cake, had ice-cream, and had party punch. The girls all played, had a fabulous time, and we didn't have to worry about who could eat what. 

On Saturday we had the big, loud, and rambunctious party which included her cousin, the girls from her former class, and girls from her current home-school class. We played bingo and hot potato. We had an ice-cream sundae bar with tons of toppings including gluten free cookies. And, they played hide and seek all over the house.

Therefore, when I looked through my pile of books to decide what to review this week, I decided to read A Tale of Two Beasts in honor of two parties. This book wasn't quite what I expected, but it was a wonderful read. The authors premise is that every story has two sides, and then there is the truth. The book is actually split into two parts to go with this premise. The first half of the story is told from the point of view of a girl, and the second half is told from the point of view of a beast. Each has a different perspective which makes this book fun, entertaining, and perfect for discussion with children. It seems to only be available used on Amazon, but it is showing up on B&N although there is no cover photo. Either way, it is worth the search.

In addition to parties and  beasts, there was a whole lot of snow going on in parts of the country. I know many of my East coast friends were being hammered with the storm of the year. This prompted me to read a second book called Perfect Snow in honor of the situation. It is the story of two boys who are excited to see it has snowed out although not enough to cause school to be canceled. They eagerly await recess, but what they do with the snow is totally different. In the end, they combine their passions and create a frigid good time for all the children .

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me 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 sequels, Return To Fern Valley,  and Cooking In Fern Valley, along with my very first picture book, Quack and Daisy! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.

A Library Display,Valentine's Day, And Tracks In The Snow!

The painting is done, my hubby is home, but I've still been busy. I even managed to get to the library and set up the new children's display wishing everyone a great Valentine's Day. I also checked out the section of newly purchased books and was excited to see two books by illustrator friends of mine.

Since Valentine's Day is almost upon us, I decided the first book I would review would be a Valentine book. So what did I choose, you ask? Why, Kylie Jean Valentine Queen, of course. A few years ago I read Kylie Jean Rodeo Queen by Marci Peschke and I enjoyed it very much. So, it is no surprise that I love her latest Kylie Jean offering. Kylie Jean's dream is to someday be a beauty queen and she even has the wave down pat. But until that day arrives, she contents herself with being a Valentine queen.

The second book I chose to review was influenced by the lovely piles of snow which lines every driveway in my neighborhood, and by the tracks I see in the fresh snow that adorns my front yard. It was called Who's Been Here? A Tale In Tracks. Two children go on a journey through the snow with their dog who finds a multitude of different tracks of passing animals. One set of tracks leads to an especially interesting critter.

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, and the soon to be released Cooking In Fern Valley (fall 2015)! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.

Damaged Luggage and A Winter Wonderland

The saga of Bobby's trip to Japan continues. I heard from him for a few minutes when he called to let me know he had arrived safely. After he had time to sleep, he called me again before he left for work (Our morning is their night and so forth). Unfortunately, when he arrived at Tokyo, he found that the suitcase he had borrowed for the trip had been damaged.

I can only imagine how frustrating it must have been to try and drag luggage about with an entire ripped side all while trying to keep belongings from spilling out. Hopefully he won't let this minor set back sap the joy out of this experience.

Meanwhile, here in Ohio we have that lovely deep blanket of winter snow that was missing during Christmas. With that in mind, along with Bobby's trip, I chose two books. One about snow, and one representing Asian twins and the beautiful way they share everything

The first book is actually called Snow and is by the wonderful Cynthia Rylant. Snow is an absolutely and astoundingly beautifully written and illustrated book. She describes snow in amazing ways like the snow that falls at night and the snow that causes school children to be sent home. The snow that helps make memories. I seriously recommend this book for children and adults alike.

 

The second book I read was Ling and Ting Share A Birthday by author/illustrator Grace Lin. Ling and Ting are identical twins and it's their birthday. They share birthday shoes, they share birthday cake, they share a birthday wish, they even share their birthday gifts. But when they share most is an appreciation of each other. this book is perfect for children between the ages of five and eight and shares a very positive message.

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, and the soon to be released Cooking In Fern Valley (fall 2015)! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.

A Little Late But Still Pretty Great!

My family's Christmas celebration was a little late this year due to illnesses, but it still turned out pretty great. Four days after Christmas we were all well enough to get together and though we had to change our menu form the planned hot sandwiches, chicken wings, and cheesy potato soup, the homemade chicken nuggets and Stromboli were acceptable replacements. The chocolate, chocolate chip cookies made everything more festive as well.

The highlight of our gift giving was watching my two year old nephew help my mom open her presents. He also had great joy using that ribbon to tie up his sister and Emily.

The only slight disappointment was the fact that our Christmas was green this year. But although we've had no snow as of yet, I know it will be on it's way any time now. So to prepare, I read Snow Dog, Go Dog. A great rhyming book for children five to eight, Snow Dog, Go Dog shows just how much fun a boy and his dog can have in the snow. The kind of fun that makes you tired and ready to sleep at the end of the day!

I also read a book called Sparrow Jack. It's an older book only available used, but well worth finding. It tells the story of how the English sparrow came to be in America. It was a lively and interesting tale of how Sparrow Jack brought the birds to Philadelphia to take care of an inchworm epidemic. I love mostly true historical children's books. They make learning so much fun and it's a pretty good way to wrap up the year.

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, and my sequel, Return To Fern Valley! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.

Time To Give Thanks

It's Thanksgiving Time again, and while Bobby and I try to teach Emily to be thankful for all we have each day of the year, it is nice to enjoy a special day set aside for that very thing. A day to spend with family we don't get to see every day, a time for a feast, a time for fun.

To start off our pre Thanksgiving festivities, Emily and I worked on some Zentangle art. Normally Zentangle art is black and white and is made by using repetitive patterns, but we decided to make a variation of the idea after I saw a Zentangle turkey on Pinterest. On the post I looked at, they had simply copied some blank turkey coloring pages and then started making patterns with colored markers. I think our efforts turned out pretty well, how about you?

And of course the day also involved a Thanksgiving book, a beautiful book called Give Thanks for Each Day by Steve Metzger. The illustrations by Robert McPhillips were equally delightful and lent an extra special joy to each page. Told in rhyme, this story reminds us to be thankful for the small things, everything from new crayons to parades. It also reminds us to be thankful for each other and the love shared in moments like holding hands. This book would be especially good for children five to eight who are just starting to learn the concept of thankfulness.

 

 

I also read a book called Geraldine's Big Snow which also seemed appropriate give we recently had our first couple of snows of the season here in Ohio. When Emily was very young, we would regularly read another Geraldine book called Geraldine's Blanket. It was one of her favorites and she always requested that I read it with the voice. The voice happened to be my version of a southern accent. Not very good I'm afraid, but a must in Emily's opinion.

This book told of Geraldine's wait for the first big snow of the year. She wanted to sled, so she waited, and waited, and waited for the snow to fall. Finally she had to go to bed and while she slept, the miraculous snowflake accumulation finally happened. This book is also a good read for the five to eight range and well worth scouring your public library for since it is an older book an not in print any longer.

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, and my sequel, Return To Fern Valley! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.