Tuesday, July 29, 2014

summer senses


seeing :: hummingbirds and bunnies in the backyard. Girls in little bright swimsuits sometimes sunbathing, mostly running and leaping into the little pool. 


smelling :: dirt and sweat, little girls play hard.

tasting :: Chocolate Cake, I made my first ever rosette cake for a garden party thrown by my mother in law, and I thought it looked pretty and rustic, and it tasted very rich, but by far my favorite part was baking and decorating it. I can't wait to try out some new cakes and I am already planning Pip's 2nd birthday cake!


hearing :: Cicada songs. The other night we were having dinner with all of our family, and we stepped outside to search for lightning bugs after dusk, and our ears will filled with cicadas humming all around us. The girls were so excited by the new noise, they couldn't stop smiling. It was a picturesque evening of childhood summer.

feeling :: cold?!  This summer has had some wonderful cooler nights and mornings, and at times I get to wear my new sweatpants, and snuggle into a blanket. 
The other morning, I got so giddy about upcoming fall, (it's my favorite!) because it felt and smelled fall-ish in the middle of July!!

planning :: home school for my girls. In light of all of the transitions and unknowns in our life, we have decided that we will try teaching the girls at home. I am feeling both nervous and excited for the upcoming year of kindergarten and preschool for my little ones.

reading :: When Children Love to Learn general editor, Elaine Cooper, which has been confirming and encouraging. Also, I should be receiving my copy of For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaffer McCauly soon. Both of these books dive into the Charlotte Mason method of educating and I am anxious to begin exercising what I am reading in our every day life.

listening :: The Civil Wars pandora station. 
I love this song.

talking :: when our family from Osaka, Japan was here, we talked late into the nights when our kids were finally in bed. It was wonderful having uninterrupted time with them. We love and support them in carrying out the Great Commission to the people of Japan.

laughing :: Jokes, Penny's babbling and now funny sentences.
We got a library card yesterday to the library in our new town, and of course the girls found a joke book and just had to check it out. Bonus: We found one of Levi's jokes in it! Also, Levi brought Penny into our room upon her waking this morning. She wiggled off of the bed and said, "I mwan foo" which I returned with "You want food?" And she got excited and started jumping. She's communicating!

crying :: over many things silly and not. about newness and uncertainty, getting a new library card (I miss our old library community!) and missing friends, hard lessons learned and grace in abundance. 

Which leads me to ENJOYING :: Him, meeting me here, revealing himself to me continually, a time of new adventures and passions, knowing that someday I will look back on this time and it will all make sense and see I am growing because of it!