Life lately: Hello, February {2021}

“Instructions for living a life.
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.”

~Mary Oliver, Sometimes
lovely huge live oak tree

Hey, look! — It’s my third post already this year. Are y’all still reading?

I miss the days when folks regularly commented. Those were the good old days… then again, I’m from ancient blogland times; I started blogging the year Kathryn started kindergarten so that was nearly 16 years ago!

family life

We have a new neighbor: my mother-in-law! Ken’s mom has moved just a couple of miles down the road. The kids are loving having Nana so nearby and she’s enjoying them, too.

This winter is very wintery. Despite the cold weather, many of my regulars are still attending outdoor fitness classes despite the chilly weather. The kids have been coming with me, partly because it’s one of the few times they get out and socialize right now. I’ve only had to cancel due to chilly weather once, but I am SO READY for spring!

lots of layers for a cold outdoor fitness class

homeschool happenings

We’re changing things up in our homeschool. It’s not the first time I’ve made major changes mid-year but I do usually try to change around at a logical time, like after Christmas holidays. This time, I’ve ignored the calendar and made the decision because it’s what we need, period.

I’m returning to my literature-based Charlotte Mason-esque roots, because it’s what I do best. And it’s what I enjoy most, which carries over into what the kids enjoy because if mama ain’t happy . . . well, you know how it goes.

So we’re switching to Build Your Library. As with most homeschool curricula, each level is flexible regarding ages. I went with Level 5, at the lower end of my kids’ ages, because I wanted to cover U.S. history in more depth than we have before, particularly as I’ve been attempting to explain current events. I was looking for something more multicultural and less whitewashed than what I’ve used in the past, and this seems to fit the bill.

what we’ve been reading: our faves

My picks:

The kids’ recent faves:

on the blog (in case you missed ’em)