Back to Life / Back to Reality

Despite the loveliness of summer, we are always a little excited to get back to school. On the Sunday night before school started one summer as a kid, I remember desperately telling my little brother that we needed to eat one more popsicle. I felt the need to get every special thing out of summer before it was over. Luckily in Texas we can keep eating popsicles well into October!

This semester we get the privilege of having a sweet little buddy over 3 days a week. Due to privacy, you won't know his name, and you won't see his face. But he is our special sibling-friend.

Depictions of night and day, respectively

Back-to-school bread: my multi-grain sourdough

Josie began ballet again. She has an amazing teacher, who often carries a baby on her back while she dances. As soon as I walked into the studio last spring, I knew we had found the right place for Josie. It is a mixed-age homeschool class, with enough seriousness and grace and enough lightheartedness to suit us.

at Natural Grocers

Boxes are the best!

When I feel I'm losing connection with my kids, I always go back to reading a good book together. Reading forms the core of what we do in homeschooling. That time is just special. I found this picture book and coaxed everyone into bed early to be read to. Although the older two read very well and often on their own, it's hard to pass up a good story together. I fondly remember story time with my mom and dad through the years. She believed strongly in literacy, and he is a storyteller by habit and profession.

a folk-tale worth a look

Go fish!

My sweet baby

We have developed wonderful relationships with our park day friends that meet together every week. Most of the time the kids play while the grown-ups talk. And sometimes we do field trips together too. I appreciate our group's diversity while having a common goal of teaching our children. I have seen these ladies support each other and offer encouragement in many instances.

I think there's a fairy swimming pool there

Taylor learning to read with the same book series I used

Simon got a  new drum set and needed to earn some money to pay for it. He and Patrick rode their bikes downtown, hauling the drums in the bike trailer and rigging up a boombox as a lightweight amp. Our city is welcoming to live music, and Simon got to earn a few bucks.

The rest of us drove and parked a few blocks away. This late afternoon sun is my favorite. We ran around on the steps of the Methodist church just off the square.

Fave tree to climb on the square