14 hours ago
A hummingbird just whirred past my window - I can't see it, but there is no mistaking that characteristic sound of summer. We just got back from a Memorial Day barbecue with some friends from church, the first day this year that I've actually felt like we needed some sunscreen. There is a rhythmic beating sound outside my window and laughter as the kids practice their fledgling basketball skills. I have a La Croix next to me, coconut of course, as I sit on my couch in a messy room, but it can wait because I haven't written an update post in forever.
We finished the homeschool year a couple weeks ago, and the last couple weeks have been about catching up on all the house projects that have fallen by the wayside. I switched out all the kids' clothes last week (a full day project, if you include laundering time), I cleaned out all the school cabinets and packed away curriculum that we won't need for next year, and I've washed all the linens, which was overdue. The kids cleaned out their toy boxes and closets, I dropped off a bunch of stuff at goodwill, we bought flowers and vegetables and got most of them in the ground. We brought out all the summer outdoor cushions for the chairs, put up the umbrella over our porch table, and hung up the hummingbird feeders. I've been making lists of items that need to be bought for summer crafts and summer treats, freezing Koolaid cubes for those hot summer days, overseeding the lawn, and putting together a "summer binder" (full of 'I'm bored' lists, chore lists, etc).
It's been a busy couple of weeks!
In between all that, I've been carving out a little time for fun projects that I haven't had time to do during the school year. I finished a couple books that I've been working on for a while, I tried a scone recipe (fail), I've gotten back to the gym after a months-long break, and I made some clay earrings (just for fun, and to give to family and friends). These little watermelons and flowers were fun to make, and I think clay earrings may be an interesting creative outlet for me in the months to come.
I'm looking forward to the summer, but to be honest the real relaxation of summer doesn't truly start until June is over. The next two weeks will be full of homeschool planning and window shopping before the homeschool conference we have every year in June. The homeschool conference is exhausting but worth it - you can read some reasons why I think you should attend a homeschool conference, if you get the chance, here. We've also got a couple weekend trips in there, a whole week of VBS, and a library book sale, and several playdates in June. And oh, my birthday. I'm not sure why, but everything always gets scheduled in June, and July is the time for kiddie pools and serious summer reading.
Speaking of reading, I made a whole stack of books I want to read in the next couple months, and it's a little out of control, as always. There are several summer releases that I'm hoping come in from the library soon, a friend and I are reading The Hiding Place together, and I'm planning to read Everyone Brave Is Forgiven with my penpal and friend, Felicia. Then I want to participate in a Youtube read-along (on this channel) of Moby Dick. Ever since I found out that R. C. Sproul's favorite book was Moby Dick, I've wanted to read it, but it's a doorstop for sure. I'm hoping to find a copy at the aforementioned library sale.
Other happenings around our house: Derek built an office for himself in a corner of our garage this spring. Ever since Covid - so THREE YEARS ago now - he has been working in nooks and crannies around our house. He actually started out in our walk-in closet, but that was too cramped, so he moved to a corner of our room, then to the loft. After three years of us trying to be quiet for him and not quite succeeding, we finally decided this work-at-home thing was hear to stay, and we needed a more permanent solution. We had some wide shelving in a corner of the garage, and a window, so he just tore down some of the shelving, put up a couple walls, laid down a carpet remnant, and voila - a beautiful, perfect little office. I honestly don't know why we didn't think of this sooner! The kids don't have to be as quiet (or not) anymore, and the whole family still gets to benefit from Derek's two-second commute. Win, win.
For the next six weeks or so, Derek is going to do weekly basketball lessons with the kids. My sister is going to bring her kids over for lessons too, and I think everyone is looking forward to it. I'm also hoping we have time for some swimming lessons for the younger kids this summer, which we mostly do ourselves because it's more cost-effective that way. Our oldest is attempting to grow some vegetables in straw bales this summer. I never knew this could be done, but he discovered it in a book he found at the library, and we decided this may be a way that we can actually grow some things in our rather arid corner of the mountains. I'm optimistic! My dad reports that his mom grew green beans and carrots up here back in the day, but she had a significantly greener thumb than me.
It feels like I'm cutting this post short, but it's nearly dinner time and I think I need to wrap this up so we can enjoy the last bit of this long weekend as a family. I have plans to pop on here more often this summer, but no promises for June! June is the same as December around here, chock full of exhausting fun.
Hope you all are having a lovely start to the summer too, and my there be ore summer relaxation in your near future than mine!
This spring has been quite a good reading season for me. I've read 15+ books, and I've quite enjoyed almost all of them! I'm going to attempt to catch up in a two-part series over the next couple weeks - these are my Spring Reads, round one.
A Strange Habit Of Mind by Andrew Klaven - This was the second book in Klavan's series about a professor named Winter as he investigates the death of a former student and finds himself caught up in exposing the secrets of a dangerous billionaire. I really am enjoying this series, but this particular book had an adult scene that was a little too explicit for me personally (though pretty mild compared to other books I've had to quit on). I'll probably read the next book in the series, but I'll be a little cautious in recommending it because of that.
Counterfeit Kingdom by Holly Piveck - This is a book about the New Apostolic Reformation - it gives the history of the movement, and a thorough look at their false doctrines with biblical refutation and warnings. Highly recommend if you've ever wondered what is exactly wrong with Bethel-type churches or found yourself hurt by this troubling branch of the Charismatic Movement.
100 Cupboards by N. D. Wilson - This story is a middle grade fantasy. Henry goes to visit his cousins, and finds himself in an attic room with a wall of mysterious cupboards. Soon he and his cousin Henrietta discover that each cupboard leads into a different world - and they accidentally unleash an evil witch in the process. Really imaginative and interesting tale, but I probably would save this for the older end of the middle grade age range because the peril and evil of the villain was pretty palpable. The narrator on the audio version is also amazing.
Honey For A Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt - I listened to this all in one day that included alot of driving and cleaning - I thought she had some wonderful thoughts on sharing books with children and making it a meaningful part of family life. Listening to it was the way to go for me - I don't think I would have finished it in a physical format. However, I do have the ebook version so I can consult her book lists as well!
The Cure For Unjust Anger by John Downame - This is a book by a Puritan author about righteous and unrighteous anger, how to tell the difference, different causes of unjust anger, and how to overcome them. I think this is one of the most helpful books I've read on anger. Instead of suggestions of controlling the environment or eliminating "triggers", this book goes right to the heart of unjust anger and offers biblical encouragement to fix our eyes on Christ. Very good.
The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace - This was a highly practical and helpful book on how to be a better wife by submitting in a biblical way. Submission is a touchy subject for alot of women, and many might find some of Martha Peace's suggestions offensive, but she backs everything up with Scripture which makes her advice hard to ignore. I think this book has already had a positive impact on my marriage, and I'm sure I'll be reading it again.
The Scapegoat by Daphne Du Maurier - I started this on vacation last fall, and just realized I never finished it - in the middle of a personal identity crisis, the main character happens to run into a man who looks exactly like him - and before we know it, the rogue has knocked him out and switched places with him. As the protagonist takes Jean Pierre's place in his privileged life, he soon discovers that the mysterious stranger has problems much worse than his own. The ending was not exactly happy, but you get the feeling everyone's going to be okay, and I quite enjoyed it. This is the third of Du Maurier's novels that I've read, and she is masterful at painting that gothic atmosphere in her books.
Skeletons On The Zahara by Dean King - This is the story of men in the 19th century who were shipwrecked off the coast of Africa, and found themselves enslaved and trekking across the desert with a group of nomads, before finally being sold back to an associate and therefore rescued. This story was fascinating, and it's amazing how much the men suffered without dying - extreme thirst and starvation while traveling across the Sahara desert. It was also interesting to read about how the nomadic tribes survived in such a harsh environment. I thought the last quarter of the book became a little bit slow and hard to follow as the men were split up, encountered and sold to different groups, etc, but I'd recommend it if you are interested in harrowing survival and travel stories.
I think that it enough books for one post! Most of these I read in February and March, so I'll get to my recent reads in the next post. There are quite a few more books to share, so stay tuned!
Picture books have a way of bringing all the unique elements of each season to life, so that after enjoying a season through books, you tend to notice the changes around you a little more. Books can bring a season to life in vivid color and add to our memories of different times of the year.
Spring has never been my favorite season, because where I live it tends to be mostly mud and brown. But we dived into spring picture books this year, and I think these picture books have added to my appreciation of spring. Maybe it is mostly mud and brown in the spring, but eventually, little bits of green do start to poke through - and that’s really the fun of spring, isn't it? It's like a treasure hunt.
Here are some of the books that have brought spring to life for us this year! I may add more to this post as I find more springtime books.
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Annie And The Wild Animals by Jan Brett - Annie's cat disappears, and she tries to attract a new pet with food at the edge of the woods...but ends up attracting a bunch of wild animals! Thankfully her cat, Taffy, reappears after having her kittens in the spring. This book captures that transition between snowy winter and spring.
Cozy by Jan Brett - This is a story about a bunch of animals that hide from the winter wind in a muskox's fur until spring. This is a nice winter-to-spring transition book.
And Then It's Spring by Julie Fogliano - I love this book, because it perfectly captures that awful waiting for all the brown to turn to green!
An Egg Is Quiet/ A Nest Is Noisy/ A Seed Is Sleepy by Diana Aston - All three of these books are nature-journaling style, with gorgeous illustrations of different specimens and text diving deeper into each topic. They are all three perfect for spring!
Worm Weather by Jean Taft - This book has particularly cute illustrations, following two kids through rainy weather - “worm weather” - along the sidewalk, to a pizza shop, and to a playground after the rain starts to lighten.
The Gardener by Sarah Stewart - This book follows a young girl who must temporarily move to the city to help with her uncle's bakery - but she loves gardening, and finds a way to grow things in the city too. The story is told through a series of letters to her parents and grandmother, and it's very sweet.
Spring Is Here by Will Hillenbrand - Mole is trying to tell Bear that spring is here, but Bear won't wake up - so Mole makes him a stack of pancakes. I thought the illustrations in this were really cute. The vocabulary is simple, so I'd recommend it for the younger crowd especially.
Fletcher And The Springtime Blossoms by Julia Rawlinson - A little fox misunderstands the seasons in this book series - in this spring book, Fletcher mistakes springtime blossoms for snow. My littler girls (5 and 7) especially like these books.
I'm A Duck by Eve Bunting - The story of a little duck who must overcome his fear of water. It's adorably illustrated!
The Biggest Puddle In The World by Mark Lee - Two kids go to stay with their grandparents, but it rains for days. When they leave the house they go on an adventure to find the biggest puddle in the world. This would be a great book for a jumping off point in discussing the water cycle.
Watersong by Tim McCanna - This book has beautiful, colorful illustrations, and is very sparse on words. It's fun for younger kids, but also interesting if you use it to discuss onomatopoeia with older kids, since most of the words are sounds of water during a rainstorm.
The Song Of Spring by Hendrik Jonas - A tiny bird forgets his spring song, and accidentally summons a host of animal friends until he finally gets it right! This is a cute one for the younger crowd.
Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring by Kenard Pak - This is part of a series of books that really capture the transition time between seasons!
A Packet Of Seeds by Deborah Hopkinson - In this book, a family moves to the prairie, but the mother finds herself depressed with a new baby while being away from her family and friends. Her kids come up with a plan to help her by planting a garden. Really sweet story, and beautiful illustrations!
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney - This book is a classic, but I hadn't actually read it before this year. Miss Rumphius wants to do two things - travel the world, and then settle down by the sea - but her grandfather tells her she also needs to do one more thing - make the world a little more beautiful. Flowers are involved and it feels very springy.
Sheep In A Jeep by Nancy Shaw - The illustrations in this book make it feel spring appropriate, because there are pictures of soft grass, dirt roads, and mud. This one made my kids laugh with it's funny illustrations and simple, short poem.
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss - Another simple classic for the younger crowd. A little boy plants some carrot seeds and tends his garden faithfully even when nothing comes up.
In The Garden With Dr. Carver by Susan Grigsby - A great spring book with a little history tie-in. A group of children meet George Washington Carver and he teaches them about all the things that help a garden to flourish.
Tops And Bottoms by Janet Stevens - We read this book for the first time this year, and my kids loved it! Hare hoodwinks Bear into letting him grow crops on Bear's land. The tricks are fun, but this is also a story about being willing to work hard to reap a reward.
The Diggers by Margaret Wise Brown - An imaginative story about digging a tunnel under a mountain. This book is a fun one if you have any kids interested in construction equipment, since digging equipment has a big feature in the story.
The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton - This story spans all the seasons as it follows the life of a little house in the country as the city builds up around her. This book feels like a good one for the season since it starts and ends with spring.
My Nana's Garden by Dawn Casey - A story about a girl's memories in her Nana's garden. After her grandmother is gone, she grows up but still brings her child to the garden. Really sweet book about growth and loss and change, with lovely illustrations.
Spring Parade by Camelia Kay - This is a really pretty spring book, all about the "firsts" of Spring.
Planting A Wild Garden by Kathryn O. Galbraith - All about how seeds are spread and planted naturally throughout nature, but it starts with a vegetable garden and I think it's an interesting topic to discuss at this time of year.
Mossy by Jan Brett - This is the story of a turtle that grows a beautiful garden on her shell, but unfortunately that ends up taking her away from her turtle love and lands her in a museum. A really cute book, and it's fun to read a non-wintery book from Jan Brett!
Sylvester And the Magic Pebble by William Steig - A wacky story about a donkey who finds a magic pebble and accidentally turns himself into a rock...until his parents have a spring picnic and accidentally help him turn back into a donkey! This one is imaginative and fun, with a little spring tie-in.
Washday by Eve Bunting - In this book, a girl visits her grandmother when her mom is about to have a baby, and helps her grandmother with the laundry. This is an interesting look at the old-fashioned way of doing laundry, and it ends with a tea party.
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown - This book is a classic, about a little bunny that wants to run away - but no matter where he goes, his mother will follow him. It definitely has a spring vibe.
Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring! by Kazuo Iwamura - Mick, Mack, and Molly follow the melting snow down a stream and into a big lake, until they are rescued by ducks and have a spring picnic with their parents. Cute story!
Flower Garden by Eve Bunting - A little girl carries a "garden" from the grocery store and plants it into a flower box for her mother's birthday.
The Curious Garden by Peter Brown - This book was inspired by an old elevated railway in New York that has been somewhat taken over by plants - the author imagines what it would be like if plants were cultivated in more out-of-the-way places in the city. This book is colorful and imaginative!
Water Is Water by Miranda Paul - This book goes through all the different forms water takes as the seasons change. I love the illustrations in this one!
Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall - A farmhouse sees all the phases of a family of twelve kids, before it is abandoned and starts to decay. The author of this book based it off an actual old farmhouse she explored, including actual scraps of fabric and paper from the farmhouse in her illustrations, in an attempt to honor everything this old house must have witnessed before it was torn down. This book is a little bittersweet, but it's full of family life and plants and memories, and we enjoyed it alot.
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For convenience, I created a printable list of all the books in this post! You can click here to access the file.*
Enjoy! And Happy Spring!
*You may print off copies for your family's use. No redistribution allowed in print or digital format.
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