Sweet summer! We’re in our last week of school but it feels like it’s already in full swing in some ways. All school-year extracurriculars are over, we have our summer planning TTT on Thursday (excited to fill these out!), we’ve printed out summer reading challenges, and our first swim meet is tonight – whee! Here’s what else we have planned this month…
Wrapping paper courtesy of Annie + a watercolor penguin card by yours truly = a sweet Father’s Day package
On my calendar: — Swim meets! Our neighborhood swim season has begun and it’s a fun vibe to spend many of our evenings at the pool surrounded by friends and neighbors. Since practice runs from 6-7:45pm across all three kids, we’ve packed sandwiches for dinner most nights alongside this 8-compartment bento box filled with fruit, veggies, pickles, chips, and cookies. — Father’s Day! I’m once again organizing a pastry bar from a local favorite cafe for the men at our church, and celebrating my own wonderful husband, Dad, and father-in-law. — Our 20th high school reunion! We fly to Connecticut later this month and can’t wait to squeeze our friends and revisit some of our favorite haunts on the shoreline.
What I’m loving right now: — I picked up The Detective Dog from the library on a whim and it is a new family favorite picture book! The rhyme scheme is excellent (thank you, Julia Donaldson!) and the illustrations are equally charming. — I am late to the party but I recently made my first (and then second) purchase from Bookshop.org! If you, too, are late, their goal is to give readers the convenience of online shopping while supporting independent bookstores at the same time. You get to choose the local bookstore you’d like to support and they’ll earn 30% of the purchase price (most of the profit) when you designate them in your account. (I’m currently supporting Fable, a new bookstore near me that’s slated to open soon!) You do pay for shipping, which annoys me as much as the next person, but I’m trying to reacclimatize myself to paying for a service that does, indeed, cost money.) — My and Annie’s habit for the last few weeks has been to sing along to “Day for Singing” by Jess Ray on our way to school each morning. It does a beautiful job of helping me set a hopeful, energetic tone for the day ahead.
As a reminder, you can find allll the things I’ve loved over the last few years neatly organized right here!
What you’re loving right now:
This is where I highlight a few items here that have been popular in the last month with fellow readers, based on my analytics. Here’s hoping this will help you find something you’ll love!
— This preschool version of a paint-by-sticker book. Our family has long loved the kid version, but this simpler version was perfect for Annie (age 3). She carefully completed every page on our HHI road trip; we’ll definitely be stocking up for summer travel. (There are so many to choose from!) — Our favorite summer swim goggles for kids. No hair pulling (praise!). — The underbed boxes we use to store our kids’ artwork and school memorabilia. More about that system here! — The Shibumi shade, the pride of North Carolina. So lightweight, so easy to set up – it makes beach days a breeze. — Annie’s lavender tie-dye pool sandals. She and June have matching pairs!
What I read in May: — A Prayer for Owen Meany | I specifically chose this book for this month’s slot because I remember one of my high school best friends (who I will see in a few weeks!) claiming this as his favorite book back when we were in English 12 together. That has stuck with me for the past 20 years, and now having read it, I’m even more eager to discuss it with him. More astute reviewers have called it among the very best American novels of our time, a work of genius, a heartbreaking masterpiece of a novel, but I cringe to say I wasn’t overly impressed? At 700 pages it felt bloated to me, especially on the heels of the similar but much more lithe Gilead. I kept wanting to skip ahead; when several threads came together in the final pages, it felt more like a relief than rewarding. The anti-war, anti-American commentary also felt heavy-handed. All that being said, I do think it’s a book — and cast of characters — that will stick with me. We shall see what my friend has to say :) — The Power of Moments | This was a quick read exploring why certain brief experiences can jolt us and elevate us and change us—and how we can learn to create such extraordinary moments in our life and work. The authors didn’t include many parenting applications in the book but it seems to me there are a ton; I’m planning to write a TCF newsletter inspired by it in the future. — Loved and Missed | I picked up this book after an enthusiastic review by Jenny Rosenstrach, and it didn’t disappoint. Ruth, the dignified narrator, swivels between trying to love and save her daughter Eleanor, a drug addict living in squalor, and trying to love and save Eleanor’s daughter Lily, whom Ruth is raising as her own. This book is slim and packs a punch, filled with dialogue that achingly brings you right into each fraught relationship. It is both brutally sad and magnificently triumphant. I’m glad I moved it to the top of my queue.
Revisiting my May goals: Hire a bathroom contractor now that all estimates are in (We selected a contractor only to get the news that they aren’t taking new projects until they hire a new trim carpenter! Argh! We aren’t in any rush so are hoping they’ll find one soon.) Complete three more watercolor landscape postcards (Yes! Four, actually!) Edit Annie in April (Underway!) Finalize, print, and send itineraries for our reunion weekend Make reservations for our reunion weekend (Still stuck on one dinner! My project for tomorrow!) Refresh our plan for summer days at home Plan for and lead dance class; wrap up my third grade book club
June goals: — Film June in June — End the school year and begin summer well — Clear out the art bin — Paint three more watercolor postcards and send them off for the auction — Plan for Annie’s July birthday (it will sneak up with travel!) — Complete June’s baby book — Make a PCP appointment. I don’t even really care who it’s with at this point, I’m just going to make one. — Order supplies for sleepaway camp — Host the reunion + have fun!
I’m also working on memorizing the Gettysburg Address. June is keeping me accountable, and my main tactic is to set a reminder on my phone and read it aloud once a day. Super simple!
To close, I would love to hear one thing you’re doing to prepare well for summer! No matter what season of life you’re in – whether you have kids or not, a job that shifts or not – a new season on the calendar always feels like an opportunity to be kind to our future selves :) It could be putting books on hold at the library, deciding on a lunch you can repeat, planning now for a trip, or resetting toy storage… the smallest things can make a big difference! Please share in the comments, if you’d like.
In March, I mentioned a trio of unwelcome disruptions to our family’s typically-stable life. Interestingly, all three arenas have experienced movement of some sort just one week into May. Not resolution, necessarily, not total healing, but movement — and as my physical therapist sisters like to say, motion is lotion. Sometimes, you just need to move forward, even if you’re not sure if it’s the right step, even if you’re sure it’s not a forever step.
One tiny example? I now find myself an interim movement and music instructor :) After abruptly saying goodbye to our preschool (the preschool we’ve had children enrolled at for 8.5 years, sob), Annie just completed her first week at a short-term teacher-led and parent-organized co-op. We’re all chipping in as we can, and for our family, that mostly means bringing the snacks and leading parachute chaos every other Wednesday.
Here’s what else we have on deck for May!
The garden on April 20th and the garden yesterday!
On my calendar: — Teacher Appreciation Week! We’re going with gift cards for a favorite shop in our cute downtown for our kids’ primary teachers, local ice cream shop gift cards for secondary teachers, and small Target gift cards for specials teachers. And hand-painted cards for all, inspired by Jodi’s ideas! — Mother’s Day! I’m organizing something special for the ladies at our church and celebrating my own wonderful mom and mother-in-law. — A weekend trip to Wilmington! The last time John and I visited I was a few weeks pregnant with June, so things will be a bit different this time around. The battleship, the beach, and some fun restaurants (here, here) are on our itinerary — recap to come in due time :)
What I’m loving right now: — Let’s make this the John edition! I recently rounded up a bunch of his favorites here (maybe helpful for early Father’s Day shopping?) but wanted to highlight a few, starting with this soft, sunwashed sweatshirt. He has it in red but I’ve hinted I’d like the periwinkle in my own closet. — John has suffered from back problems off and on over the last few years, and two things have recently helped. One is switching to a standing desk. We have it in the prettiest green and he now stands for basically his entire workday (!). — The other thing that’s helped is an online healthy back course. Y’all know John loves his Instagram ads, and this was another success story! We’re big believers in traditional physical therapy, but it can feel hard to get there a few times a week with work and kids. Doing these exercises faithfully each day for 21 days really helped him get back in a good place without leaving home.
As a reminder, you can find allll the things I’ve loved over the last few years neatly organized right here!
What you’re loving right now:
This is where I highlight a few items here that have been popular in the last month with fellow readers, based on my analytics. Here’s hoping this will help you find something you’ll love!
What I read in April: — Table for Two | While I loved The Lincoln Highway, this collection of short stories might just be my favorite Amor Towles creation yet. The writing is so sharp, the characters so deftly sketched, the endings so satisfying. Plus, I don’t know, there’s just something that feels posh about reading a short story collection?! Ha! Perfect bite-sized treats to read before bed. Highly recommend! — Wedding People | This was a blockbuster hit with the gals of Articles Club (and I was 705 on the library hold list at one point!), but I might actually have quit it early if it hadn’t been the one book I packed with me on my weeklong work trip. (There’s quite a bit of language in it, which I generally don’t care for.) Cornered into continuing, I found myself reading too long into the night by the time I got to the halfway point, eager to see where the characters and plot would land. I was happy with the ending, and chuckled aloud several times, so take all of that for what you will :)
Revisiting myApril goals: Film Annie in April Take Rosalie’s watercolor landscape class Complete two more watercolor postcards Record the first TCF audio AMA with John (Done! And it’s live!) Review the TCF course outline with John Finalize and print itineraries for our reunion weekend Choose a new Psalm and begin memorizing it as a family (Thanks to Abby’s suggestion, we are working on Psalm 100!)
May goals: — Hire a bathroom contractor now that all estimates are in — Complete three more watercolor landscape postcards — Edit Annie in April — Finalize, print, and send itineraries for our reunion weekend — Make reservations for our reunion weekend — Refresh our plan for summer days at home — Plan for and lead dance class; wrap up my third grade book club
At the beginning of this year, I declared 2025 “the year of dating.” I clarified that this goal wasn’t about more or more elaborate dates; it was about renewing the spirit of new love. If I had a sense that a correction might be necessary at the beginning of this year, it became clear it was necessary as the months unfolded, as little failings between us two were exacerbated by forces outside our control: the weight of stock market swings (and accompanying stress at work for John) as well as a trio of losses close to home. Slowly, and then all at once, this culminated in a tearful meltdown one night and then a long, honest chat about what we each were missing in our marriage right now.
The things we wanted are small and inconsequential on their own — a hug every day, more nightly walks, an emptied and filled dishwasher on days I’m off work, a little thank you if I get the kids through baths while John’s napping. Indifference in attending to them, though — which in our case, to put it bluntly, comes down to valuing the self over the partner — can start a downward spiral.
Really listening to and respecting what matters to each other was hard. Acting on it, surprisingly, has been mostly a joy. Tiny acts of marital sacrifice have been re-ennobled for both of us.
Will we need another reset at some point in the future? Of course. Such is the privilege of a long marriage. We are not, alas, our glory-selves yet :)
On my calendar: — Our spring break trip to Hilton Head Island. You all have been so gracious to tell me over the years how much you love a Thomas family trip recap (me, too!), so expect one later this month. — A few tune-up swim lessons for the big kids. What once felt overwhelming – our neighborhood swim team – has become a treasured part of our year. It’s also a sport where we see an inner drive to improve in our kids (not the case in all pursuits!), and we want to honor that. — Planting things! I got a bunch of cosmos and zinnia seeds from the hardware store and am planning to just sow them willy-nilly in our back bed after the last frost and see what pops up.
What I’m loving right now: — I’m not sure I’ll have time to write a blog post about this year’s Easter baskets, but I did want to share some of the goodies I’ve collected! As always, it’s a mix of new, consignment, and hand-me-down finds. I’ve linked everything I can here — especially fond of the Anne of Green Gables devotional for June, the Butterbeer goldfish, and the best swim goggles. — I was influenced by my sister-in-law to switch out the hand towels in all of our bathrooms for these fluffy white waffle ones from Target. They’re great! — I’m a few months late in sharing this, but it truly blew me away — a pitch-perfect mashup of dozens of musical guests from the first 50 years of SNL. A very fun six-minute listen.
As a reminder, you can find allll the things I’ve loved over the last few years neatly organized right here!
What you’re loving right now:
This is where I highlight a few items here that have been popular in the last month with fellow readers, based on my analytics. Here’s hoping this will help you find something you’ll love!
What I read in February: — Delicious!| Am I becoming curmudgeonly in my old age? It took me awhile to warm up to this novel that everyone else seemed to love. It did win me over in the end, but the writing just felt a little simple and the characters, flat, after the dazzling humility of Gilead.
Revisiting my March goals: Complete Easter basket shopping with the kids Organize Annie’s closet Track down final RSVPs and contact information for the reunion and confirm locations Finish planning and enjoy HHI trip Strength train 2x/week Practice piano 2x/week (Averaged about once a week, which is more than last month!) Figure out a plan for bathroom (No final decision yet due to some rescheduled meetings, but I have reached out to several more contractors.) Disassemble Annie’s crib and rearrange her room a bit Choose a PCP and call about making an appointment Complete two more watercolor postcards (One done!)
April goals: — Film Annie in April — Take Rosalie’s watercolor landscape class — Complete two more watercolor postcards — Record the first TCF audio AMA with John — Review the TCF course outline with John — Finalize and print itineraries for our reunion weekend — Choose a new Psalm and begin memorizing it as a family (any suggestions?)
Thank you so very much for the birthday wishes, friends! I had a delightful day with myself, and then a delightful weekend with the ones I love :) There was a walk through my favorite historic neighborhood, an IGA 9-layer cake, some in-person shopping at a new-to-me consignment boutique (see below!), a Duke game in Cameron (!!), and a Father of the Bride family movie night.
I finished the weekend feeling grateful and happy, and that was welcome, because it hasn’t been the easiest start to the year. We have experienced three significant ruptures in three organizations that are important to our family, and that has led to heartache, frustration, time occupied in ways I wish it didn’t have to be, and much soul-searching about what’s next. I know that’s a bit vague, but these rents have colored our year and it seems right to note them. Sending you love if you’ve had a hard start to the year, too. xo
On my calendar: — Easter basket shopping with all three kids. I’ll go on individual mini shopping trips to Target with each to choose items for baskets we donate through a local program. One of my favorite family traditions! — Spring break. We are headed to Hilton Head – our first time! — A zoo visit with my sister! It’s the best halfway meet-up point between our two towns.
What I’m loving right now: — Back to that consignment boutique I mentioned above – it was amazing. I joked to John that it felt like the grown-up version of my favorite kids’ consignment sale – a curated selection of clothing from stylish people that I get to buy for far less than they did :) I brought so many things into the fitting room and came home with a handful of new-to-me favorites, including a Mille dress. I think I will never buy anything new from another store again?! Local friends, it is seriously so good! — We’ve used Blueland hand soap and cleaning products for many years. After successfully switching to their dishwasher detergent last year, we made the switch to their laundry detergent last month. I’m happy with it all and thrilled to reduce the amount of plastic we consume. — Speaking of consuming less plastic: I’ve also been on a mission to replace our plastic cutting boards, and started with this one. It took a beat for me to get used to cutting on the surface, but I do plan to buy an additional size.
As a reminder, you can find allll the things I’ve loved over the last few years neatly organized right here!
What you’re loving right now:
This is where I highlight a few items here that have been popular in the last month with fellow readers, based on my analytics. Here’s hoping this will help you find something you’ll love!
What I read in February: — Pillars of the Earth | Continuing with my Kingsbridge series re-read! I’ve traditionally said this, the original volume, is my favorite of the bunch, but I actually found myself hurrying through the first part this time around. Still very enjoyable, though! — Gilead | I loved this book. It’s a Pulitzer Prize winner with only thin veins of a plot (just enough to keep you turning pages!). Instead, it’s a portrait, shot through with observations that ring true and humble, dazzling lines. (I dog-eared several lines to tuck away in my commonplace file – quite rare for a fiction book.) Reading it in middle age, with young children and aging parents, was a tender experience.
Revisiting my February goals: Finalize the itinerary for our reunion and run it by a friend to get feedback Write June’s birthday update Choose a PCP and call about making an appointment (No…….) Sit down with John and spend 1-2 hours going over what I have so far for the TCF audio course and getting his feedback (This did not happen and I’m sad about it! It’s hard to find a big block of time when we’re both able to focus on something challenging AND the kids are occupied.) Choose and begin a new Bible reading plan (Have just continued with the Psalms.) Make classroom valentines with the kids Put our scripture ring into action at the table Prep to speak at a school on behalf of TCF – my first time! (So thankful for this! It went really well!) Send that phone ban friend email (Done! Grateful for this, too.)
I also planned to run every weekend (went off the rails after some knee twinges and pushing myself to experiment with pacing), practice the piano several times a week (I averaged once per week), and clean out my phone screenshots daily (check!).
March goals: — Complete Easter basket shopping with the kids — Organize Annie’s closet — Track down final RSVPs and contact information for the reunion and confirm locations — Finish planning and enjoy HHI trip — Strength train 2x/week — Practice piano 2x/week — Figure out a designer for bathroom — Disassemble Annie’s crib and rearrange her room a bit — Choose a PCP and call about making an appointment — Complete two more watercolor postcards (I’ve committed to contributing 10-12 postcards of scenes from around our Maine island for a community auction happening there this summer. My watercolor talents are minimal but I’m hoping the familiar scenes will make the finished product more dear than it really is, ha! My first three tries above :))
Alright, plenty to discuss here! Does anyone have an online watercolor class to recommend? Hilton Head Island must-dos? Has it been far too long since you’ve been to a PCP, too? Feel free to discuss anything I’ve mentioned below!
