Homeschool Adventures | Amy Scott's Thoughts

Happy October! (aka Birthday Month) October 9, 2024

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Tasty Treats,Travels — Amy Scott @ 2:07 pm

October is here! Hip hip hooray! It’s my absolute favorite month of the year! I am an autumn enthusiast. Fall outings are the best and it’s birthday month for my boys. It feels like the whole month is one big celebration filled with fun. It’s hard not to love a month that feels like one giant party!

Last Thursday was a great family day. Jeremy and Papa were able to watch the boys at soccer in the morning and then our family took off for an afternoon spent at some local farms. We visited Rutledge Family Farm and did their corn maze. We found all the checkpoints in the maze and played their Who-Done-It game for the first time. After learning Clue this fall, the kids loved the mystery in the corn maze. They also loved all the extra games set-up outside the corn maze. Our next stop was Lattin’s Country Cider Mill and Farm. We always enjoy looking at the animals and grabbing a sweet treat from the bakery case.

Sunday, we hosted a Scott family shindig to celebrate the boys’ birthdays. We did an ice cream sundae bar this year. The kids each got to pick their favorite flavors of ice cream and I had fun trying to come up with as my toppings as I could. The kids enjoyed playing soccer with our extended family. The ice cream helped them all cool down after a good game. Then it was present time where Nerf guns were the theme this year. Of course, new Nerf guns meant a Nerf war with the cousins was next on the agenda. Add some pizza and another round of soccer and you have one epic birthday celebration!

Monday was another big day – Owen got his braces off! After a year of being a metal mouth, he is finally in the home stretch of his orthodontic journey. He still has his lower palate expander in – it should come out next week when he picks up his retainer. It’s been a wild ride and I’ve been so proud of Owen through it all. Monday night, we were able to see the northern lights from our backyard. We missed the big event in May and we’ve been hopeful that another opportunity would happen. It finally did! It was such a neat experience. I couldn’t stop taking pictures!

Yesterday was Owen’s 11th birthday! Jeremy was able to take the day off. He joined us in celebrating Owen all day long. Our morning was spent at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery. We visited the hatchery as a homeschool co-op field trip a couple of years ago and Owen wanted to see the salmon again. It’s a fascinating place to explore during the fall salmon run. In the afternoon, we met up with our co-op at the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. It was a day filled with fish and wildlife which perfectly reflects Owen’s love of nature. Dominos pizza, Safeway chocolate cake, and a big bowl of popcorn completed Owen’s birthday celebration.

Every day feels like an adventure in October! I’ll be back with more autumn activities and birthday celebrations soon!

Blackberry Cobbler! Gotta love fall flavors!

My first time seeing the northern lights! So beautiful!

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Autumn Adventures! September 28, 2024

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Travels — Amy Scott @ 1:41 pm

Autumn is my favorite season. I could be done with my blog in just that one sentence. But… that isn’t how I roll and you know it! Autumn is my favorite season for adventuring. I love fall activities and there is a sense of making the most of the good weather before the rain settles in for what feels like forever. Late September and the month of October hold my favorite traditions and outings! Lots of fun to be had!

Jeremy wrapped up his hunting season on Thursday, September 19th. He is more in sync with our family schedule again. It’s good to have him back! We planned a family adventure for the next day after hunting season. We visited a local zoo thanks to free tickets from our library summer reading program. We had the zoo mostly to ourselves. Homeschooling gives us the ability to visit places while others are at work or school and I love avoiding crowds! In fact, we talked to a lot of zoo employees because we were the only ones around. It was also a cool, misty morning. In the PNW, weather can also keep crowds away. The animal must love mornings like that, though, because they were all out and active! We saw animals we don’t usually see, like the Arctic foxes. The red wolves and clouded leopard were actively running around their enclosures. It was worth adventuring on a chilly morning to see active animals.

The zoo kicked off a busy week for our family. September was very quiet and then bam! For one week, it was not quiet at all! Friday was the zoo and we ran errands while in town. I came home in time to turn around for book club on Friday night. Saturday was a full day at church for our annual Women’s Conference. This year I led a crafting workshop after lunch. My hope was a simple craft would be a good outlet for ladies to sit, chat, and connect. I believe my mission was accomplished! Sunday afternoon after church, our church staff stayed to have lunch together, watch the Seahawks, and play games. Monday was the beginning of our annual staff retreat for Jeremy. I wasn’t able to attend on Monday, so I hosted a playdate at our house after school. Tuesday, I joined Jeremy for staff retreat… and by Wednesday, I was a bit peopled-out. I stayed home all day and recovered from all the activity!

Friday is our favorite day for family adventures. Yesterday, we visited Mt. Rainier National Park. We were a little early for all the fall color, but we were early enough that the marmots weren’t hibernating yet (we missed them last October). We also found a black bear foraging for berries. We weren’t disappointed that it was cool and cloudy. The animal sightings made up for missing a clear view of the mountain and the autumn colors were lovely. The mountain did emerge just before we left. It’s always an impressive sight! We love having a national park so close by!

That about sums up our September outings. I’m looking forward to all we have planned for October. The combination of birthday month and favorite fall traditions makes for the best month of the year! It’s almost here. Hooray!

Beautiful flowers that my mother-in-law grew and arranged! So talented!

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium – The walrus was so friendly!

Cute little Baby Boos my mom shared with me!

Mt. Rainier National Park – I took so many marmot pictures! Ha!

Mt. Rainier National Park – a pretty place to wander!

Mt. Rainier National Park – the mountain emerged from the clouds!

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You Know It’s September When… September 18, 2024

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Tasty Treats — Amy Scott @ 1:37 pm

All the signs of September are here! Back to school, apple and pumpkin treats, fall decorating… and a big shift in our family schedule – hunting season! For as long as I’ve known my husband, he has spent a good chunk of September in the woods with a bow in his hands. He has shared his love for archery with our boys as well. Jeremy’s hunting days start early and can end late, but he lets the boys tagalong on the evening hunts if it works in our schedule. They love the adventures with Dad and I love quiet evenings at home with a book. It’s a win-win!

Another very September activity is upon us – soccer season! We haven’t participated in organized sports before. The main reason we’ve avoided sports is the schedule. It just feels a bit too much for our family. Thankfully, there is a local homeschool group that meets only once a week for soccer. It’s a little over an hour of soccer drills and scrimmaging. We invested in soccer gear and showed up to the fields for the first time last week. At first, the boys were super nervous. Doing new things can be intimating, even for me! Once they were on the field, they were all smiles. They left saying how they can’t wait to go back and they’ve mentioned that sentiment multiple times over the week. I’m so glad it was a positive experience for them. I finally joined the ranks of being a soccer mom!

Around the house, we’ve been playing Clue and Labyrinth often. They are the current go-to games for our family. Owen just happily finished up the How to Train Your Dragon book series. Graham has been my blackberry picking buddy around our property. Jeremy has been kind enough to assist us grabbing the blackberries we cannot reach. Owen has jumped in a few times to help us, too. It’s been a family effort! I made a blueberry cobbler this week and I plan to make a blackberry crisp soon with our freshly collected berries. I also have a hoard of frozen raspberries I need to start daydreaming about! Yay for berry season!

Our homeschool co-op shifted it’s format this year. We went from meeting weekly the last couple years, to twice a month (at least for the fall, maybe for the whole school year). With adding soccer this fall, the change in our co-op schedule gives us some extra margin. It’s been appreciated. Our co-op met for a social gathering at the start of September and again yesterday, for a nature walk around a local lake. It was a gray day, but perfect for fresh air and exercise with friends. My heart was especially happy as we walked through spots on the trail with leaves falling gently like autumn confetti. So pretty!

There you have it! It’s definitely September! It’s been a good back-to-school transition. We’re loving our homeschool activities and the boys are enjoying the nature adventures with Jeremy. The first official day of autumn is this coming weekend, but we’ve been living in fall mode all month long. Good times!

All smiles after their first soccer practice

My food photography skills are not so great, but thankfully, my baking skills are better! Blueberry cobbler – yum!

A lovely, gray day for a PNW nature walk

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Back to School 2024 September 7, 2024

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Tasty Treats — Amy Scott @ 12:36 pm

We got back from the our beach vacation on a Monday and dove into our new school year that Wednesday! It was a quick flip from summer vacation mode to school mode. Thankfully, we get back into our school year groove fairly easily. Our daily flow has served us well and I haven’t had to tweak it much year to year. Back-to-school feels a lot like falling back into a familiar routine. We’ve got this! It’s always neat to see how the kiddos have grown year to year with first day of school pictures. As a homeschool family, we don’t have “school picture day” like public school. I try to get a good photo of each boy on the first day of school to use as their version of a school picture.

I realize that the first day of autumn isn’t until September 22nd and we started school at the end of August. We are technically still in the summer season (and the weather in the PNW reflects that). There is something about the start of school and Labor Day weekend that triggers all the fall feels for me. I don’t have a ton of autumn décor, but it all comes out at the start of September. I find it’s a visual switch to a new season. Pops of orange are found in my throw pillows, kitchen hand towel, and tablecloth. I added pumpkin hand soaps in orange bottles to all the bathrooms. A few pumpkin and thankful decorations are out. By decorating for the fall season early, I don’t feel bad heading into Christmas mode by the middle(ish) of November. Many think it’s wrong to decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving, but I am not one of them. Autumn gets to shine to for 2.5 months at my house. Christmas is welcome to have a solid 1.5 months of display time!

While I revel in fall colors, I also adore fall flavors! I’m one of those crazy pumpkin spice lovers and I’m proud of it! Just yesterday at Costco, I stocked up on pumpkin quick bread mix and pumpkin muffins! Yum! I also did a baking project this week with my favorite sugar cookies. I made apple cookies (vanilla in flavor, apple in appearance). October is the perfect month to showcase pumpkins and September feels an apple month to me. I have been eyeing some blackberries at the end of my driveway as well. After this heat wave passes, I hope to do some berry-picking. All I need is enough blackberries to make a crisp and my fall taste buds will be happy campers!

October is by far my favorite month of the year, but the hints of autumn that come in September also make my heart happy. We had a lovely summer, but I am ready to shift gears into school mode again. I am so grateful for the opportunity to homeschool my boys. Right now with Owen starting his 5th grade year, I would just like to freeze time. Elementary school as been the absolute best and I am not ready for this window of time to pass. I have a feeling I will remember our elementary school homeschool adventures with fondness for the rest of my days.

When you buy non-sporty kids soccer goals and they pretend it’s a prison…

Teaching the boys Clue for the first time

First Day of Co-Op! We did a social gathering with board games, a paper airplane flying contest, water balloon toss, and playground time! It was a blast!

I stocked up on pumpkin treats and autumn tablecloths yesterday!

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June Highlights! June 25, 2024

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Travels — Amy Scott @ 2:10 pm

June has been such a good mix of adventure and rest. We’ve been able to do some summer school, hang out with friends, see family, go on adventures, and just enjoy time around our house. Good times all around. This June feels a little quieter than summers past and honestly, that’s fine. It’s been a good balance. Here are some of the June highlights since my last post.

We enjoyed taking Jeremy and my dad out to dinner for Father’s Day. We went to a local Chinese restaurant our family loves. It was a fun family outing and a tasty meal! The boys and I met up with my forever friend, Christa, for an adventure at the Bill Frank Jr. Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. This is an excellent location for birding and a fun walk to the Puget Sound. It was a cool, calm day and perfect for an outdoor outing. The fun with friends continued for me with a co-op planning meeting and book club this week. I love getting together with my mom friend community!

Friday, we visited the Oregon Zoo as a family. The black bears, polar bears, and tigers were active! The zoo is always a favorite summer activity. We stopped at IKEA on the way home and got a new cabinet for our dining room. I’ve been dreaming of storing board games near our dining room table to make game play easier. Grabbing a game will be simple and having board games on display in our living space shares one of our family values – playing together! I love how it turned out! Also, super thankful for Jeremy and the boys, who built it while I was at book club. It was a wonderful surprise to come home to!

My parents bought us a flat of local strawberries, so we’ve been baking treats and eating strawberries with almost every meal. YUM! We’ve had a streak of warmer weather and the backyard pool has been greatly appreciated for cooling down. The boys enjoyed a playdate with friends yesterday. They ran around in the woods behind our house for hours making up an imaginary kingdom. These summery moments are some of my favorites. Yummy treats, fun outings, time with family and friends… We are grateful and loving these summer days!

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually Wildlife Refuge

It’s always a good day when you need a cart at IKEA!

Our new board game cabinet! I plan to put a plant behind the “Gather Around” sign to finish the look.

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Another School Year Ends May 27, 2024

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures — Amy Scott @ 10:10 am

Our 2023-2024 homeschool year came to a close this last week!!! Every year I’m amazed at what we accomplished. It’s a team effort, for sure. I love being a part of my kids’ education. The end of the school year is just as much a celebration for me as it is for the boys. We all worked hard for the end goal!

It’s always my plan to finish our 36-week curriculum before Memorial Day. The “unofficial start of summer” seems like a good time to wrap up a school year. I wasn’t sure we would make that goal this year. Our Yellowstone road trip was fairly spontaneous and I didn’t have that time factored into the school calendar. Owen was ahead in school and even with the trip, he was on course to finish by Memorial Day. Graham couldn’t be left behind. He did a mad dash in the last two weeks of the school year and caught up. It was nice to have the boys finish at the same time.

What’s next? This week will be year end assessments. We use an online, standardize test. Owen is a pro, but this will be Graham’s first time. In June, we’ll start our summer school schedule. I never thought we would become year-round homeschoolers, but the concept as grown on me. We just wrapped up our 2nd and 4th grade curriculum and we will ease into our 3rd and 5th curriculum over the summer. If things go as planned, the boys will have a month off at the end of July into August. They’ll be able to enjoy a camping trip, summer camp, and a vacation to the beach without school in the mix. This gives them (and me) a chance at a summer break!

Finishing the school year has been the big focus since we arrived home from our Yellowstone road trip. We got home late on the Saturday before Mother’s Day. I spent Mother’s Day reclaiming the laundry room and getting us settled. To avoid making myself breakfast on Mother’s Day, I picked up gas station Cinnabon on our way home from Idaho. It wasn’t a classy Mother’s Day, but it was just the day we needed to recover from such a grand adventure.

Jeremy has jumped into reclaiming the yard and getting it summer ready! He’s spent a good portion of this holiday weekend purchasing plants and getting them into their new homes in our yard. He’s mowed, weeded, and spread fresh beauty bark. He’s spent some time in his garden and he built a new shade canopy for our back deck. He is super industrious! I helped him wipe down our patio furniture. I removed an absurd layer of pollen from everything. The yard is definitely looking good! With our lighter school schedule right around the corner, I’m looking forward to all the backyard hangouts that will start filling up our calendar. Now if only the PNW weather would get the memo that we’re ready for summer!

11 hours of laundry… The price we pay for adventuring. Totally worth it!

Making sure I didn’t have to make my own breakfast on Mother’s Day!

How is another school year behind us? Can we freeze time right here, please?!

His elementary school years are flying by in a blink!

Graham is my squinty kid! We had to move inside to take his picture because the cloudy day was too bright!

Celebration cacti? Haha! Such a silly year-end treat!

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Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks Road Trip May 15, 2024

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Travels — Amy Scott @ 12:42 pm

Our family just returned from a somewhat-spur-of-the-moment road trip through Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. We did a similar trip in August of 2020 and we loved it so much that we decided to do it again! It was fun to return with older kiddos and not in pandemic conditions. Also, there is a big difference in the weather between May and August! We saw so much snow on this trip! It was crazy… and cold!

The highlight of the trip was definitely animal spotting. Jeremy and the boys had a bucket list of animals they wanted to see and I’m happy to say we achieved success! We saw a thousand elk and bison. No joke! So many! We saw six grizzly bears, a black bear, two foxes, a marmot, a snowshoe hare, a herd of big horn sheep, eight coyotes (three of which were pups), and a moose! The favorite animal find was the Junction Butte wolf pack in the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone. The first time we found the pack, we could only see them through the spotting scope. The second time we found them, they were much closer and they even howled! The eerie part was hearing the other half of the pack respond behind us. We were literally surrounded by wolves! Thankfully, they were at a safe distance, so we weren’t in any danger.

Animals might have been the highlight of the trip for the boys, but the geysers and geothermal features of Yellowstone were greatly appreciated as well! We saw Old Faithful erupt five different times and we happened to be in the right place at the right time to watch Riverside Geyser erupt. We all were in awe of the many bubbling and splashing springs. The colors in the different pools are beautiful and steaming geyser basins are endlessly fascinating. Any thermal feature that didn’t have a name plaque in front of it was “officially” named by the Scott boys. In 2020, the visitor centers weren’t open, so it was neat to explore and learn more about the parks at these locations. The boys also became Junior Rangers at Yellowstone for a second time.

Our visit to Grand Teton National park worked out perfectly with the weather. We had cloudy, snow days at Yellowstone, but we had blue skies at Grand Teton NP. The mountains are breathtaking and we were glad they weren’t hidden behind clouds! We stopped at Jenny Lake because it was a favorite from our last visit. It was surprising how much snow was still on the ground and how much ice was over the lake. We took a short walk beside lake and we were sliding over deep snow patches between sections of bare pavement. The snow and ice didn’t keep us from enjoying our time, though! We also visited Mormon Row on this trip through the park. We missed this site last time. It’s a small road with old barns left behind by Mormon settlers. The barns with the majestic mountains in the background are an iconic photo opp for the park. It was neat to see them in-person.

We made one final scenic stop on our way home at Shoshone Falls outside of Twin Falls, ID. This waterfall was one I’d planned to visit before and those plans didn’t pan out. It was rewarding to finally make it there! And the waterfall was beautiful! In fact, I would say that the waterfalls we saw on the trip were some of my favorite stops even if they were quick! We saw Undine Falls, Gibbon Falls, the Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River, Firehole Falls, and finally Shoshone Falls.

We are so thankful we had this opportunity as a family to explore such a beautiful and awe-inspiring part of God’s creation! There really is no place quite like Yellowstone! The kids enjoyed a week off of school, but really the whole week was like one field trip after another. My love of field trips is deep! Now to start daydreaming about (and saving for) our next National Park adventure!

The Daily Adventure Breakdown:

Monday: The Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, MT
Tuesday: Yellowstone – Lamar Valley, Mammoth Hot Springs, Norris Geyser Basin
Wednesday: Yellowstone – Fountain Paint Pot Trail, Midway Geyser Basin (Grand Prismatic Spring), Old Faithful, Grand Canyon of Yellowstone (Upper & Lower Falls), Hayden Valley
Thursday: Yellowstone – Biscuit Basin, Upper Geyser Basin (Old Faithful x 3), Black Sand Basin, Lamar Valley
Friday: Leaving Yellowstone – Firehole Canyon Drive, Old Faithful, Grand Teton National Park – Colter Bay, Jackson Lake, Jenny Lake, Mormon Row, Moose-Wilson Road
Saturday: Shoshone Falls in Twin Falls, ID and Hermiston, OR Les Schwab to fix a flat tire!

Grizzly bears through the spotting scope

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River – Lower Falls

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An April Update April 18, 2024

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures — Amy Scott @ 1:47 pm

After a very busy start to April, our middle of April has been considerably quieter. Jeremy and the boys came down with minor colds. We cautiously opted-out of our extracurriculars for about a week just to be safe. It’s funny how our schedules can go from 0mph to 100mph and back again in a blink! Things have been more in the 15mph category this last week and that’s okay. Thankfully, no one was super sick and it ended up being a nice change of pace.

We had a fun outing before the colds kept us home – we visited Northwest Trek with family! Northwest Trek is an animal park that features animals native to our area. They have a large free roam exhibit that you can caravan through. A zookeeper leads the group and gives information through a radio station the vehicles tune into as they follow. We loved seeing a closer look at the moose than we’ve ever had before. The lynx was super active thanks to a keeper talk. We met the new marmot that was rehomed from Mt. Rainier. If you ask the kids what their highlight, they would say the playground. It makes me chuckle that they love seeing all the animals, but the playground and time with cousins always wins!

We followed coverage of the Solar Eclipse as a part of our homeschool day on Monday the 9th. We followed the path from Mexico to Maine. It was on in the background of our school day and we paused to watch every time a major city went dark. Unfornately, it was cloudy and rainy day here in the PNW. We saw pictures though of how our local area had a small bite of the sun – just like someone nibbled on a cookie. It was a fun science lesson and gave some excitement to a Monday around the house.

Our latest adventure has been housesitting the neighbor dog. For the last few days we’ve been TC-sitting and the boys loved it. They were very responsible and took their jobs seriously. It helps that TC is a very low-key dog. The boys did everything from making TC her meals to taking her out to the bathroom to picking up poop and giving her treats. They doted on her quite a bit. It was a good opportunity for them to experience pet care firsthand.

Those are the highlights for the middle of the month. Things should be picking up pace again as we look to the latter half of April. We are optimistic for the next wave of adventures around the bend!

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Celebrating All.The.Things. April 4, 2024

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Tasty Treats,Travels — Amy Scott @ 1:26 pm

We’ve been celebrating all the things since my last update here. There is so much to share! I’ll try to hit the highlight reel. I might have waited too long to share! So much has happened. Here’s hoping I can contain all the fun in one post!

To start things off, our family attended the Spring Work Party at our church the weekend before Easter. The boys each earned $100 off of their camp registration cost by serving for 4 hours. They helped clean inflatables and create Easter gift bags. I wiped down tables and then did a thorough purge and reorganize of Jeremy’s children church closet. I love cleaning and sorting, so it was a very fulfilling day! The next day that same weekend, we celebrated an early birthday dinner for Jeremy with his parents. It was a good, full weekend.

Jeremy’s birthday fell on a Monday this year. Honestly, it’s hard to make a Monday birthday thrilling… We were able to pick up the license plates for our new van and then we went out to dinner as a family at our favorite Mexican restaurant. We came home to play a new game that we got Jeremy for his birthday and had birthday cake. It was a low-key birthday, but I think Jeremy felt special and celebrated!

Easter is always a big event in our world. Jeremy had lots of prep at church and I had lots of prep around the house. The Thursday and Friday before Easter were big baking days for me. I made sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookie bars, and brownies to share over the weekend. Jeremy mowed the lawn and I cleaned the house in prep for hosting a gathering with my family on Saturday.

Saturday’s celebration included honoring my parent’s anniversary (which was that day), a belated birthday for Jeremy, Graham’s baptism the following day, and Easter. We know how to pack in a party! The boys opened their Easter baskets (we normally do this the day before Easter because Sunday is always so busy) and did an egg hunt around our house. We had pizza and plenty of desserts to share. The kiddos enjoyed doing some Pokémon trading with their super cool Auntie. We wrapped up the day by coloring eggs.

On Sunday, Graham got baptized at church. He’s been talking about it for a while and finally decided now was the time. Jeremy and I got to baptize him. It’s been an honor to be a part of the boys’ baptisms and to encourage them in their faith journeys. It was a fantastic way to celebrate Easter! After church, we went over to Nana & Papa for tacos and treats. The kids and the adults each had an egg hunt in the afternoon. It’s always a good time when the whole cousin crew is together! Side note: Sunday was our house-iversary (a holiday I personally celebrate every year). Sunday marked six years in our home here on the hill. It’s been such a wonderful place to raise our family. I’m so thankful to live where we do!

After all the celebrating, you’d think we would quiet things down, but no. On Monday, we met up with family at the beach. They had a house rented in Seabrook for Spring Break and we crashed a day of their trip (at their invitation). The kids got to swim in the community pool, watch a magic show, get soaked in the ocean, and visit the arcade. It was a super fun day!

We had a field trip on Tuesday with our homeschool co-op. Now that the weather is warming up, we are definitely getting out and about for field trips more often. We visited a piece of local history at the Borst Home in Centralia. We got to tour both floors of the home, the carriage house, the gardens, a one room schoolhouse, and pioneer church. The timeline of this field trip fit well with our Oregon Trail field trip. It was fun to see local history overlapping.

By the time yesterday rolled around, I was glad to have no where to go and nothing pressing to do! Yes, we did school and our normal Wednesday chores, but I got to be homebody and it filled up my tank after being so busy. Today is another day around the house, just doing our normal school and chores. I sure love celebrating, but our pace of life has caught up with me. I am thankful today for the margin to rest and happily reflect on the fun we’ve had the last few weeks.

A little March Madness: Graham and Spike cheering on Gonzaga

Helping to clean the church before Easter

I used a new bunny cookie cutter this Easter. It might be my new favorite. So cute!

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Welcome Spring! March 20, 2024

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Travels — Amy Scott @ 2:18 pm

It’s officially spring! It’s actually felt like summer here in the PNW this last week. We’ve had sunny days and temps into the mid-70’s. It’s been lovely! However, today is back to the usual – clouds and drizzle. Spring is like that… Sunny one day, rainy the next. While I’ve loved the sunshine, the trees are waking up and seasonal allergies were definitely a thing over the weekend. My hubby sneezed dozens of times over the weekend! I’m hoping the drizzle today will wash the pollen out of the air. There is a price to pay for sunshine.

Life has been full since my last post. My cautious optimism panned out and we’ve been able to see many people and do fun things. No more sickness keeping our friends at home. Hooray! Last week, we started new classes with our homeschool co-op. The kids are enjoying botany and American government this spring. Owen, especially, has been inspired with how the botany class as lined up with our own science at home. He has had his microscope out multiple times this week examining plant life.

I had a first this last week. I was asked if I could share some tips about home organization (especially, kid storage) with a mom from our church. I love home organization so it was fun to share this interest with another mom. I got to wax poetic about storage bins, labels, and my enjoyment of The Home Edit. Such a good time! Okay, I realize keeping a tidy house doesn’t make everyone want to do jazz hands, but it certainly gets me excited!

A special highlight of the last week was a visit with my forever friend, Maggie. She moved across the country at the end of 2023, but she was in the PNW for a few weeks assisting her parents. She came to visit me on the last leg of her trip. She arrived Thursday afternoon and we got to walk/talk while the kids played at a local park then we were able to go out to dinner together. She spent the night at our house and we were her shuttle to the airport the next day. It was so good to spend hours chatting and just being on the same side of the country. The countdown is on until her next visit!

Friday, after dropping Maggie at the airport, we went south to Oregon City. We had an appointment to get our van serviced. Luckily, the dealership is right by the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Visitor Center. This historical museum has been on my field trip wish list for a few years, so this was the perfect place to wait while our vehicle was looked at. The kids had a lot of fun making candles, fabric toys, and petting their collection of fur pelts. The last month has been full of awesome field trips. We love adventuring as a family and learning together! The boys did a presentation at our co-op yesterday about our visit to the museum on Friday. They shared Oregon Trail facts and their highlights of the experience. It was neat to see them take something they learned and share it with others.

Other highlights include having friends over on Saturday and celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on Sunday. My kiddos know I’m a pincher, so they made a big deal of wearing green this year. We made green mini-waffles for dinner with shamrocks on them. On Monday, we prepared our March Madness brackets. We have our brackets printed and on the fridge ready to highlight wins and scratch out losses. Yesterday was a beautiful first day of spring! The kids got to play on the playground with friends at co-op, enjoy their classes, and then spend the evening at piano lessons with Nana. I slipped away with a friend last night to shop for books at Goodwill. I’ll share all about my book haul in my book blog at the end of the month.

And there you have it! All the big and little things of the last week. It’s been a good stretch of sunny weather, time with friends, and lots of fun.