Amy Scott's Thoughts

Sharing the thoughts that bounce around in my brain!

Welcome Winter December 21, 2021

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Parenthood,Simply Me,Travels — Amy Scott @ 6:24 pm

It’s officially winter! Now the weather actually matches the season. It’s been so cold and it looks like it’s about to get colder in the PNW. Everyone in western Washington is holding their breath, wondering if we’ll have a White Christmas. My weather-obsessed hubby is actively following the forecast and sharing all kinds of updates with me. I’m of the I’ll-believe-it-when-I-see-it mentality. The idea of a White Christmas sounds cozy and picturesque, but honestly, it will mess with my plans, so the snowflakes can hold out a bit. I’ll welcome them around the 28th (as if the weather would take my plans into consideration – ha).

I’m coming off an organization high. I realized this afternoon that I’ve purchased 21 new cookie cutters this month. I might have a problem. My cookie cutter drawer needed an overhaul to make room. I parted with a few to make everything fit… but I will admit those were duplicates…. which begs the question – how many gingerbread people, snowflake, tree, or star cookie cutters does one person need? My current answer is many… but I’m working on it. Along the lines of organization, we picked up more storage cubes for the boys’ closet. Jeremy assembled them this morning and I’ve been reworking the closets this afternoon. It’s the time of year to consolidate and/or purge. I often try to make space for new toys before the holidays. When it comes to potential clutter, I like to be proactive. I’m a firm believer in every item having a home and now the kids closest can accommodate more stuff. I love getting rid of things and making space in my house, but I also very much understand stuff management. Good storage lets you keep the stuff you love in a useful and practical way.

So, what have we been up to? This last week has been a fun one. We’ve had a cookie decorating playdate with friends. We visited my Grandma and drove through a large light display near her house. We finished up school. We are now officially on Christmas break! We went out to breakfast to celebrate on Friday. Saturday was spent shopping for upcoming family gatherings and picking up the aforementioned storage cubes (thank you, Ikea). Sunday, we had our first Christmas gathering with my immediate family. The boys’ Christmas dreams came true when they opened their LEGO Mario and Luigi sets. We enjoyed a pizza lunch before opening presents and bundlets from Nothing Bundt Cakes afterwards. Yesterday, we went up to Snowflake Lane in Bellevue. We met up with friends and the kids adored the parade and “snow” (aka bubbles). It was a chilly, but festive outing. So many good Christmas memories being made!

Now we’re counting down to more Christmas celebrations this weekend. We still have a few Christmas experiences to check off the holiday to-do list. We hope to look at Christmas lights in the area, watch White Christmas, and make Christmas cookies. Then it will be 3 days of Christmas celebrations ending with a shopping day in Portland (as long as the potential snow doesn’t change any plans). We are very excited for this next week! It’s going to be a good one (even if the snowflakes decide to make things interesting)! Maybe we will have a White Christmas after all?

Piping bags filled with colorful frosting gives me a warm fuzzy feeling!
Cookie decorating with friends
I was okay with these snowflakes last week. They were fun to wake up to, but didn’t cancel any plans!
Visiting GG
A yummy confetti bundtlet from Nothing Bundt Cakes. My favorite flavor would be their lemon, but their seasonal peppermint chocolate chip was also good!
The boys enjoyed a very LEGO themed Christmas gathering. LEGOs always keep them busy with building and play! Now I have to be careful to not vacuum them…
Loving the Christmas vibes of these flowers!
Dinner at P.F. Chang’s before Snowflake Lane
Waiting for the parade to start with friends!
Waving at Santa!
The parent crew
They might be bubbles, but they sure do make the moment magical!
Making as many Christmas memories as possible!
December’s cookie cutter haul brought to you by Target!
 

Small Moments Make The Holidays Special December 12, 2021

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Parenthood,Recollections,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 6:21 pm

We’ve slowed the pace down this week. We’ve found a good routine with Jeremy being home on sabbatical. While the boys and I do school, Jeremy does a project around the house. Our garage, well house, files, and master closet are very well organized now. Our afternoons and evenings have been filled with books, music, movies, free play, and hot tub time.

On Wednesday, we drove through a light display in a local park. On Thursday, Jeremy took turns shopping with the boys so they could shop for each other. We also had family over for Chinese take-out. Yum! Our only plans for Friday were to make rice crispy treats and watch The Muppet Christmas Carol. Not a bad to-do list!

We got our Christmas cards into the mail this week and the boys’ letters to Santa. The big item on their wish list is LEGO Super Mario sets. I daily do my best to patiently listen to all the joy these sets will bring to their lives.

My childhood Christmas soundtrack was Amy Grant albums. It dawned on me that my children will have “Holiday Favorites” on Amazon Music as their childhood Christmas soundtrack. We are either listening to Christmas music or singing it to yourselves all day long.

We’ve been taking walks to the mailbox to look for packages. It’s been chilly so our walks are quick and motivated. We’ve seen snowflakes multiple times this week. Today we had a light slush stay around for part of the morning.

Friends are coming over tomorrow for a Christmas cookie decorating playdate. I happily baked an assortment of butter cookies, gingerbread, and snickerdoodles this morning. I have cider ready to share with my mom friend while our kids make a mess with frosting and sprinkles. Owen has requested that I let them pipe the icing. We’ll let the icing and creativity flow!

With one more week left of school, the kids are in countdown mode (I might be too). Countdown to Christmas break, countdown to family gatherings, countdowns to outings. I’ve enjoyed the slower pace of this last week before it picks up again. It’s been a chance to be present in all the small moments that make this season so special.

Every year I wonder if they’ll be able to keep a secret from each other!
My kitchen helpers!
The Muppet Christmas Carol is a family tradition! The boys’ current favorite Christmas movie is The Grinch (we’ve watched it twice and the original cartoon to compare). For a long time it as The Polar Express (on repeat all holiday season).
Not a bad way to spend an afternoon!
Let It Snow!
The wonder of snowflakes!
Our Christmas card this year fits the theme of a Disney Christmas!
Cookies ready for decorating and nibbling!
 

The Start of Sabbatical December 7, 2021

Filed under: Family Time,Getting Creative,Homeschool Adventures,Parenthood,Travels — Amy Scott @ 1:23 pm

As of this last Friday, Jeremy is officially on sabbatical for a month. Our family is thrilled to have extra time together during this festive month. We certainly started this sabbatical off with a bang. On Friday, the boys decorated a gingerbread house while I made gingerbread cookies to take to a moms’ only Christmas party. The kids had a blast with all the sugar. Owen licked the frosting more than he decorated with it. The moms’ only Christmas party included a book gift exchange which is my love language. Being a wild, crazy, kid-free mom, I got home after 11pm (which is unheard of for me these days).

On Saturday, Jeremy’s parents invited the boys over to spend the day with them. Nana and Papa were watching some of the cousins and it was very thoughtful of them to include our boys. The boys love time with cousins family time and it gave Jeremy and I chance to Christmas shop without them in tow. I feel very good about where our Christmas shopping is at now. We started late this year, but it didn’t take us long to get it done…. well… almost done. We have two more gifts to purchase, but in the grand scheme of shopping, that’s not too bad. I had a delightful time selecting wrapping paper to match each family – Disney characters for our boys, LEGO for the cousins, Santa dogs for my family. Jeremy and I savored a yummy lunch out and reveled in the quiet conversations we were able to have while driving.

Sunday started with Christmas lesson and craft that Jeremy brought home from church. We did cocoa bombs (which were a gift from a friend) and then did our advent candles. We did advent in the morning because we planned to be out late that evening. We took off after lunch for Jenny’s Cookie Bake Shop in Lynnwood. I’ve been following Jenny for a year now and I’ve been decorating cookies from her Cookie Class book. It was a dream come true to pick up a treat from Jenny’s and see her bake shop in-person. After cookie munching, we went over to visit my forever friend, Maggie. We had dinner with her family before bundling up to do the Wild Lanterns at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. The wild lanterns were so neat!!! Way cooler than the usual Zoolights experience that I’ve come to expect at most zoos. It special visit my friend in her neck of the woods. We are very rarely ever north of Seattle. It was an awesome adventure wandering the zoo with our families.

We were able to keep our school routine yesterday even with Daddy home as a distraction. Jeremy started a burn pile in the yard and it motivated Owen to get school done quickly. We are two days into school with Daddy home, but I think the flow will be Jeremy works on a project while we do school. He is currently reorganizing our garage was I type this. I wonder what project will be next. Yesterday, I had coffee with a friend in the afternoon and then were able to get our boys their first dose of the COVID vaccine. It was a bit complicated getting them an appointment in our area, so I was grateful for the last-minute appointment we snagged. The boys and I hope to return to in-person church attendance in January and this vaccine is a step toward that goal. We celebrated with pizza, cookies, and ice cream!

After a super big weekend filled with holiday fun, our week is looking fairly quiet. We have a few outings we are hopeful to make happen while on sabbatical. Some are weather dependent so we are waiting and watching the forecast. Being on sabbatical means we have flexibility to wait for good weather days. I love getting out and about, seeing people I love, and doing something new. I equally love being snuggled in at home! It’s been a great kick-off to Jeremy’s sabbatical. I’m looking forward to all that still lies ahead!

The Start of Advent
Cocoa Buddies
Starting December off right with a trip to Christa and her train neighborhood.
The Gingerbread House
The Gingerbread Cookies
Christmas shopping date!
Advent with cocoa
A dream come true for this cookie lover!
Enjoying Jenny’s Cookies
A game with friends before Wild Lanterns
Wild Lanterns
Wild Lanterns
Wild Lanterns
Wild Lanterns
So glad our families were able to do this fun outing together!
 

What I’ve Been Reading – November 2021 November 30, 2021

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 4:44 pm
2021 Total to Date: 158 books… Wondering if I can hit 175 before the end of the year!
  • The Mysterious Benedict Society (Book 1) by Trenton Lee Stewart -A friend let me borrow this books at her recommendation. Apparently, there is a Disney+ show based on it. I found this children’s book to be quite suspenseful. It had define secret agent meets child genius vibes. It was a thick book and took a bit of time to finish, but now I’m hooked. I can’t wait to see how the series pans out.
  • No Cure For Being Human: (And Other Truths I Need to Hear) by Kate Bowler – Bowler’s memoirs are deeply moving and I highly recommend them. She deconstructions clichés and faces the truth of life with honesty and resilience. As a cancer survivor, she realizes that life has limitations and good vibes only go so far. Her perspective on self-help as been enlightening for me. I’m thankful for her voice in a culture that says try harder, do more, your best life is right around the corner.
  • Deep Kindness: A Revolutionary Guide for the Way We Think, Talk, and Act in Kindness by Houston Kraft – Another book recommendation from a friend. I thought this book would be from a Christian perspective, so I was surprised to find it was written by someone who speaks on kindness to middle/high school students in school assemblies. This book was powerful and even though Jesus wasn’t mentioned, Jesus-concepts filled this book. As a parent, I found it inspiring to know that this deep kindness concept is being shared in schools. As an adult, I realized I need this message just as much as the next generation.
  • The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox – Another friend recommendation. You’ll hear that a lot. I very rarely stumble on good books by myself! This holiday book has been popping all over the place in my reading circles. It’s a light, cozy, Hallmark-ish Christmas tale about twin sisters who switch places before the holidays and fall in love. I loved the Christmas vibes.
  • Dear White Peacemakers: Dismantling Racism with Grit and Grace by Osheta Moore – I originally picked up a digital copy of this book from the library, but a few chapters in, I hopped online and bought my own paperback copy. This is a book that I will read again… and again… I watched a MOPS video with Osheta a few years ago and I was drawn her to peacemaking ways. I’m having a hard time nailing this book down in words. It was just so good, insightful, honest, empowering, and life-changing. I would recommended this book to everyone!
  • Secrets & Whispers (The Glenbrooke Series Books 1 & 2) by Robin Jones Gunn – These were my airplane/vacation books. I’ve read them so many times that I knew my brain wouldn’t need to be super focused to follow the plot – and I don’t mean that offensively. They are comfortable, familiar friends. I love that the books in The Glenbrooke series build on each other slightly, but also pass as stand alone novels. As I wait for library books to be available this next month, I hope to weave the rest of the series (six more books) into my reading.
  • Save the Date & His Mistletoe Miracle by Jenny B. Jones – I read these books about the Sinclair twins this summer. I re-read them because I needed books already loaded on my tablet when I finished my paperback on the plane. Again, an already-read book is perfect for the plane since I knew the stories. I’m in the process of getting paperback versions of these books along with the book about their sister, Finley, in There You’ll Find Me. I love a good sibling series!
  • The Perfectionist: Growing as an Enneagram 1 (60-Day Enneagram Devotional) by Elisabeth Bennett – An Enneagram Seven friend said she was enjoying this devotional book for her type, so I decided to pick up one for my type one self. This Enneagram devotional went deeper than the usual surface information I’ve hear about type ones over and over again. I’m kind of sad I finished it because it was providing me with such insightful moments to wrestle with the highs and lows of my type.
  • The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys – This was Courty’s Book Club fiction pick for November. The book is set in Marid in 1957 under the dictatorship of Franco. It’s a thick book told from the perspective of many characters. Because the theme of the book revolves around secrets and silence, it take a while for the plot to unfold. Once the pieces started to click into place, it’s was mind-blowing and heartbreaking. While I didn’t love the 18 year gap at the end of the story, I was thankful for the happy(ish) ending that was unfolding on the final pages.
  • The Christmas Angel Project by Melody Carlson – If you’ve read my book lists before, you know Carlson is a go-to author me. Especially, her Christmas books. This one was a bit different from the others I’ve read. Four members of a book club ban together after the unexpected death of the friend that held their group together. They grow closer as they see each other in a new light and heal together through the holidays.

 

Deck the Halls! November 28, 2021

Filed under: Coronavirus Chronicles,Family Time,Getting Creative,Homeschool Adventures,Parenthood,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 12:36 pm

It’s that time of year again! Time to deck the halls! Our kids were ready to decorate for Christmas the day we got back from Disneyland. The Christmas magic they experienced at Disneyland definitely inspired them! Our family has no rules for when Christmas decorations are allowed to come out. It changes year to year based on our schedule. This year we needed to recover from Disneyland before diving into Christmas mode. We don’t mind waiting until after Thanksgiving (but we also don’t mind decorating before Thanksgiving either – no rules).

Speaking of Thanksgiving, we enjoyed a day full of family and yummy food. We were back to our pre-pandemic schedule of two family gatherings in one day. It’s was the first time that our family has joined my extended family for a gathering since Christmas 2019. It was good to be back to “normal” but I forgot how long it can make a day when you hop from gathering to gathering. Seeing family was worth the effort, though! It was a great day and we certainly have a lot to be thankful for!

Getting back to school to after Disneyland was a bit of a struggle. If it didn’t mean going to school until the end of June, I would have just declared us on holiday vacation until January. It was nice to come back to a short week and a holiday weekend. Just three more weeks of school until Christmas break! That seems like forever, but I know it will go by in a blink (at least, I hope so)! Jeremy was offered a sabbatical for the month of December. Our family is excited to have extra time together during this special time of year. We are looking forward to Christmas activities and outings as well as plenty of time around the house enjoying Christmas movies, books, and treats! It’s such a joyful season and we are ready for it! Bring on all things Christmas!

PS – You’ll notice that Disneyland has seeped into our Christmas celebration this year. We got matching Christmas Mickey pajamas for our trip. At Disneyland, we picked up a Mickey ornament for our tree. Once we got home, we picked more Mickey ornaments and a Disney advent book. Our Christmas cards will also feature Mickey this year. Our annual photo ornament has been ordered with pictures from our vacation. Disney is our theme this holiday season!

Cookies of the Month for November! Sweet as pie!
I made 59 cookies this last week (gotta love that odd total). I brought them to each family gathering and made some for a friend. This photo features 2/3 of them decorated for Thanksgiving day.
Graham is my official cookie taste tester!
Cousin time at Thanksgiving!
The Scott Family – Thanksgiving 2021
It’s going to be a very Disney Christmas this year!
Each year they get a new ornament to put on their mini trees in their bedrooms. Mickey Mouse was an obvious choice this year!
Placing the star on top of the tree is such a dramatic moment…
The tree is officially decorated!
They are a little amped up for Christmas!
Grandma got them this LEGO wreath at The LEGO Store in Downtown Disney. Such a fun project and super festive. It also can be made into an advent wreath with LEGO candles!
The nativity set and the Christmas train have met… I keep reminding the boys that Baby Jesus isn’t allowed on the tracks.
Beautiful sunrise this morning!
 

The Magic of Disney November 21, 2021

Filed under: Coronavirus Chronicles,Family Time,Parenthood,Recollections,Travels — Amy Scott @ 2:01 pm

I’ve been dreaming of taking my family on a Disneyland vacation long before I was married and had kids. Disneyland is a classic family vacation filled with magic! My first Disneyland experience was in the 5th grade and I’ve been obsessed ever since. I’ve visited Disneyland multiple times, but nothing can quite compare to that magic of a child’s first visit. Now that I’m a parent, I’ve been slowly watching Graham (my youngest and shortest son) grow with Disneyland in the back of my mind. I’ve been waiting for that milestone moment where he would be tall enough to go on most of the rides. We reached that perfect height this summer and I promptly suggested we take a Disneyland vacation!

This trip came with other first time experiences for the boys such as their first flight and first time to Southern California. The whole airplane heard them loudly exclaim over palm trees as we got ready to land. The boys enjoyed their first flight and were excellent travelers. My parents joined us for the adventure so we took up an entire row on the airplane. Graham flew down with the grandparents and Owen sat with Jeremy and I. We switched kids for the flight home to mix it up. Once we got into LAX, we picked up our rental car and took off for our hotel, dinner at In-N-Out, and grocery shopping. We went to sleep in matching Mickey Christmas pajamas that I bought specifically for this trip and the holiday season.

Our first day was at Disneyland! The park was all decorated for Christmas which made the experience extra special. Our strategy was to start with the smaller rides in Fantasyland to get the boys warmed up. Things started well with our first ride on Alice in Wonderland. Then Jeremy diverted from the plan when he saw the Matterhorn Bobsleds had a 5 minute wait. We might have traumatized the kids with the yeti on that fast-paced, jerky ride. Oops! Owen loved Big Thunder Mountain, but that was too intense for Graham. At one point during the ride, Graham told us his heart was racing. Both boys loved Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters the most. Part of the fun of the first day was introducing Graham to Disney churros. I got a tasty Gingerbread cookie shaped like Mickey. We watched the Christmas Fantasy Parade. Our kids are now obsessed with the song that played a dozen times on repeat. We didn’t do the big rides or anything spooky. I thought I might miss them, but I didn’t. I had so much fun watching the boys enjoy themselves that I didn’t mind sacrificing some of my past must-do rides.

Our second day was at California Adventure. We did Radiator Spring Racers right when the park opened because the wait time for that ride is insane. The boys loved all the rides at Cars Land. Honorable mentions would also be Goofy’s Sky School, the Pixar Pal-A-Round, and Soarin’ Around the World. One of my highlights was the Boudin Sourdough Bakery at the Pacific Wharf. I enjoyed a sourdough bread bowl with mac & cheese for lunch. We also bought a pull-a-part loaf of bread in the shape of a Christmas tree. The loaf turned out to the huge! Oops! We were able to munch on it throughout the week and then we packed it home. After lunch, we went back to the hotel for a rest. Everyone napped so we would have enough spunk to make it through the evening. It’s magical to see the parks all lit up at night especially with the extra Christmas lights and decorations. After an evening of rides, we made our way to Salt & Straw in Downtown Disney for ice cream. We got back to the hotel in time to watch the firework show from the window at the end of the hallway.

We park hopped on our last day. We started the day in Disneyland. We did a few new rides and repeated some favorites. We secured a boarding group for Rise of the Resistance which was a bucket list ride for both Jeremy and my dad. Even though the boys have little Star Wars knowledge, they enjoyed it. In fact, all the Star Wars rides were a hit. Actually, almost all the rides were met with enthusiasm. Just not the Matterhorn. It became a running joke that we wanted to go back to the Matterhorn and the boys would groan. Our last day was also our shopping day. Both boys settled on bubble wands as their souvenirs. We napped in the afternoon and then started our evening at California Adventure. We revisited a few favorite rides before heading back to Disneyland for the firework show. We waited for the show while munching on snacks of churros, Dole whip, and popcorn. As we walked out the park that night, Owen got a bit teary. He didn’t want to leave and honestly, I didn’t either! Owen quickly cheered up as he got use his bubble wand for the walk back to the hotel. We filled the roads around Disney with bubbles! It was like taking a bit of the magic with us outside of the parks.

3 days in the parks. 30 miles of walking. 37 rides. A parade and a firework show. So many magical moments! We were tired and worn out, but happy in a way that only the happiest place on Earth can provide. I was definitely ready to rest, but now that I’ve had a day at home to recover, I’m ready to go back. Anytime. Tomorrow would be great. Okay, I don’t know when our next Disney adventure will happen, but I am so thankful for the experience that we just had. Disneyland did not disappoint. It was exactly the trip that I dreamt it would be. What a magical Disneyland adventure we had!

First time flying!
When in California, you must stop at In-N-Out
The night before Disneyland!
Spotting characters was so much fun! Due to COVID, you couldn’t hug them, but we still enjoyed snapping pictures from a distance.
Santa in the Christmas Fantasy Parade! I haven’t done a Disney parade in decades, but I know the boys appreciated it.
A magical day at the happiest place on Earth!
Radiator Springs racers made my hair stand on end!
Christmas in Cars Land
Graham enjoyed spotting the characters, but didn’t want to take pictures. Owen happily filled that role.
The Avengers Campus
Salt & Straw
Watching the fireworks from the hotel
Last Day! Also it happened to be Micky & Minnie’s birthday so we got free buttons.
Waiting to board Rise of the Resistance
Happy boys with bubble wands
The Pixar Pal-A-Round with Grandpa, Graham, and Grandma.
So magical at night!
Ending our time with a bang!
 

Around the House November 14, 2021

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Parenthood,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 2:48 pm

We spent our last week around the house. I often start to say we had a quiet week, but that would refer to our schedule and not the actual volume level of our home. Being in a homeschool season with two young boys is a loud season of life. This week we kept the chaos to ourselves and enjoyed a week around the house. After a busier beginning to November, I didn’t mind flipping to the other extreme. I’m all about the chill home vibes.

With a week around the house, the major highlights of the week were obviously not our big outings. It was a week of smaller joys. Jeremy put up our Christmas lights on Monday (in the dark… not recommended, but it worked out). This year we went for the gingerbread look of red and white lights. We got new phones which was really the biggest highlight of the week. Our phones were six years old and the battery life on them was poor. Also, as the main photographer of our family, I was looking forward to getting a camera upgrade. I’ve spent the week adapting to the small changes of my new phone. I’m enjoying the longer battery life and fancy camera!

The boys spent the week chugging through school, playing like pros, and watching Disney movies. We’ve been watching some of the older Disney movies as research for our future trip to Disneyland. Over the last few of weeks we’ve watched Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Bambi, Aladdin, Cars, 101 Dalmatians, and Alice in Wonderland. We don’t usually watch so many movies, but we’re calling it research. The kids are getting a Disney education. We’ve had plenty of time to snuggle in for movies because the weather has been super wet. We collected puddles around our property and our septic alarm went off twice due to the high water level. We took a drive on Friday to pick up some library books, get a red cup, and look at the puddles and rivers around town.

Well, an around the house week makes for a shorter blog. Not too much more to say. A slower pace to chill at home still stirs my soul even after so much time here. I’m glad we’ve had this time around the house because the second half of November will pick up the pace. Good thing we’re well rested and ready for it!

We did Operation Christmas Child online again this year. The boys had a blast picking out what to add to the shoeboxes!
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
The boys wanted me to take their pictures with my new phone!
The boys wanted me to take their pictures with my new phone!
Plenty of time at home means busting out a new pack of Play-Doh. I threw away all the dried out Play-Doh while the boys made sushi with the fresh pack.
Introduction to Alice in Wonderland
We don’t usually get puddles in our backyard so you know it was a rainy few days!
Out of the house for a quick drive! It was extra nice with a peppermint hot chocolate!
It’s been a while since we’d watched the original Cars. Owen was obsessed with Cars 2 when he was two. We didn’t watch the original quite as much.
My favorite way to spend a Saturday morning. Devotional, non-fiction, fiction, and a journal! Time to read is the best part of being home.
 

Kicking Off November! November 7, 2021

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Parenthood,Travels — Amy Scott @ 1:14 pm

What a start to November! I didn’t plan for the week to be as full as it turned out to be. Lots of good things, but a bit too much after a big event the weekend before. We had no plans yesterday and our family just hung out around the house and rested. It was such a necessary day. Okay, let’s jump into the highs and lows of this last week!

Monday was a Halloween hangover day. I didn’t expect Fall Fest prep to take as much out of me as it did. The kids had decent attitudes, but I was too ambitious in our plans for the day. The craft I planned for school said age 4+ on the box, but honestly it was age 40+. I helped the kids assemble their foam tree houses and they were appreciative when I got them to the decoration stage. Ever have a child’s craft almost break you? Only me? After quiet time, we went down to the church to help Jeremy tidy up from Fall Fest. The lollipop game still had balloons attached to it and Jeremy offered the boys a chance to pop them with darts. The perks of being pastor’s kids. Thankfully, we picked up take-out from our favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner. I was ready to be chill.

Tuesday had it’s ups and downs. Jeremy took the day off. He worked on a new space for Owen’s model train. As he was preparing a piece of plywood, he dropped the board on his foot. For the next 48 hours, he monitored it to make sure it wasn’t broken. I say he, not we, because injuries like that make me queasy! I almost canceled my afternoon plans so Jeremy could go to urgent care, but Jeremy promised me he was fine. Limping, but fine. I had a dentist appointment in the afternoon. The people at the dentist office are lovely, but no matter how kind they are, I dread going to the dentist. My reward after the dentist was meeting up with my forever friend, Christa, for coffee (actually, neither of us had coffee, so we met up for hot beverages). Time with this sweet friend is always a treasure! And a whole afternoon of being kid-free was amazing! I love my kiddos, but homeschool life has made me appreciate my kid-free time on a deeper level.

Our next big adventure was Thursday. My forever friend, Maggie, and I had plans to take our kids mini-golfing. It also turned out to be Red Cup Day and bonus – there was a Starbucks right across the street from the mini-golf course! I’m sure Maggie and I will meet up at Tower Lanes Entertainment Center again. What’s not to love about indoor mini-golf, bowling, and an arcade? We only did mini-golf on Thursday, but we’ll have plenty to entertain us for future outings. Maggie and I love red cups from Starbucks. We love to celebrate this special day, but very rarely do we get to celebrate it together. My kids were equally as excited for Red Cup Day as I was. It felt like I was doing something right in my parenting! We also picked up Christmas jammies on Thursday and started listening to Christmas music in the van. We haven’t started decorating for Christmas yet, but we are easing our way into the holiday season and I’m all for it!

We wrapped up our week with a homeschool field trip to a local creation museum. The museum curator gave a presentation on how Mt. St. Helens can support the young earth theory. I don’t get too hung up on how old the earth is, but the information was interesting. The presentation included some unique photos of the Mt. St. Helens eruption in 1980. Owen followed the presentation well and even answered some questions. Graham… well.. he wanted to get a drink… go to the bathroom… look around the museum… leave to go get lunch. It wasn’t his cup of tea, but it was nice to see friends and do an outing together.

Today is daylight savings. I don’t appreciate the adjustment of our natural schedules, but today it worked out in my favor. Both kids slept longer than I expected which meant I had an “extra” hour in bed this morning. I know that feeling won’t last and we’ll adjust, but I’m rolling with it for now. It will be nice to not wake up in the dark, but I will now ask if it’s bedtime at 5:00pm for the next few months. The older I get, the more I think I’m solar powered.

I hope your November is off to a great start! I highly recommend treating yourself to a Red Cup or new pajamas, listening to Christmas music, getting an extra hour of sleep, and having a restful day. I know my plans for the rest of the day include starting a new book and watching a Hallmark movie. Time to snuggle up with a cozy blanket and watch the rain fall outside my window.

“Helping” pop the balloons after Fall Fest
The box lied. I’m fairly confident no 4 year old could build this craft. Super cute, but a lot of work!
The new train layout in the playroom. Now to build the scenery.
Time with a treasured friend!
The mini-golfers!
Celebrating Red Cup Day with Maggie May!
The kids table!
Sharing the joy of red cups with the next generation!
Christmas jammies!
Learning about Mt. St. Helens
The first addition to the train layout. Jeremy and Owen sure know how to make a mountain!
 

Happy Halloween 2021 November 1, 2021

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Coronavirus Chronicles,Family Time,Getting Creative,Homeschool Adventures,Parenthood,Recollections — Amy Scott @ 6:36 pm

Like most families, yesterday was a big day! Halloween has always been a big deal to our family. Not because of spooky season, though. Annually, Jeremy plans and hosts a major holiday event for our community on Halloween. Fall Fest is a long standing tradition at our church. When I was in high school, I volunteered at this same event, but back then it was called the Fall Family Fun Festival. Jeremy shortened the title to Fall Fest when he became the children’s pastor. October 31st means big church event in our world and we were ready for it!

Last year, we did a drive-thru event due to COVID restrictions. This year we did an outdoor event for the first time. The weather was absolutely beautiful! We couldn’t have asked for a better day. We were so thankful! Jeremy had canopies over every game so the event could have been rain or shine. Being in the PNW, we roll with wet weather, but I’m glad we didn’t have to! Another fun element of Fall Fest this year was the Candyland theme. The decorations and games all revolved around the classic candy-themed board game. The boys and I arrived early in the afternoon to help Jeremy set-up. Pastor’s kid privileges meant our kiddos got to test out the games before it got crowded. They even got an extra long jump in the inflatable bounce house. The boys were very helpful in the set-up process. I love that we are at an age when were we can serve our community together as a family.

While Halloween and Fall Fest were the highlight of the week, I also had some fun moments with a few mom friends. On Monday, I did a book swap with a friend. She came over to look over my home library and share some of her books with me. It’s always interesting to see what books we’ve already read and what books we can introduce each other to. It’s a rewarding challenge! In the theme of books and friends, I went to the 30th birthday party of a good friend this weekend. The guests were asked to bring a wrapped book for a gift exchange. The exchange was a classic white elephant style, but instead of gag gifts, it was everyone’s favorite books. The party was kid-free and the time to chat with other mom friends was priceless. I even road out to the party with another friend so I could get more kid-free socializing into the night. What’s not to love about books and kid-free mom time with friends. Such a special treat!

As I reflect on this last week, I’m so grateful that Fall Fest went so well. I am thankful for the friends and community we get to do life with. It’s mind-blowing that we now find ourselves in November! We have so many fun things ahead. I have a few coffee dates on the calendar. Red Cup Day at Starbucks is right around the corner. We have some homeschool outings planned with other families. And… we have Disneyland on the horizon! So much to be thankful for as we make our way toward Thanksgiving! I’ve added a gratitude practice to my daily journaling as effort to find and remember the good moments scattered throughout each day. I’m not immune to the struggles and challenges of these different days. When things seem hard or overwhelming, I fall back into thankfulness. Oh! That’s another blessing in November – falling back with daylight savings. I used to love falling back just as much as I loved Christmas (before kids). Now… it’s not quite the holiday it once was, but I still get excited for it. I’m certainly counting my blessings as we head into November.

Graham helped me make this super tasty pumpkin cake. He requested no frosting but I couldn’t agree to that. We compromised… and then he didn’t eat any of it. No worries! I ate all the unfrosted pieces with the extra frosting I had leftover.
This playroom usually looks like a bomb went off it in. I can accept they worked hard to creatively make this mess. The fun discovery this week was Mario Kart Hot Wheels cars. They used birthday money and their first-quarter-of-school reward to start a collection of vehicles.
Taking on the world together! These ninjas had a fantastic Halloween!
If you give a kid a sword…
Setting up for Fall Fest. Every year I wear a headband as my costume. This year I rocked the Minnie Mouse ears leftover from the boys’ birthday party.
Jeremy as King Candy! Seems fitting as the leader of this candy-filled event.
Donut Hole Game
Classic fishing pond with a licorice twist!
Graham got warm during set-up and took his costume off. I couldn’t get him back into it for the actual event. Graham was his own person for Halloween.

 

What I’ve Been Reading – October 2021 October 30, 2021

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 2:24 pm
I surpassed my 2020 record of 138 books in a year. I’m at 145 books read at the close of October. I will be curious to see the grand total for 2021.
  • Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte – A few books that I have read recently mentioned/quoted Jane Eyre. While I knew the basic plot, I’d never read the book. This book had some spooky vibes and I’m thankful I knew the plot, so I didn’t get too freaked out. Very tense, but I enjoyed it! I’m glad I decided to read for myself.
  • Blessed: A History of the American Prosperity Gospel by Kate Bowler – This academic look at the prosperity gospel was fascinating. I appreciated the historical approach to uncovering this movement and what it stands for. It’s eye opening to see this belief system in the fringe of my own church experiences. Bowler also has an academic work on preachers’ wives and evangelical women celebrities that I have my eye on as well. I can’t wait to wade through more history with Bowler.
  • Better Than Before: What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits–to Sleep More, Quit Sugar, Procrastinate Less, and Generally Build a Happier Life by Gretchen Rubin – This book is all about habits and how they are formed and what makes them stick. I loved Rubin’s approach to how different personality types come at habits in different ways. While Rubin and I seem very spot on in our personalities and love of habits, the book helped me process how others develop in a different way than I do.
  • The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner – This book came recommended from a friend and I placed it on hold at the library without too much information on what it was about. This book provided more spooky vibes for the month of October. Think potions, poisons, science, magic, and murder. I enjoyed the jump between historical fiction and modern times. Not my favorite read of the month, but once I started it, I wanted to know how it ended.
  • Skyhunter & Steelstriker by Marie Lu – This book came recommended because I enjoyed Lu’s Legend series and I was told it had Hunger Games vibes (which was very true). For the most part I enjoy dystopian novels. It’s always interesting to see how an author envisions the world after our current culture is no more. Apparently October is spooky season (not my usual practice), parts of this book definitely had spooky vibes in a sci-fiction kind of way.
  • Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber – From the author of the Caraval series, this book picks up where the series left off and takes the reader into new lands with new magic. The hard part for me with this new release was finishing the book and knowing it would be a cliff hanger. Now I have to wait not so patiently to find out what happens next!
  • Becoming Us & Becoming Known (The Haven Makers Series) by Robin Jones Gunn – After some intense fiction this month, I wanted to head into some comfort reading. The Heaven Makers series includes two of my favorite Robin Jones Gunn characters, Christy and Sierra, while introducing a new set of friendships. This series isn’t complete and re-reading these books made me wonder when we’ll find out what happens next for this group of five friends.
  • Love Finds You in Sunset Beach, Hawaii by Robin Jones Gunn – Again, comfort reading! Sierra’s Hawaiian love story is one of my favorites. Sierra is one of the Haven Makers mentioned above and revisiting her love story felt like a good choice!
  • Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World by Bob Goff – I read this book about 8 years ago and I was struck that Bob Goff lives anything but a normal life. His stories are fantastic and sometimes almost seem unbelievable. I often shake my head and laugh as I read his work. I appreciate how he weaves faith through his life adventures and invites his readers to join him on this wild ride. I think after re-reading Love Does, I’ll have to re-read Everybody, Always next month. His books are like a catching up with a good friend, motivational speaker, and crazy uncle all in one!