September | 2022 | Amy Scott's Thoughts

What I’ve Been Reading – September 2022 September 30, 2022

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 8:25 am

Bookish Thoughts for September

September was a glorious book month! I had fun money to spend so, of course, new books were added to my home library. Two of my favorite authors had new releases which I pre-ordered for signed copies. I’m apparently that reader now. I picked up The Giver Quartet after reading the series this month and watching the movie on Netflix. I can see myself reading the books again and passing them along to my boys when they are older. I purchased Mr. Malcom’s List – both the book and the movie. I borrowed the book a few years ago from a friend and enjoyed it. I wanted to read it again before watching the movie.

I’m just a few books away from reaching my updated reading goal for 2022. I’m currently at 194 books. Three of those books I’ve read twice this year, so I will have read to 203 in order to get 200 different books read this calendar. I’m curious what my total for 2022 will end up being! I was telling my husband that I don’t plan to read as intensely after 2022. I would like to re-watch a few TV shows in 2023. He started laughing at me saying no one says “watching more television” is their goal for the future. We all know that if I read less next year, I will still read a lot! No worries there!

Apparently signed copies are my new thing!

Occasionally, I enjoy a book and movie comparison.

Top Picks for September

Fiction: Awaking Wonder: Opening Your Child’s Heart to the Beauty of Learning by Sally Clarkson. I appreciate Sally Clarkson as a resource for not only homeschool moms, but also as an inspiration for the spaces we create in our homes and the way we raise wholehearted children. She is full of grace and encouragement. Her words are soul-stirring and bring out the hopeful best in me. This book took a while to read because I started it at the busiest time of my month, but it was worth every page I could sneak in here and there. This is one I’m sure to add to my home collection eventually!
Non-Fiction: Dear Mr. Knightly by Katherine Reay. I read this book last September and gave it 4 stars. I read it again this month and decided to bump it up to 5 stars. It has so many things I love in it! The main character is smart and well-read. She had a rough childhood and found survival in books. There is so much compassion, intrigue, and literary goodness in this book. It rose to the top this month!
I couldn’t pick just one book this month! I’m adding The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber to my top picks this month. Originally, I gave the book 3 stars after the first reading. I was so surprised by the ending that I read the whole book again in the same week to catch elements I missed the first time through. Upon a second reading, I changed my opinion to 4 stars. The end of this book is such a doozy. I’m still reeling! I can’t stop thinking about what comes next in book three of the series!

Book List for September
1 Star = I did not like it. 2 stars = It was okay. 3 stars = I liked it. 4 stars = I really liked it. 5 stars = It was amazing.

Non-Fiction:

Wild + Free Book Club: 28 Activities to Make Books Come Alive by Ainsley Arment – 4 stars
Habits of the Household: Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms by Justin Whitmel Earley – 4 stars
Awaking Wonder: Opening Your Child’s Heart to the Beauty of Learning by Sally Clarkson – 4 stars
Raising Emotionally Strong Boys: Tools Your Son Can Build On for Life by David Thomas – 4 stars
Adventuring Together: How to Create Connections and Make Lasting Memories with Your Kids by Greta Eskridge – 4 stars

Non-Fiction:

How to Kiss Your Best Friend by Jenny Proctor (Sweet Rom-Com) – 3 starrs
Just One Chance by Jenny Proctor (Sweet Rom-Com) – 3 stars
Her Last First Date by Jenny Proctor (Sweet Rom-Com) – 3 stars
The Christmas Letters by Jenny Proctor (Sweet Rom-Com) – 4 stars
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (Animal Fiction) – 2 stars
Maude: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery by Melanie J. Fishbane (YA Historical Fiction) – 4 stars
The Giver by Lois Lowry (YA Sci-Fi) – 3 stars
Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry (YA Sci-Fi) – 3 stars
Messenger by Lois Lowry (YA Sci-Fi) – 3 stars
Son by Lois Lowry (YA Sci-Fi)- 4 stars
Worthy of Legend by Roseanna M. White (Historical Fiction) – 4 stars
The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber (YA Fantasy) – 4 stars
Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay (Literary Fiction) – 5 stars
Mr. Malcom’s List by Suzanne Allain (Historical Fiction) – 4 stars
Miss Lattimore’s Letters by Suzanne Allain (Historical Fiction) – 3 stars

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Sailing Through September September 24, 2022

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Travels,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 3:46 pm

We are swiftly sailing through September. The month has disappeared in what feels like a blink. I’m not used to the pace we’ve been keeping. It’s hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that the last week of September is upon us. The good news is October is my favorite month and it’s full of fun. While I’m baffled that September is almost over, I’m very happy to welcome October soon! Autumn adventures are the best and now I can fully revel in all that is fall!

My last post found us in the thick of hunting season for Jeremy (and the boys) and a conference for me. Prepping for a conference with Jeremy out in the woods wasn’t always ideal. Thankfully, Jeremy had the boys with him a few times so I could practice for my workshop without kid chaos in the background. The boys love tagging along during hunting season. While I had girl time during the conference, they had boy time in the woods. Win-win.

The day after the conference, Jeremy and I dropped the boys off with Nana & Papa so we could attend a staff retreat with the church team. The turnaround of conference prep, attending the conference, packing for a trip (for the kids and myself), and curating school (so Nana could substitute teach) meant I came into the retreat worn out. Fortunately, there was plenty of time for this introvert to recharge in the schedule. It was a good mix of conversation and connection while still finding time to be quiet with a book and journal. My highlights were our conversations about the Enneagram (which I adore), our rides on the golf carts to and from meals, and taking morning walks with the sun shining on the Columbia River.

We got home on Wednesday and I had Thursday set aside as a recovery day. We still did school, but the rest of the day was very chill. Jeremy took the boys out for the final evening hunt of elk season. I was able to recharge enough on Thursday so we could adventure out on Friday. We met some friends at the Ape Caves yesterday for some spelunking. We hiked our way through the more challenging cave and did another hike at Lava Canyon. I didn’t feel it yesterday, but I can tell today I climbed over boulders yesterday. It was a very fun outing and I got a chuckle that on a beautifully sunny day, we went underground for our recreation.

September sure has kept us busy. It’s been good, but I’m tired! I’ve been able to rest more today. A quiet home day is doing wonders for my soul. It’s the small things like working through the laundry, making mac & cheese, and sitting down with a book that fills me up. God has been so good to sustain me through this non-stop month. I’m certainly ready for things to slow down a bit!

Hunting buddies! I love the memories they are making out in the woods.

Afternoon free time means introvert recharge time. Nothing like reading a book surrounded by pillows on a comfy bed.

Caves might not ever be my happy place, but they are cool!

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September Snapshots September 17, 2022

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Parenthood,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 6:02 pm

Today’s blog will be more pictures than words. I just got home from a women’s conference at our church. It was a Friday night and most of the day Saturday event. I led a workshop this morning based on the book Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley. I don’t get many opportunities for public speaking so studying and practicing my notes was a big portion of my week. Now that it’s done and the adrenaline rush is over, I can feel the crash coming. Thus, a post of mostly pictures! A picture is worth a thousand words, right? Right!

Constantly being left in the dust now that these two are always on their new bikes!

My parents were on a trip this week so the boys and I checked on their dog and watered the plants while Auntie (the house-sitter) was at work. The kids loved their daily doggie duty. As you can see, TC just patiently put up with us.

Chess with co-op has started! In PE, Graham got 2nd place in the mile run. The boys love co-op and can’t wait to go back next week!

We took home Junior Ranger books from Fort Clatsop in August. We completed them and the park ranger mailed our boys their badges. We love the Junior Ranger program!

MILESTONE! Graham lost his first tooth this week. I was starting to get nervous since he is almost 7. This experience was even more memorable because he accidentally swallowed it while eating his cereal. Oops! The tooth fairy was very understanding, though.

‘Tis the season to dress like a tree! Jeremy has been out elk hunting all week. The boys got to join him Thursday evening and today!

No need to visit the pumpkin patch. Jeremy grew our pumpkins this year! They are so beautiful!

I didn’t take any pictures at the conference, but here are my cookies that I decorated in the afternoon workshop. YUM! Love the fall colors!

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The Many Adventures of September September 11, 2022

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Travels — Amy Scott @ 2:09 pm

I always think September is going to be a month of getting back into routine after the hubbub of summer… But in reality, September isn’t that month. Each week is different and it makes finding our normal tricky. I looked at the calendar yesterday and realized that our first normal week in September is the last one! It’s always like this though… the things that make September zany are annual events. I should see this coming, but alas, I’m surprised every year! So October… November… those are my fall into routine months! The bonus of being in our third of homeschooling is that we fell back into our school routine fairly easily. Muscle memory kicked in and we’ve picked up where we left off. It’s taken way less energy to get back into the swing of school than in years past. I am grateful for that. And as much as I wish September would be more chill, I am thankful for the many adventures of September!

Let’s recap our excitement for the last week. Over Labor Day weekend the boys had a sleepover with their cousins. They’ve been asking for this sleepover since May and we finally made it happen. Jeremy and I got a hotel room nearby. It was Graham’s first sleepover (other than with grandparents) and we wanted to be close by in case he needed us (which he didn’t). Jeremy and I were able to enjoy dinner and breakfast without the kids. It was a win-win for the kids and the parents.

We kicked off our homeschool co-op with rocket launches this week. Jeremy helped facilitate the launching and families came with their rockets ready to fly. This was the third year we’ve used our silver rocket and it’s now basically held together by packing tape. It’s lived a long life and seen many a launch. The kids always love this activity and it was a fun way to kick off our co-op year.

Bikes have played a big part in our week. Graham mastered riding without training wheels! We also upgraded the kids to bigger bikes since they have outgrown theirs. The new bikes are actually birthday presents for our October birthday boys. We gave them their present late last year (Disneyland in November), so why not give them their present a month early this year? The main reason we opted for early gifting is we’re taking a trip this fall and we wanted the kids to be comfortable on their bigger bikes before we travel. They are definitely ready to hit the trails!

The final highlight of our week was a field trip to the Tillamook Creamery and a stop by Hug Point (beach). We love to have family adventures on Fridays! Our fall field trips are some of my favorites. We can enjoy the last bit of summer and the good weather that seems to stay through October. Winter field trips are limited to inside, so it’s nice to get outside while we can. We watched them package three different types of cheese at the creamery. It’s always exciting to see what is being processed. On Friday, it was Monterey jack, sharp cheddar, and pepper jack. We went through the sample line (possibly twice) and had ice cream for lunch. Our time at Hug Point was spent cooling off in the ocean and exploring the rocks and caves. We even found a small waterfall! It was an excellent field trip!

Wow! We packed a lot into one week! More adventures still to come!

Riding off into the sunset without training wheels!

Hot Tub Club – We let the kids swim at our hotel before the sleepover.

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Back to School 2022 September 3, 2022

Filed under: Homeschool Adventures — Amy Scott @ 11:45 am

We’ve completed our first week of school! Hurray! Our last week of summer vacation was packed to the brim. It made coming back to school almost feel relaxing! It was nice to transition from so much out-and-about activity to days spent at home and around the table. The kids were excited to start school which always helps. This is our third year of homeschooling and we’ve definitely found our flow. It feels good to be back to routine and back to school!