Saturday, September 26, 2020

Life Updates - September 2020

 What a year this is turning out to be! I think for many of us there have been lots of ups and downs. This was Reagan’s first year competing in gymnastics. She’s been on the competitive track for a couple of years now, so meet season is something she had been looking forward to for a very long time. She and the rest of her team worked so hard and had a great, although short, season. Going from 3 days in the gym to none and not seeing her teammates so suddenly was really hard for her to process. If I’m being honest, it was hard for me too. We live an hour+ from her gym so I don’t leave while she practices. The friendships and time spent on practices and travel have been such a major part of both of our lives. 


School also let out with almost no advanced warning. It started with a two week break and we just KNEW they would reopen. I remember trying to decide if I would send her back immediately when they opened school again, or if I would keep her home for a few extra days. 😂 That feels like forever ago! Our county is very rural and mostly Title One schools. We did not have the means to seamlessly switch to online school, so that was the end of the school year. We were lucky that Reagan’s teacher was so wonderful and dedicated to her students. She went above and beyond to help them stay in touch with each other through zoom and sent them care packages. 

We had a really weird summer, as I’m sure was the case for many of you! We quarantined from EVERYONE including my mom. Not being able to see her cousins or hug her Grandmommy was one of the very hardest parts for Reagan. We are so close to our family and feeling so isolated and cut off from them was depressing. We took lots of walks and played outside daily, and then as the weather got warmer we opted for pool days instead of beach days. We did eventually start getting together with my mom outside in the yard or pool and then when cases really dropped in our area we got together more freely. A couple of months in we also started only getting together with my cousin and her two little kids and husband because they were taking major precautions too. Letting the kids play together for the first time was the best and it’s been a huge sanity saver. 

Ultimately I made the difficult decision to pull Reagan from gymnastics for this year. That was a tough one. I also chose to pull her from her school system and homeschool her! Three weeks in I can say we both love homeschooling together and it was the best decision for us. She tells people everywhere we go, “My mommy is my teacher now!” Seeing the smile on her face when she shares that is the best. 

So this is the point we are at now. Still pretty much quarantined because everyone in our household (myself, Reagan, and my grandparents) are high risk. Homeschooling for the first time and figuring it out as we go. A big trip out usually consists of grocery pickup or doctor’s appointments. 😂 

In the past blogging has been such a great outlet for me. I have stepped back from nearly everything in this crazy time, and picking up on here again feels right. I hope you’ll join me in this space for mom life, talks about faith, homeschool ups and downs, and my favorite finds and deals for moms, kids, and home. 


Much love,

Katie

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

50 Best Christmas Books for Kids


One of my very favorite things to do during the holidays is read the special books we only pull out this time of year. Reagan and I will cozy up under a warm blanket with a cup of hot chocolate and read for hours. We love the tried and true traditional stories as well as fun, new tales. Here is a list of 50 of our very favorites! Click on the titles to shop the books!

1. Ella Bella Ballerina and the Nutcracker


































































































Do you see any old favorites that made the list? New books you will be adding to your holiday library? Let me know what you think in the comments below! Merry Christmas!!

Katie