Homeschool Adventures | Amy Scott's Thoughts

Hello Holidays! December 5, 2023

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Travels — Amy Scott @ 2:19 pm

We are in full swing with the holiday season! So much goodness to share! My last update was right before Thanksgiving, so I’ll pick up there… even though Thanksgiving feels like forever ago now. Can anyone else relate? Our Thanksgiving was quieter than years past. Between illness and multiple family members recovering from surgery, our gatherings were small. We got together with Jeremy’s parents and aunt and uncle on Thanksgiving day. The day after Thanksgiving, we had another meal with my parents and sister. Since my dad wasn’t cleared for turkey lifting this year, Jeremy had the honor of making the turkey. He did a fantastic job! Jeremy was super domestic this Thanksgiving. He made multiple pies, side dishes, and a turkey. Jeremy is a great cook and he was the MVP (or MVC – most valuable cook) this Thanksgiving!

Last week, we had our first Christmas party – even though it wasn’t December yet! We wrapped up our homeschool co-op for 2023 and we see our group again in 2024. For our Christmas party, we did a potluck and had various Christmas activities for the kids. There were activity pages, coloring sheets, and a paper snowflake station. We had classic Christmas music in the background while we played, munched, and chatted. The kids brought small gifts for a group gift exchange. I read a version of T’was the Night Before Christmas that was formatted for a left-right game. Each kid started with their own gift and then had to pass accordingly when they heard the words left and right in the story. Our co-op is such a blessing to our family. It was fun to kick off the Christmas season with them.

To kick off December, we joined my forever friend, Maggie, and her family for Snowflake Lane in Bellevue, WA. Snowflake Lane is a parade they put on nightly from the day after Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve. My favorite part is they make it snow as a part of the experience. The snow is really bubbles, but it’s still magical! This was probably our wettest experience at Snowflake Lane, but the rain didn’t spoil the affect. We met up early for Starbuck treats and hung out inside before claiming our spot on the parade route. With Maggie’s family moving across the country soon, it was fun to do one more Snowflake Lane with them before they go.

December has certainly been a merry and bright month and we’re not even a full week into it. On Saturday, we decorated our annual gingerbread house! It’s always a mess, but so much fun. We are no way professional with our decorating skills, but the quirkiness adds to the charm. We also started our Advent season on Saturday, instead of Sunday. Lighting a candle and taking a few minutes to focus on Jesus as the center of the Christmas season is always a special moment each week. Owen read the devotional for us as we talked about hope and Emmanuel – God with us!

Sunday evening, Jeremy and I saw For King + Country in concert at Moda Center in Portland, OR. A Drummer Boy Christmas is by far my most listened Christmas album. I’m a huge fan of all their music, but I loved that it was a Christmas concert. For King + Country sang a mix of their Christmas music, but also popular hits and songs from their new album. Our seats were in the nose bleed section, but that didn’t diminish the experience. It was a super fun date night. We were also able to leave a bit early for the city and do some Christmas shopping before the show. A major highlight of the day was picking up two more Billy bookcases from IKEA. Book reorganization is right around the corner. I’m excited to see if my vision can come together like I hope!

That’s all for now! We have a big week ahead as we prepare of our Christmas musical at church this weekend. Lots of Christmas memories to make still ahead!

Jeremy and his tasty Thanksgiving turkey!

Making one last set of Snowflake Lane memories with our friends before they move.

Starting the Advent season with the hope of Emmanuel

Quite the view at Moda Center – For King + Country – A Drummer Boy Christmas Concert

For King + Country – A Drummer Boy Christmas Concert

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Happy Thanksgiving Eve November 22, 2023

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Tasty Treats — Amy Scott @ 12:14 pm

Happy Thanksgiving Eve! We wrapped up school for the week just a few moments ago. As I sit down to update you on the last couple weeks, I can say I’m feeling the thankful vibes. There have certainly been some highs and lows over the last two weeks. Life is never perfect, but there is still space for gratitude even in the imperfect moments. God is good!

I last updated you on Owen’s ortho “install” day… He was a trooper when it came to getting a mouth full of metal. What followed installation day was a long weekend. Owen essentially went on hunger strike because eating was painful. Not only did his mouth hurt, but he was getting dizzy from lack of nutrition. It was hard to watch him feel crummy. We intentionally planned a low-key weekend and it was very necessary. After four rough days, Owen reached a turning a point and we were so thankful! At his first ortho check, they were please with his progress and he might be finished turning his palate expanders sooner than I expected. You can also see how his teeth have moved already. No wonder his mouth hurt!

After a quiet, recovery weekend, Owen felt well enough to join our co-op for an Operation Christmas Child packing party. We’ve done OCC boxes for years as a family, but this is the first time we’ve done one as a group with a packing party. Members of our co-op all brought items and we combined them to fill 10 boxes. Owen and Graham filled one box together and we paid the tracking fee so we can see where our shoebox ends up. It was a neat experience to do this with our co-op and the boys took to heart the activity. They were so intentional about the items they placed in the box. It was sweet to watch.

On Thursday, my dad had pacemaker surgery. I accompanied my parents so I could wait with my mom and be a support however necessary. A special part of the day was that one of the prep nurses attends our church and was able to pray with our family before surgery. It was such a comforting moment. Thankfully, the surgery went well. The day was mostly defined by waiting – waiting for the surgery to start, waiting for it to end, waiting for Dad to be released. We are so grateful that it was as uneventful as possible. Jeremy and the boys brought my mom and I lunch at the hospital. Jeremy also picked up my favorite mac and cheese from Costco and had dinner waiting for me when I got home. It was reusable red cup day at Starbucks, so the boys got our annual red cup and a cranberry bliss bar for me. I felt very loved!

Our weekend plans were again fairly low-key. With my dad recovering from surgery, we didn’t want to wander too far from home. On Friday, I went to my book club, which is always a highlight of my month. I missed last month, so it was top priority to make it to this one. Saturday, our dinner plans with friends were canceled due to illness in their family. We opted to decorate our house for Christmas since we had a full free day suddenly. Our family is very okay with Christmas in November. We often decorate based on what works best with our free time and not the actual calendar date. Within a week of Thanksgiving feels acceptable to me. I chuckle when I think of all the different “acceptable” timelines my friends and family have. Some have very strong feelings about when it’s appropriate to deck the halls. Sunday was church with kid’s choir practice. We only have a few weeks until our performance, so it’s crunch time! Owen is doing well with his solos, even with a mouth full of metal.

My final highlight was going to see The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes with my forever friend, Christa, last night. I don’t often go to the movies on a “school night” (or ever… I make it only once or twice a year). I felt a little wild and crazy. That’s silly, I know. Christa and I read the book together when it first came out during the early COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020. We zoomed to discuss our thoughts on the book because we couldn’t see each other in-person. Since we read the book together, it only made sense that we would see the movie together, too! Christa’s son works for the movie theater and he came with us so we could an awesome deal on tickets – free! I felt so special! It was a fun outing and worth the weekday late night.

As you prepare for Thanksgiving tomorrow, I wish you all an amazing day – no matter how great or small your celebration. There is always something to be thankful for even in the highs and lows. This month has had it’s intense moments, but through it all God has been faithful to me (and my loved ones). I’m full of gratitude for the how this month has gone, including the things that haven’t quite gone as planned. Nothing is wasted and I can see God’s goodness as I reflect this Thanksgiving Eve.

A third round of forest animal sugar cookies. This time for a family baby shower. I wasn’t able to attend, but it was so sweet to visit with my aunt and grandma when they came to pick them up from my house.

A quiet weekend means time to bake. Pumpkin scones sounded comforting!

Packing an Operation Christmas Child box at co-op.

Decorating their mini trees for their rooms. Each year they get a special ornament and this year it was Pokémon themed. Pikachu for Graham and Eevee for Owen.

Graham had another visit from the tooth fairy! Since he isn’t into “help” pulling his teeth, this last tooth hung on by a thread for days!

Loving all the festive vibes! Garland, plaid tablecloth, green velvet pillow covers, wooden block messages, and the Fisher Price nativity set (you can just barely spy it on the bookshelf).

Owen created this cool tide pool in science this week!

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November News November 9, 2023

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Parenthood — Amy Scott @ 1:35 pm

The big news of the week is orthodontia is officially a thing in our household. Owen got his metal-mouth “installation” today. He has braces on his top teeth and both an upper and lower palate expander. The process for orthodontia has changed since I had braces as a teen. They start so much younger these days. While I understand the reasons, I can’t help feeling like Owen is too young for all this. Poor kiddo (and poor empathic mama – apparently, I’m super tender when it comes to my kiddos being uncomfortable). I’m doing my best to reconcile that Owen is now in the double digits and has a mouth full of metal. Suddenly, he seems way more like a tween! Thankfully, he’s not acting like a tween yet! Praise the Lord!

I could ramble on about all the feelings ortho triggers for me, but my family and friends have listened to me lament for months now, so I’ll spare them hearing it again. Let’s focus on happier things. Last Friday was our first family home day in what felt like forever – well, it wasn’t forever, but our last home day was a sick day, so it was nice to be home and healthy. I declared it “Cider Day” since we had a full day to enjoy a crockpot warming with apple cider. Home days make the best cider days! Jeremy was able to do some yard projects. I did a few chores. It was a good day to wash the sheets, take a walk, read a book, and play a game. Owen and Jeremy made homemade bread. The combo of the bread baking with the simmering cider smelled amazing!!! I realize that most people don’t celebrate a day fully spent at home like it was a holiday, but it certainly felt like that to me. As introvert who needs plenty of margin in my calendar, Cider Day definitely filled up my cup in more than one way!

Saturday, I met up with my forever friend, Maggie, for a red cup at Starbucks and then an early dinner. As kindred spirits, Maggie and I take red cups at Starbucks quite seriously (I say “seriously” because I am an Enneagram 1, but my dear Enneagram 7 friend would probably have found a more festive word). Red cups are a celebration in a cup and the kick off to the holiday season. It’s always a special treat to get red cups together. With a major move in Maggie’s future, I’m soaking up our time together. It’s always sweet!

Sunday, as you all know, was daylight savings. Falling back used to be my favorite day ever. It was right up there with Christmas. The older I get, the harder time changes are on my body. I just don’t adjust well. And as a parent, retraining my family schedule twice a year is no fun. I’m all for getting rid of daylight savings! But I digress… Sunday was still an enjoyable day even though I was a bit off. We had family come over for a game day and tacos. It was a great way to wrap up an awesome weekend.

The last adventure of our week was a field trip to our local veterans museum with our homeschool co-op. We got an educational guided tour by a museum volunteer. At first, I wasn’t sure how my kiddos would handle the content – war isn’t an easy topic. We had some good and thoughtful conversations on our drive home. I realize that our country isn’t perfect, but this field trip gave us an opportunity to discuss our history and why we honor veterans. Homeschooling is a blessing in moments like these because I get to walk alongside my kiddos as they process heavy stuff. On a bright note, they loved getting to take pictures in the museum’s collection of vehicles. It was the highlight of the field trip.

Okay, that’s the November news… thus far! Each month is always an adventure. Each month certainly has it’s highs and lows and November is no exception. We’ll see how things unfold in the coming weeks.

A red cup with Maggie May is always a special treat!

Before and After – this kid is a trooper!

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Falling Further into Autumn November 2, 2023

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Children's Ministry,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures — Amy Scott @ 1:48 pm

November is here! October is bright red and orange leaves with mostly blue skies. November is evergreen trees and the brown of branches exposed with gray skies. There is a definite shift. October is a super fun month for our family (birthday month!!!), but the pace isn’t sustainable beyond October. November feels like the time to slow down, be cozy at home, and watch the rain pitter-patter on the window. The change of pace is welcome.

Let’s jump into the autumn adventures we’ve had in the last week. The first being our visit to the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. Graham had been planning this zoo day as his birthday outing for months. Unfornately, his birthday tummy bug meant we had to postpone. Thankfully, the weather held and we were able to enjoy a sunny, but cold day at the zoo. Since we often go to the Oregon Zoo or Point Defiance Zoo, it was neat to visit a new zoo. We went to Wild Lanterns there a few years ago, but you don’t see the animals at that event. We also took the kids to visit this zoo when they were one and three, so they had no memory of that trip. It was very much a new experience for them and a great way to celebrate Graham’s birthday!

My forever friend, Christa, invited me to join her for a book folding craft at her local library. I had some reservations about my crafting skills, but a book related day out with my friend sounded enjoyable. The group that assembled to craft was diverse and the instructor was full of personality. To finish the craft in the two hour window of time was a bit of a task. We really had to hustle. We made lanterns out of folded books and battery-powered candles. When I got home, I added a bit of ribbon and found a home for my lantern. I wasn’t sure if I would create something worth displaying, but I’m happy with how it turned out!

Tuesday was Fall Fest – our church’s annual Halloween event. The boys went as the Kratt brothers, Martin and Chris, from Wild Kratts. I wore a Canada hoodie, a beanie, and took my Tim Hortons reusable cup as a prop. I was going for “tourist in Canada”, which is my very real self! We got to the church early to deliver Jeremy dinner. The boys were able to test out the games before things got busy. We had friends arrive at the start of the event, so we went around with them and did all the games again. We ended the night at our new church playground in the front of the building. It was chilly, but the kids had a blast running off all the sugar energy! Also, a big shoutout to my hubby and his team for once again hosting a stellar event! A lot of hard work went into making that night a success!

A few quick highlights… We dedicated the new playground on Sunday at church. It was freezing and definitely a memorable moment. Jeremy put red ribbon all around the playground and he let all the kids cut the ribbon together. The cold weather didn’t keep the kids from playing after the ribbon was cut. On Sundays, we’ve been working on our Christmas musical. Parts were given out in October and Owen has two singing solos this year. He is happy with the solos he was given. I’m sort of thankful he didn’t get a speaking part. It was great last year, but it means less pressure on me to help him run his lines at home. I’m good with that. We’ve completed our 1st quarter of school! All is well on the homeschool front. We are in a good groove.

And finally, today is Red Cup Day, which is a holiday in this household. Jeremy came home at lunch with Starbucks treats! I had my first peppermint hot chocolate and cranberry bliss bar of the season! Jeremy got a gingerbread latte and Graham got a snowman cookie. We love these seasonal treats! Jeremy also surprised me with a super pretty reusable cup. Happy Red Cup Day!

Visiting the Woodland Park Zoo in honor of Graham’s birthday

The final result! And yes, I have a fondness for decorating with pinecones.

Monday was pumpkin day! We made pumpkin waffles in our new mini-waffle maker and then we carved pumpkins.

Activating their creature powers and going wild as Martin and Chris Kratt from Wild Kratts.

November 1st calls for new Christmas pajamas.

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Happy 8th Birthday, Graham! October 25, 2023

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Simply Me,Tasty Treats — Amy Scott @ 1:55 pm

After my post last Wednesday, things went a bit sideways for our family. It might seem like October – Birthday Month – has been all sunshine and rainbows and endless celebrations… but that hasn’t quite been the case. Wednesday afternoon, Graham started to complain about a stomachache. He had been looking forward to bringing cookies to his church class as a way to celebrate his birthday the next day, but instead, he ended up “figuratively” tossing his cookies. Graham had a 48-hour flu bug and he perked up Friday evening. However, his actual birthday was Thursday and he was down the count the whole day. Poor guy! Owen caught the same bug, but only had it for 24 hours (Thursday in Friday). Boo! Our best guess is they swallowed something in the pool water at Great Wolf Lodge, but we’ve also heard from friends that a tummy bug is going around in our area. Too bad it found us…

We had a birthday outing for Friday planned and dinner with friends on Saturday. We postpone those plans to this coming weekend. We are optimistic they will still happen even though they were delayed. Thankfully, the kids were 24 hours symptom free so we could host a family birthday party on Sunday afternoon. Of all our weekend plans, the party would have been the hardest to reschedule and the boys had been waiting so long for this time to celebrate with our Scott family. The party was a hit and our boys had a blast. Their favorite thing to do is play with their cousins so their hearts were very full. I spent my weekend in birthday party prep mode. I frosted sugar cookies, baked cupcakes, and decorated them. It was fun to throw yet another Wild Kratts themed gathering. Overall, it was a great day and huge success. We are so blessed by our family and glad we could celebrate together!

The cookies Graham meant to take to church on Wednesday were brought to church on Sunday, so we were able to make that still happen. Graham had hoped for donuts on his birthday and he was able to have one Friday night. We also ran through McDonald’s on Saturday to snag a Boo Bucket. Even though his birthday was rough, we were able to salvage some elements of our original plan. Our co-op sang to Graham and two other October birthday buddies yesterday. And Lord willing, Graham’s birthday outing will happen on Friday.

What a month! With less than a week of adventures left in October, it will be interesting to see how the month comes to a close. I’m hopeful for all the plans that await us, but after the flu interrupted our life last week, I will say my optimism is now colored with some caution. We’ll see how things unfold. It might not always be perfect, but it’s still a good life.

Science experiment on Wednesday morning before the tummy bug hit…

Happy Day After Your Birthday, Graham! We couldn’t snap a birthday picture on Thursday, so we had to wait for Friday.

It’s not birthday month if you don’t have multiple parties!

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Happy 10th Birthday, Owen! October 12, 2023

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Tasty Treats,Travels — Amy Scott @ 1:44 pm

Be prepared! Almost all my posts will be birthday themed this month. You’ve been warned! Like I mentioned in my last post, we take birthday month very seriously in this household. October is so much fun!

A week ago we had a playdate with friends who also have quite a few October birthdays in their family. We used the playdate as a mini-birthday party between our families. Gifts were exchanged, candles were placed in donuts, the birthday song was sung. The kids had a great time celebrating together.

Since Owen’s birthday was on a Sunday this year, we selected Friday as his birthday outing day. Owen requested a visit to Mt. Rainier. It was a beautiful day and the fall color on the mountain was stunning! We took our biggest hike on the mountain to date. We made it Panorama Point (we made it there three years ago) and instead of turning back the way we came, we took a new trail and did a loop back to Paradise. The kids had a blast and I was impressed that I could keep up (even though I was sore for days afterward). We saw a mountain goat, plenty of ground squirrels and chipmunks, flocks of finches, and a hawk. Animal sighting are always a highlight of any hike. We also made it to the snow and many small snowmen were created along the trail. Our first snowman, Crusher, was photographed by many hikers as they passed him. We got a huge kick out of making a photo op! It was a fantastic outing and Owen enjoyed the day immensely (we all did)! It was also neat to claim Owen’s free 4th Grade National Parks Pass. We buy this pass every year so it was a blessing to have this year covered this year. We will put it to good use, for sure!

For Owen’s actual birthday, we asked my mom if she could run into down and pick up donuts for us to take to church. I have a hard time getting out the door on-time on Sundays so I didn’t trust myself to make a run into town before church and be on-time. Luckily, my parents are up much earlier than me and my mom was happy to help! (Thank you again, Grandma!) Owen was given happy birthday wishes by the kids in children’s church and he shared donuts with the class. It was a fun way to celebrate being at church on his birthday. After church, we went to a local park to watch for trains – we saw two BNSFs. Yep, trains are a still a thing in our world. The boys played at the park for awhile before heading home for lunch and some Pokémon time. Owen selected Chinese food dinner and brownies for his birthday dessert.

This week so far has featured a playdate with friends who live down the street, co-op (where Owen was sung happy birthday by the group), and for me, dinner out with my forever friend, Christa! It’s been a very social week with more good times coming up this weekend. We are very thankful for the time we get to spend with friends and family. Especially time spent celebrating and letting our birthday boys know how special they are!

Following these boys on grand adventures is my favorite thing!

Flashback to when Owen turned 4 and we visited this same park to watch for trains!

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Bye, Bye Summer September 22, 2023

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Children's Ministry,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Simply Me,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 6:38 pm

We’ve been back to school for a few weeks, but since today is the official last day of summer, it feels right to say so long to the season. It seems like the weather agrees with the calendar. Today was beautiful. Sunny and 77 degrees. Tomorrow the rain returns to the PNW. Right on cue for the start of autumn. The last few weeks of summer have been good to use (honestly, the whole summer season was good to us). Here is a recap of what we’ve been up to these days.

Hunting season has certainly been a thing. Jeremy was out in the woods as much as his schedule allowed. Both boys joined him one evening and Owen joined him two additional times. Owen loves looking for wildlife and came home each time with a list of a little creatures he saw on his adventure with Jeremy. I love his enthusiasm for nature and wildlife.

Our homeschool co-op has met twice and the boys are loving being back at co-op with friends. The classes this fall are public speaking and art. So far, public speaking as been fun games that the boys are enjoying. So many giggles! One game was grabbing a random item out of a bag and selling it to the group. The details could be accurate or made up. Since our group has quite a few little boys, most of the products shot lasers. Thus the giggles!

I had a very bookish weekend last weekend. On Friday night, I met with my book club. I haven’t been since April, so it was long overdue! My book club friends are my local community and I’m so blessed to share a love of reading with them. It such a source of encouragement and joy for me. Saturday morning, I attended a women’s conference at our church. I taught a morning workshop on helping the next generation fall in love with God’s Word. I shared my story of falling in love with the Bible, what we’re doing in our household to encourage a love of God and the Bible, as well as what resources I recommend. I brought two bags full of Bibles and devotionals to class with me. I was definitely in my zone!

After my time at the conference, I met up with my hubby for lunch and errands. They boys were with Nana & Papa at soccer games for the cousins, so it was fun to sneak a little date time in after the conference. Jeremy was super supportive as I shared how my morning went. I came home to clean the house for company and Jeremy took off for the woods. Sunday after church, my parents came over for pizza and Pokémon. My sister brought a video game and her Pokémon cards to share with the boys. They were thrilled! It was a fun impromptu family gathering.

Today’s outing was a trip to Lattin’s Cider Mill and Farm. It’s a small farm, but the boys love visiting all the animals. I go for the apple fritters! Yum! We’ve been taking our kids to Lattin’s since they were babies. It’s so fun to return to this fall (okay, super late summer) outing every year. I’m a fan of traditions like this!

It’s time to say so long to summer and hello to fall! This summer was full of pool playdates, fun family vacations, and an awesome start to our school year. It’s hard to leave such a good season behind, but I know good days are ahead. Autumn is my favorite season – favorite flavors, favorite outings, favorite celebrations. Time to embrace the next season. I do believe I celebrate tomorrow with a pumpkin muffin.

Co-Op Art: Graham’s Grizzly Bear and Owen’s Boat at Sea

Science Experiment: Testing the pH level of our soil.

All the books that traveled with me last weekend. The small stack was for book club and the other two were for my workshop.

Pokémon heaven! Auntie shared so many cards with the boys!

Owen is a good hunting buddy! I love getting pictures like this from Jeremy!

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Back to School 2023 September 11, 2023

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures — Amy Scott @ 2:46 pm

We came home from our Rocky Mountains road trip on a Friday and then promptly started school on Monday. While it worked for us, I don’t necessarily recommend such an abrupt end to summer. Jeremy came home and went from 0 to 110 mph at work. The boys went from care-free, adventure mode to all the responsibilities of school and home life. There was a bit of whiplash, as you might imagine. The good news is each year we homeschool, the beginning of the school year gets easier. It’s like muscle memory. We find our groove and pick up where we left off.

We have fully embraced the back-to-school lifestyle and the change of seasons. I know fall technically doesn’t begin until September 23rd, but we came home to fall in more than one way. The weather has already shifted and the vine maples outside my front window grow a deeper shade of red everyday. Our calendar has quieted down some with the focus on our new routine. We had one last prep meeting for co-op last week and we are set to start our new co-op year tomorrow. The boys are excited and so am I! At the start of September, I transitioned the front door to our fall décor. Hints of orange and maybe even a few pumpkins have found their way indoors as well.

It’s a joy to get back to baking. I’ve made cornbread to go with chili on a cool, cloudy day. Since we missed the fair while on vacation, I came home craving fair scones. I made a batch and paired them with seedless raspberry jam. I made brownies for a dinner that got canceled, so we ended up working on the large pan for about a week. It was no hardship to make those disappear. This weekend I made my first loaf of pumpkin spice bread. Now before you marvel too much about my baking skills, I used mixes for all the baking I’ve mentioned. It’s been a treat to indulge in some semi-homemade goodies. The house gets that delicious smell of something baking in the oven and the treats themselves have felt right with the change of season.

This month I introduced Owen to The Chronicles of Narnia, which are a personal favorite of mine. I remember my mom reading these books to my sister and me as children. It’s a joy to pass these stories on to the next generation. Thankfully, Owen is loving them as much as I do and he is flying through them. As he finishes a book, we’ve allowed him to watch the movie version. So far we’ve seen The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian. He is currently reading The Voyage of the Dawn Treader so another movie showing is right around the corner. Once he reads The Silver Chair, I’ll pick up the BBC version that I watched as a kid. We don’t often watch movies, so it’s been a fun treat to do something out of the norm. I also shared The Little Mermaid with the boys on Disney+ this week. Owen got into it. Graham not so much. I’m trying not to be too disappointed.

So, that’s the update! We’ve been munching on goodies, reading books, watching movies, working on school, and prepping for co-op. September is always a wild month for Jeremy. He is starting a new program at work that is taking up a large portion of his focus. When he isn’t working, it’s archery elk season, so he has great plans to be in the woods as often as possible for the next few weeks. I feel like I’m keeping the home fires burning as I send him out to wherever his busy September leads him.

It’s good to be home and to be in our autumn routine!

First day of school flowers from my mama!

Graham loves the smell of books. His new textbooks smell super good right now, according to Graham.

So fun to do a book and movie comparison!

Enjoying the inflatables at church during our all-church, outdoor gathering

It’s always neat to mix it up and have church outside!

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Summer Camp 2023 August 13, 2023

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Simply Me,Travels — Amy Scott @ 1:51 pm

Wow, we’re almost halfway through August! Sorry I went radio silent there. August has been a different month. After two months of hosting all the playdates and pool parties, we hunkered down at home the first week of August as a rest/prepare week. Even though we had no company or out of the house plans, it was a hugely productive week. Jeremy was prepping for directing a full 7 days of kids camp and I got all the prep work for the school year done. I’ve filed our intent to homeschool with the school district, officially planned the 1st quarter of school, and printed our first day of school signs. I am as ready as possible to start the school year at the end of the month. Woo hoo!

Last Sunday, Jeremy took off for kids camp. He directed two camps in one week. Camp One was Sunday through Wednesday and Camp Two was Wednesday through Saturday. Our church joined Camp Two, so I had a few days of single “momming” at the start of the week before joining Jeremy at camp. I had my permanent crown placed last Monday which means I’m done with my summer of dental appointments. Praise the Lord!

Owen went to camp last year while Graham and I stayed home. Graham wasn’t old enough to be a camper and we wanted Owen to be all-in on the camp experience (and not feel torn between family nearby). It was a great experience for Owen, but a hard experience for Graham. He missed Owen terribly. As the director’s family, we get the option of tagging along at camp and we decided to take it this year. Graham slept on an air mattress in Jeremy and I’s cabin while Owen bunked with our church boys. Next year, Graham will be old enough for the full camp experience. For his first camp experience, Graham got to choose when he wanted to participate and when he wanted to chill out at our cabin. We’ll see how he handles the full schedule next year. One of the highlights of camp was going with the cousin. Two of my nephews joined the fun and we’re hoping for even more cousins next year. The kids would tell you that cousin time, the lake, and the snack shack were their favorite parts. Owen took the chapel messages to heart and we had some good conversations as he processed what God was doing in his life. It was fun to watch the kids enjoy all that camp had to offer.

To raise money for a missionary family, the kids got to turn Pastor Jeremy into a human dog. What does that mean? The leaders sprayed condiments of ketchup, mustard, and relish and then the kids stuck hot dog buns on to Jeremy. He was a good sport about it all… but what a mess! The stinky “hot dog” laundry is washing as I type. It was the last load to run… I put it off for obvious reasons. We are unpacked and ready to rest!

One more highlight, Graham lost his first top tooth last night. It was wiggling before we left for camp. A few foods made it bleed and that freaked Graham out. He doesn’t do well with blood. At camp, Graham was super concerned about what foods might bother his tooth. I’m glad it’s out now so he can eat whatever he wants again. Done with the drama!

That about covers this mid-August update. We are enjoying these last few weeks of summer vacation before the school routine starts up again. School is almost here, but we have one last hurrah planned before we settle down. I’ll keep you posted!

Splurged on mini murphs while Jeremy was away.

Packed and ready to go! These kids were hyped up for camp!

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Zipping Through Summer July 30, 2023

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Travels — Amy Scott @ 2:16 pm

We are two-thirds through Summer 2023 and it’s zipping by! It’s crazy to think that we are less than a month away from the start of school. We have plenty of adventures between now and then so school oddly feels like a lifetime away and right around the corner. Very mixed feelings here!

For now, let’s focus on wrapping up July. It’s been a fun filled month! Each week has had it’s own unique set of adventures. After my last post, we visited the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. Our local library gives out free zoo tickets with their summer reading program. My whole motivation for doing the reading program is for my kiddos to get those free tickets. Graham enjoyed the big cats – the tiger and the clouded leopard. Owen loved the budgies and puffins.

Last week was another dentist appointment for me. I had my crown prep and temporary crown placed. While I spent hours hanging with the dentist, the boys had piano lessons and adventures with Nana & Papa. The kids definitely had more fun than me that day… but I’m one appointment away from being completely done with these dental shenanigans. I’m grateful that there is a light at the of the tunnel.

Hosting has been a big part of our summer schedule. We love having friends over to play in the yard, run through the woods, or swim in the pool. We’ve done our best to be the summer party place and I feel like we’ve succeeded. This week we hosted a playdate, a co-op planning meeting, and a family dinner with friends. The co-op planning meeting was kind of a big deal for me. We had 26 people over and that is our largest group since the pandemic. We kept the party outside and entertained the kiddos with yard activities. The co-op moms were able to sit down for a few hours and plan out the whole next school year. It was a super productive meeting! I’m really excited for this coming year at co-op!

Our big outing for this week was a visit to Mt. Rainier on Friday. Jeremy is adamant we must visit Mt. Rainier every summer. It’s not truly summer unless we spend a day at the mountain. Last year’s mountain mission was mountain goats (and we found them). This year we were on the lookout for marmots and we succeeded in our mission! The kids got so close to one marmot they could have petted it. We saw lots of marmots including baby marmots. We also saw ptarmigans with chicks. The boys love seeing new creatures and identifying animals. While the hiking was beautiful and the animal enjoyable, I appreciated our stop at the Paradise Inn for treats and a rest. We talked about how neat it would be to stay there someday. Just another spot on my travel bucket list.

That wraps up this installment of Amy Scott’s Thoughts. I’m looking forward to my monthly book post tomorrow! I’ve been re-reading favorites this month and I can’t wait talk about books with you. Summer reading is meant to be extra fun, right? I’ll see you back here soon with all my bookish thoughts to share!