“Instructions for living a life.
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.”
– Mary Oliver
That’s what I try to do here: pay attention and share the wonder.
This month had a whole lot of astonishing, including Aunt Kathryn stealing Khloe kisses. Still one of my favorite photos of the month, even with all the rest of the excitement that came after!
happenings
The biggest happening this month: MY NEW GRANDBABY!!!
Greyson was born on the day big sis Khloe turned 11-months old, and Kathryn and I got to be there to witness his birth. I did his one-week-old newborn photos last week and this one is downright swoon-worthy. That little face! And those little hands! And how much do you love the crochet fox hat Kathryn made for him?
Maybe the second biggest happening was the completion of my fourth half marathon. I’d set a goal to doing four in one year, and I did it! As happy numbers go, I even did my 4th in my 44th year. Yay, me!
homeschool highlights
We finally did a field trip this month! It was close to home and one we’d been meaning to do for ages: tour the nearby NC Maritime Museum. (Also, how cool is it that we live in a town with a maritime museum?!) In the photo blow, they’re looking through a working periscope that goes up through the ceiling of the building!
We’ve mostly kept up our “schedule” (I use the term loosely) with math, which feels like a big accomplishment in such a crazy month. I oversee Jem’s math, and Ken often helps Kathryn with algebra in the evenings. The online programs they’re using this year — CTC Math for him and Khan Academy for her — are working well for us.
Photography is one of Kathryn’s interest-led subjects this year. Ken has done most of the technical photography teaching, and I’ve been teaching her Lightroom editing. On a recent delightful fall-weather day, she and I wandered and explored the town; she brought her camera for practice, resulting in some beautiful photos like the one below. All that photography practice came in handy when she photographed Greyson’s birth and helped me with his newborn session!
what we’ve been reading: our faves
It doesn’t matter how busy I am: reading is a requirement for my sanity.
My faves this month:
A Man Called Ove – by Fredrik Backman;
Love Walked In – by Marisa de los Santos;
Open House – by Elizabeth Berg;
The Reminders – by Val Emmich.
I gave a rare 5 stars to the first, 4.5 to the second, and 4 solid stars to the last two.
Kathryn (age 17):
Blue Lily, Lily Blue – by Maggie Stiefvater (she’s working her way through the series);
A Man Called Ove – by Fredrick Backman;
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Ship of the Dead – by Rick Riordan;
The Nightingale – by Kristin Hannah.
Jem (age 8):
His favorite has been the latest Ranger Rick magazine, which he can now mostly read on his own!
on the blog {in case you missed ’em}
- Fall Fitness Goals ~ I like to write them out!
- Baby Greyson: coming soon ~ a belly session just in time!
- NC Maritime Museum: homeschool field trip ~ close to home.
- Greyson’s Birth Day ~ beautiful labor photos by Kathryn
. . . . . .
I’ll be linking with Kris’ weekly wrap-up.
Wife, mama, homeschooler, dog-wrangler. Introvert who finds joy in good books, sunshine, and authentic conversation. Fitness enthusiast and personal trainer. Often seen with a steaming mug of tea in hand.
He is beautiful!!! Truly! And I hopped over to look at the birth photos, too. Your daughter took wonderful photos.
I’m going to look up those books you listed!
Thank you, Anne! I hope you find a couple of books you’ll enjoy.
Congratulations on the birth of your grandson!
There is a movie for “A Man Called Ove.” But, it’s not in English. I enjoyed them both. 🙂
If it has subtitles, I might like it!
Yes, it does have subtitles. I watched it on my Amazon prime video. I always like the book better but I did get a better understanding of some of the characters after watching the movie.