Summer Chapter Books

The first chapter book of the summer was - Mr. Popper's Penguins, by Richard and Florence Atwater. It was highly recommended by one of Micah's friends, Joey. Joey read it at least 3 times, he liked it so much. We did too! A modern-day movie was made about it and came out in theatres right when we finished it, but we decided not to go because the differences were so drastic. We didn't want to tarnish the pureness of the family dynamics and relationships in the book.

Next, The Trumpet of the Swan, by E.B. White. The beautifully written sister book to Charlotte's Web. By accident we learned that we were reading this book on the anniversary of E.B. White's birthday. One day when we were at our friends' house, the Bubar family, they said "We're reading The Trumpet of the Swan." We said "We are too!" They were one chapter ahead of us. The kids loved talking about what had been happening so far.

Our last chapter book to read this summer was - The Original Adventures of Hank, the Cowdog, by John R. Erickson. It was a birthday gift from our neighbors, Dave & Ruth H. They remembered reading it to their son, Max, who is now in the Army. It was about a mystery investigation from the viewpoint of the dog, Hank.

Lilly's Summer Goals

Without saying "this is my goal", Lilly definitely set a couple of goals for the summer.

1. Get a library card (needed to write first and last name legibly)
2. Improve her cupcake stand and move it outdoors

These goals were met in great speed.  Library card: 6/28/11; Cupcake stand: 7/8/11. When she's determined, it happens.

Homemade bread

We got the bread maker down from the attic - after 10 years - and put it to use this summer.  Our main reason was because the price of bread seemed to have gone up quite a bit and we were wondering if we could make it cheaper - or the same, but healthier.  It was a hit!  The kids loved measuring the ingredients and dumping them into the pan.  Then we waited.  The smell of the house throughout the day was delicious.  Having warm bread for dinner - priceless.  We made lots of loaves, experimented with different recipes and flavors, and liked them all.

When Kyle, one of the neighborhood boys, was over for the day he'd ask "what kind of bread are you making today?"  He liked being in the house with the smell.