Cozy up...

 Fair warning, you'll be seeing a lot of our Florida adventures in the next week. So many pictures to go through, not enough time!  For today, I'll pick my favorite. Two days of travel and a full week of vacation in Florida means that I read to my kids. A lot.  Thankful my husband captured this, I love it so.  May they always want me to read aloud to them. 

Maker day

Living history.  Where our love for history grows deeper. And where Anna-Kate spends the whole time collecting leaves and handing them to people.  She clearly didn't make much of a dent.

Hanging in there

It was a couple months ago that this mama made duo had an unfortunate mishap and needed to take a spin through the wash and then were hung out to dry. By the ears nonetheless.

That's sort of how I feel tonight. Hung to dry by my ears.  It's been SUCH a busy few weeks, something scheduled every nook and cranny of the day, for weeks on end.  Not for bad things, but for wonderful things. First all the loose ends to prepare for an out of state vacation and then a busy vacation and then day after day packed from beginning to end with appointments, activities and such. Many good things in those days, but nevertheless-THINGS.  This week is looking to be packed with more, more and more THINGS.  Good things.  But too many things.

I trying to remind myself that this is just a season, and the days will settle soon.  Even though my schedule is filled, my mind feels like it is going to mush, I will try to not let those events impact my interactions with my children.  Regardless of how busy I may feel, I aim for them to find me the calm and steady, patient and constant and the person who keeps their world feeling steady, no matter what gusts of wind try to knock us down. Carrying on.

Nature Study, Oceanside

I really should make a whole post on Nature Study and Nature Journaling, as it has become a huge part of us. I'll put that on my to do list (and hope I actually get to it, as there's a running list of 'to dos' that have been there for days, weeks, months, *gulp* years). 

Anyway, fortunate to be able to do science oceanside, in the same town we live, mere minutes from home, tide rolling out, treasures abound, sans tourists, just us. Truly, is there a better way to learn science?

Thrifted

 Two brand new packs of bird note cards, a needlepoint, a garden planning book, Keenes for Anna-Kate next summer and a tiny kit that is supposed to be a glasses fixing kit, but we've been using for an insect exploration kit.  $5.00  And below are just some lovelies that I picked up this summer.

Soup weather

We've spent the last week in Florida and have had a marvelous time.  We're back in Maine now, where it's soup weather.  Time to buckle down, batten down the hatches. Gone are the 80+ degree days and in are the days we are hovering around the wood fire.  Heading into a season of soup and none of us mind! I do love seasons, a chilly fall and winter included.  Soup's on!

18 month celebration re-cap

The day Anna-Kate turned 18 months, she came down to her little half birthday celebration.  I brought home a big pile of books from work, a puzzle, plus brought her flowers (she loves flowers).  A couple weeks ago at a bake sale, I bought her an oatmeal raisin cookie that she LOVED.  Somehow I secured the recipe from a friend of a friend and made them for her. She wasted no time digging in!  She's such a fun baby!