This summer is passing so quickly. We are returning to our homeschool co-op this fall after a two-year break, and I think that having that commitment looming is making the time fly even faster. The kids are excited, but I am a little bit nervous. Mainly because I will be teaching high school chemistry to about a dozen teenagers. While chemistry was one of my favorite subjects in both high school and college, I haven’t studied it in over twenty years! I was actually losing sleep over teaching the class until I made the decision to leave the house to prepare every Saturday. Jonny asked why I couldn’t just go to my basement studio and work there (it’s hard for me to get out the door, plus we are trying to leave the house as little as possible because of gas prices). Were I to do that, I would struggle to focus, between inevitable interruptions from small visitors and the knowledge that I could be doing a dozen other equally important things. What a difference it makes to have dedicated time set aside out of the house to plan and prepare every week. I am not stressed about teaching anymore, and I am loving getting reacquainted with chemistry. Larkspur and Beatrix meet friends in town while I work at the library. They take Ambrose to the park and the coffee shop and they have a great time. It feels good to have this extra bit of routine built into the week and will make it easier this fall when we start weekly co-op days again.
I’ve also started knitting again! This was the last big project I started before Ambrose was born, and was meant to be a romper for him to wear in his first winter. I got so close to finishing it but ended up setting it aside. A few weeks ago I ripped this project out, re-skeined the yarn and washed it, and then cast on for something for his second winter. This time I’m knitting a basic cardigan and I think I’ll actually finish it before he outgrows it!
Jonny is almost finished with our half-bath remodel. I think I mentioned some months ago that we refinanced our house (just in time before rates went up!) and took out some cash to do needed renovations throughout our house. We started with this half bath thinking it would be quick and easy. In addition to it just being plain hard to get projects done in general, I got fancy and really complicated things, so six months later and here we are. The bathroom is wallpapered now and Jonny installed the toilet yesterday. Now it just needs a sink and that old antique mirror installed. It’s going to be the most beautiful room in our house. Too bad it’s just a half bath! I will also make it the room where I lock myself when I need to take a phone call.
Last month, my younger kids participated in their first Children’s Market since 2019. They always sell bouquets of cut flowers, but we didn’t have a whole lot blooming yet. I cut what was available and then had Larkspur do the arranging. I am terrible at arranging flowers!
(Mabel’s expression when she was told that everyone’s money would go in the same box and we would separate it at the end. I assured her that I would keep up and she would get her share of the sales, but she was skeptical.)
My snapdragons started blooming about a week after Children’s Market. I grew fancy ones this year! Most of those in this photo are called “Madame Butterfly Bronze” and I ordered them from this little shop.
Mabel turned six in June. She was so excited about her birthday that she asked me to print a countdown calendar for her. She made her “x” every single day with great anticipation.
Larkspur was away at Work Camp on Mabel’s birthday, so that was disappointing (Mabel was actually downright offended by this), but she still had a great day.
Beatrix gave her an apron with pockets full of saltwater taffy. Looks like she already had a mouthful in this photo…
Beatrix also made her a unicorn birthday cake! She made homemade fondant and pink frosting (she used powdered freeze-dried strawberries to make it pink!)
This little gadget was her big gift from Jonny and me. I bet lots of you guys have heard of a Yoto Player, but I hadn’t until recently. It’s a little story and song player without internet access and I had a hard time saving it until her birthday. We bought the smaller portable model and it’s just perfect. If you make a purchase using my link, you will get 10% off your first order of 69.99 or more (and I will get “points” toward my future purchases.)
She also got this umbrella (affiliate link) and it was a huge hit!
Big girl!!! Six is such a fun age.
I mentioned in my last post that Ambrose had chickenpox! Thankfully, he had a really easy time of it. Our July has been full of chickenpox, as Beatrix and the other younger kids all got them as well. It was over before we knew it, but I did spend 4-5 days running up and down the stairs to get popsicles from the basement freezer. We also learned that if you leave a bunch of wet oatmeal sitting in the bottom of the bathtub it will start to stink pretty quickly!
Twins!!!
(They were pulling out Queen Anne’s Lace for me. It’s taking over everything!!!)
(This is a new flower I grew this year, annual phlox, and the varieties are cherry caramel and creme brulee. They last a long time in a vase!)
I think you can get an idea of the state of my flower beds from this photo…weeds, weeds everywhere. Ambrose is walking now, not to mention climbing, and it’s a full-time job to chase him around.
He’s pretty pleased with himself!
He turned one earlier this month, and I will have more to share about that soon!
Lovely! I have not been blessed with children but I try to get out of the house too to work on my research project and get a LOT more done this way!
Just used your link to purchase a yoto for my girl who will turn six this winter. What a great way to add more stories to her life, especially while I will be tending a newborn and toddler. Also thanks for keeping your book sidebar updated – I almost always find a new title there!
I love your chatty musings. So relatable and often puts things I am thinking or have thought into words. Especially the answer of why you can’t just stay home to plan for the chemistry class.
Happy birthday to Mabel! I can’t believe she is 6 already! (I think I’ve been reading since Bea was 2 or 3 and now she’s baking the birthday cakes!)
I always look forward to your updates! It feels like taking in a deep breath of fresh air! Thanks for all that you share through pictures and words.
Mabel is six! Happy birthday little girl. Wow. I watched her grow up with your pictures. She has a very pretty face, too. Ambrose is walking! He seems to be growing up faster than all your kids so far! He looks like his daddy.
What will you do, when all your kids have grown up and leave home? That’s a lot to ponder.
I’ve followed you for YEARS. It’s been so sweet watching your family grow. I had a baby at thirty-nine, and was depressed about being an “old mom”, but you’ve encouraged me so much.
Love all the flowers and sweet photos. And your red door!!! But what I like best is the idea to leave the house to tackle a big looming project. I always seem to forget about that idea, until I’m in complete knots over the unfinished projects, dirty house, broken washer, etc. I think I will be leaving the house this week some morning for some uninterrupted project time.
I can’t believe Mabel is 6!!! I love the cake Beatrix made for her. Neat gift ideas. I had not heard of the gift but my youngest is a senior in high school now so I don’t know much that’s for younger kids. We also attend a co-op and my youngest loved Chemistry last year. I love your flowers. The snapdragons are gorgeous. The bathroom looks great. So many changes going on. Hope Keats enjoys college and that goes smoothly for you. I have my first son getting married next month at age 20. They grow up so fast!!
So happy to catch up with your summer! My kids took chemistry at their coop last spring. I hope they learned as much as yours will! Love The 6 party dress! Would you share where you got it?
Happy belated birthday to Mabel! I love her facial expressions…her face in that picture at the flower market! Priceless.
Thanks for the update 🙂 good luck teaching chemistry and enjoy the rest of your summer! Much love.
Oh how I look forward to your wonderful stories which capture my heart. Thank you for sharing such heartfelt family moments ❤️
Hard to believe that Mabel is 6 and Ambrose is 1 year old already. He is a twin of Jonny! Very handsome and Mabel is a beautiful young lady. I love receiving your posts and realize how fond of your family and your lives I have become over the years. Your photography is outstanding! I look forward to every new happening. It’s wonderful to see how your beautiful family is prospering and may the Lord continue blessing all of you (and us through your writing and photos). God bless you.
Hi Ginny;
I can’t believe that Mabel is six years old . She is so pretty as is her sisters. All of your boys are handsome too. The Pansies are beautiful. We had several pots of Pansies but the extreme heat destroyed them I will wait until the weather gets cooler and plant the roots. Good Luck with the chemistry class. When Marilyn and I were in high school we had Earth Science and believe me it was not a day in the park. Biology was fine though.
Have a relaxing and happy week.
Marion
Hi Ginny;
Nice to hear from you again. The flowers the children had are very pretty. You should see our yard. We call it a jungle. The weeds have gone completely out of hand. It is too hot to work outside. Have a wonderful week.
HAPPY 6th Birthday Mabel
Joan
Hi Ginny, It was nice hearing from you. Your posts are Always enjoyable. Glad that Mabel had a nice birthday. She is getting so big and is a beauty as are Larkspur and Beatrix. Happy that the children are over the chicken pox. Your bathroom should be lovely. Hope you are having better weather than here in New York. The temperatures have been in the mid to upper 90s. Looking forward to your next post. Wishing Mabel happiness and blessings throughout her birthday year.
HAPPY 6TH BIRTHDAY MABEL
Marilyn
I love how no one in your lovely family is forgotten. You can tell they know they are loved. It’s written all over their faces. You can see it in their eyes. They absolutely shine.
I was the second-born in our family. My older-by-two years sister was spoiled in my mother’s family. Sister was the second niece and had nine doting aunts who love children. Two years separate us. Six separate my brother and me. Brother’s birth turned me into a middle child for four years. My status was made more difficult because he was the longed for boy at last. The following sister left me in the second position; the birth of our youngest sister cemented it. LOL.
For most of my life I believed I was invisible. Years later, therapy revealed how wrong I was. My father showered me with attention because he thought I’d hung the moon. I was his favorite because we looked alike and were a lot alike; being a nerd felt okay because he embraced my love of learning; he deemed me fearless. I wasn’t fearless but my insatiable curiosity left little time to be afraid! Still and all, most of my life was spent trying to be invisible. The much hated spotlight was the reason. Introverts have a difficult time of it no matter what.
As always, beautiful pictures! I’ve not been online much these days with a looming move, but am so glad I came to check out your blog and also saw your post about Larkspur’s proms. She looked gorgeous and I love how she and her date coordinated. 💕 And what an amazing job she did with the flowers – I am so very impressed!
How is it that often when I think of you, Ginny, and wonder how you and your family are, within a day or two you send a new post to put a smile on my face? I don’t know how it happens, but I’m glad it does.
Big changes for your family this summer. I understand feeling like this season is flying, even though I don’t have children at home any more. Blessings on you and yours as you enjoy the remainder of summer and relish in the goodness that God provides.
It’s hard to believe she’s 6 already. I’m watching my own children age before my eyes and I desperately want to stop it. But all I can do is enjoy each age and season. Blessings 💗