The Coffee Monologues | #15

Our last coffee date may or may not have been before Halloween (almost a year ago!!), so sit back and pour yourself a big cup (or three – no judgement). We’ve got a lot of catching up to do!

When I originally sat down to write this post, it started with IT’S FINALLY SUMMER! Clearly, that ship has sailed since as I am writing it’s now the first week of school.

I have a fifth grader, a third grader, and a preschooler, and I literally have no idea how all this happened. Moms a little further down the parenting road than I, have told me time just keeps going faster and faster, and they weren’t kidding. It seems no matter how hard I try to slow down, life just keeps picking up speed.

How else can I explain the end of summer before it felt like it even started?!

Summer Fun

I think this has been my favorite summer out the last ten. That may seem a bit dramatic, but summer has a tendency to be a bit dicey for us. This summer however, was different.

We started with a family road trip to Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Kentucky where we visited the NCAA Museum, Ark Encounter, Creation Museum, Indianapolis Speedway Museum, AND spent some time with Mike’s brother and his family. It’s the longest trip, at the farthest distance we’ve ever driven as a family, and it was so, so good.

Back home, we spent a week at High Five summer camp in June, and precious time with both sides of our extended family through the month of July. We’ve woken up late, spent lazy afternoons at the pool, and just really enjoyed being together. 

And also everyone’s been healthy. I cannot stress how big a deal that is coming off our first year attending (albeit briefly) public school.

Homeschool and Bridging

We survived – even thrived – through our first year of hybrid schooling. I may have mentioned it was the drop-off and pick-up addition to an already full schedule I was most concerned about to begin with, and while I’ve surely put hundreds of miles on the van going back and forth, it was worth it. The boys loved their classes and their teachers, and despite us catching every illness known to the public school system, we made it and are ready for round two.

This year will be interesting. In addition to the school load I’ll be teaching the older boys (we’re studying Roman history through the Reformation) and transporting them back and forth to the public school (for gym, art, music, pre-k speech, and fifth grade band), Micah will be officially starting preschool. You’d think this would be a breeze for me, being a five-year veteran, but I’ve never actually taught preschool, and I’ve never attempted to teach three grades at once. 

I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t nervous, or that I was completely confident in my ability to juggle all the things. This is going to be a tough year. I’m going to be stretched in lots of ways, and I’m going to have to adapt my expectations and my methods to make this work. What I remain one thousand percent sure of, is that this is absolutely the right choice for us right now.

When I was in high school and then as a Bible college student, thinking through that all important question of what I was going to do with my life, I remember latching onto the sentiment that those God calls He also equips. 

I’ve never reminded myself of that more.

Working from Home

I’ve worked from home in a variety of capacities (very minimally, part-time) from the moment Elijah was born until the last trimester of Micah’s pregnancy. His was the hardest of the three, and knowing I would be heading into our second year of homeschooling with an infant, I needed to clear my plate and my brain from everything not related to homeschooling and caring for an infant. Obviously.

Now with one staring down their final year of elementary, one starting pre-k, and one in the middle, I’m starting to dip my toe back into those very same work-from-home waters. 

Think I’m crazy? On some days I do too, but this is where I’m at. It’s taken me every bit of five years to admit that homeschooling is actually my day job (probably because there is no tangible paycheck attached), and this is a small way I can contribute financially. Baseball and band and nights out for ice cream don’t come cheap (said every parent everywhere HA!).

Whether we homeschool through the end of next year or all the way through Micah’s high school years, this season won’t be forever (something that’s been hard for me to admit!). I need something to fall back on and build a career with and this seems like the perfect place to start s-l-o-w-l-y while I focus on the most important piece – being a mom and a teacher.

PLUS this is a really excellent way to continue expanding the boys’ daily responsibilities. My type-two self has a hard time asking for help, but working a little on the side makes me feel like I have permission to do so. Crazy, I know, but I’m loving their help with laundry and household chores and kind of wonder why I didn’t start this sooner!

In any event, if you know of anyone who might need some writing help or print and web design, I’m your girl! Check out my new freelance pages and shoot me an email ;)!

What I’m Reading

I love reading at ALL TIMES but summer especially, when my intake goes up considerably. I’ve already told you about the Biblical fiction books I’ve devoured from Connilyn Cossette this year, but I’ve also been reading a TON of memoirs which have been both inspiring and insightful. There is really nothing like putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and attempting to understand life through their point of view. (PS and FYI – the following links are Amazon affiliate links :))

Melanie Shankle

Sparkly Green Earrings, The Antelope in the Living Room, Nobody’s Cuter than You, and Church of the Small Things

Melanie Shankle is the perfect mix of inspiration and funny. She’s a wife, a momma, a believer, and a blogger, so you can imagine why I connected so well to her books. On the recommendation of my sister-in-law, I read through the first four in less than three weeks. I couldn’t put them down. I’m so glad I didn’t.

Sisters First

I also picked up Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush’s memoir, Sisters First. What an amazing look into their exceptionally interesting family! Growing up a year behind them in school, and also coming of voting age when their Dad was in office, this was a really meaningful read for me.

One of my favorite takeaways? We all don’t have to agree on every point of politics to be respectful and kind and loving to one another (their family doesn’t!).  A sentiment I’ve always held, but have wondered about as I watch the evening news lately…

The Fuller House Ladies

And just because I’m a tad bit obsessive with Full and Fuller House (Netflix is currently streaming in the background), I read Jodie Sweetin’s (older) memoir and am anxiously awaiting Andrea Barber’s in the fall. Thank goodness I’ve got several of Candace Cameron Bure’s to read through while I wait. 

How are you?

How was your summer?
When do your kiddos start school?
What good books have you read lately?

I can’t wait to hear… 🙂