There’s something special about this time of year—we finished our 180 days of homeschool, the days are stretching longer, and we’ve been living life outside as much as possible lately.
I’ve found myself slowing down and really noticing the goodness tucked into our everyday life: adventures at the park, wobbly baby steps, the smell of something baking in the oven, and a dream-come-true book being published. This season has felt full in all the best ways.
A Dream Come True 📕
My children’s book, What’s True About You, is finally published! I plan to do a full post on the details about it very soon, but here’s a sneak peek of the inside.
This is one of my favorite illustrations! I can’t wait to share more about the story behind the book and how it all came together. What started as words on a page became something I now get to hold in my hands—and hopefully place in the hands of children who need its message. 😊
School’s Out(ish) ✏️
To homeschool in the state of Pennsylvania, students must complete 180 days of instruction. We finished our 180 days of first grade for Sadie this week!
She will be evaluated in mid-May and then we will start our next school year after that! We will still be doing lessons from now until her evaluation, though. Things will be more relaxed, but I feel like keeping our momentum with school year-round is really helpful at this foundational age!
We’ve been having lots of fun in our free time. We went to the park with a creek again and this time I was more prepared! The kids wore swimsuits. I packed up my huge Bogg bag (I used to roll my eyes at them and now I’ve had one for a few years and admit it’s the best) with towels, snacks, changes of clothes, and buckets for the kids to play with. We had a great time soaking up the sun and splashing in the water!
Guess who was eating dirt 😅
That tote bag fits everything!
I was brave enough to bring my journal again and even finished a page—woo hoo! I love those small wins, even if I had to pause a few times to grab a bucket floating away or pull rocks out of Dakota’s mouth. 😉
We’ve also had some chilly and rainy days. When those come around, I love to give the kids a “craft challenge” where I lay random craft supplies in front of them and ask them to make something from it. Here’s what they came up with this week. They went heavy on the glue. 😂
Savoring the Small Things 💛
If you know me, you know I love the little things. The bird’s nest tucked in the most random place, the joy of writing with a nice pen, the first sip of coffee in the morning. Those small things add up to a whole lot of happiness for me!
Something silly that made me happy this week was cleaning and organizing our freezer. You should have seen the look on Jimmy’s face when I told him I vacuumed crumbs out of our freezer. There were a lot of crumbs, okay?! 😂
I’m curious: is your freezer on the bottom, top, or side of your refrigerator? I’ve experienced all three locations in my lifetime and I think my favorite is when the freezer is on the side. Most people tell me they like it on the bottom, though. I feel like it’s easy for the drawer to get unorganized really quickly!
Dakota is slowly leaving the baby phase, and it feels wild. It happened so fast! She walks, says words, and is becoming a snack eating machine. 😉
We were soaking in the hot tub one evening and I snapped this photo of miss Niva! This is one of her favorite times of year: it’s still cool enough outside that she isn’t miserable and there are rabbits and birds everywhere. She was hunting a rabbit when I took this picture!
If it’s 60 degrees or below outside, she will choose to sleep outside and there’s nothing we can do to get her inside. Huskies, they are a different breed altogether! At the same time, if someone told me I had to get another dog, I’d choose a husky again. I know, I’m crazy. 😜
Here’s a rare photo: Dakota was sitting still on the couch for 2.2 seconds! The second she touches the cushion of a couch, she just crawls all over it like a climbing gym. Gives me a heart attack every time.
The kids made an extensive fort under that kitchen table. It involved every blanket we own but kept all three kids busy and happy for quite some time!
Jimmy went to the movies with our brother-in-law one night this week so I took it easy on myself and did dinner at McDonald’s with the kids. They were so, so excited to eat inside!
Dessert was frozen yogurt! Dakota and Mordecai weren’t into it for some reason?! Sadie chowed down, as you can see. 😬
And we finished off our night in my bed with a movie! I love those calm, cuddly moments so much. Even though it’s May, I’m not ready to put away our warm bed blanket yet!!
Friday night was chilly, cabin fever was setting in, and we had to get out of the house. We walked around Target and our big kids were thrilled to ride in the double cart! We left with these color-changing Oreos and everyone had blue teeth by the end of the night. 😂
In the Kitchen 🍰
I made Jimmy’s step-sister’s 16th birthday cake. Nothing makes me nervous like decorating a cake.
It came out pretty good! Definitely not my forte, but the more I do it, the easier it gets!
I also made a chocolate peanut butter swirl loaf! I was going for the same thing as my chocolate pistachio swirl bread, but with the taste of a Reese’s cup.
Here’s a look at how the finished product came out!
Last but not least in the kitchen, I fulfilled an Etsy order! Hadn’t done that in eons. It felt great.
The customer ordered two of my favorite flavors of granola: cranberry orange and chocolate peanut butter!
Other Notes and Thoughts 📝
- Scripture I’m loving: But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 🙏🏻
- Every time I buy the kids a box of mac and cheese, I see the Goodles brand. I was skeptical because it’s “healthy” but we gave it a try and it was actually halfway decent! 🧀
- Recipes to try: Slow Cooker Pulled Italian Chicken and Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers. 🌶️
- Sadie got a mosquito bite this week and Burt’s Bees Res-Q Ointment has been saving the day with her itchiness. 👏🏽
- I’m working on a new flavor of granola to add to my repertoire. Lemon blueberry!! 🍋🫐
- I had a purse that I wore on my shoulder but I felt like it was always weighing me down. I ordered this super affordable backpack purse and have been shocked at the quality! It’s very cute and doesn’t hurt my shoulder when I carry alllll the things. 🙌🏼
- Mordecai says the cutest things. Three years old is a good age. Just the other day, he said “Dakota, you’re gorgeous.” 🥹
Living My Full Life 