The Start of a School Year
Although we homeschool year round taking breaks along the way as needed, we do make a big deal out of a brand new school year. Scott has a one-on-one date with each kiddo and they show off their summary binder from the previous year, talk about goals for the new school year, and definitely eat a treat.
Oh, and they take goofy pictures together. I’m not sure how that became a tradition, but I like it.
Here’s Mackenzie, ready for the “first grade”:
(Grades are sort of meaningless over here since we just work at her level in each individual area, but I pick a grade anyway.)
Women’s Retreat
When I lived in Columbus, I had the privilege of meeting some truly amazing women. Most of us were there for 2-8 years as our husbands were in graduate school, professional school or residency, and then we scattered all over the country. Many of us became mothers around the same time and all of us shared so many moments of needing each other for moral support, for last-minute kid watching, for a good laugh… we bonded in ways that last a lifetime.
For the last five years, a group of these women have been getting together for an annual retreat, changing the location each year to hit different parts of the country. The first four years I was unable to go due to a family trip at the same time, being super pregnant (twice), or Scott’s work schedule. Finally last fall I joined these women in St. George, Utah, leaving Scott solely responsible for our kids for the longest stretch in 7 years (3 1/2 days). I also sneaked over to my grandparents’ house and soaked up some time with them and my cousin, since they lived just a few minutes from where our rented house was for the retreat.
It was incredibly refueling to be surrounded by great women and to catch up and discuss everything under the sun. (I’m holding a baby in many pictures from the trip, but none of them were mine. 🙂 ) (Also, all the photos were taken by my friend and planner extraordinaire, Kirsten.)
We also went on a great hike, visited a few religious and historical sites, celebrated my friend’s upcoming 40th birthday, and I even went clothes shopping with a whole army of helpful consultants. Scott was ecstatic because I rarely shop.
Here’s the vegetable poster we came up with to tease my friend (who hates vegetables with a passion). We also made her a candy bar poster, which she was much happier about.
And this is about the only time you’ll see me with a haul of Diet Coke. (We made a big 40 out of them for her.)
More from around the house
We canned lots of applesauce and apple butter last year so I’m hoping I get the year off to have a baby this fall. We’ll see. 🙂
(More about apple picking back here)
My girls were delighted to be invited to a Frozen themed birthday party:
We had no birthday themed wrapping paper so it was super convenient to go with the snowflake theme. 🙂
We eat pretty healthy around here but I had to laugh when Caitlyn cheerfully went to grab what she thought was her plate for dinner:
(The veggies and tofu were going to be cooked up with pasta and a spicy peanut sauce. We’re not that strange.)
We tease Mackenzie sometimes about having “noodle arms” and on this occasion, Scott put our noodle right in the pot to cook for dinner:
It’s a good thing she’s used to his jokes. 🙂
Daniel continued to be my kitchen helper and in this case I stepped out of the room and returned to this:
“I put the pepper in, Mama.”
You have to love accuracy in reporting.
Next up… Tough Mudder!