As I work away on the third post in the blogging series, I thought I’d pop in with a quicker share: the 2021 volume of June in June! This yearly video fell at a doozy of a time for our family: I was eight months pregnant, and John had just ruptured his Achilles’ tendon and was on crutches. Needless to say, we were not doing many of the activities that usually populate these videos: hikes, trips, swimming in creeks, neighborhood walks, camping, tennis, and more. In fact, my face doesn’t make a single appearance in this video, and that does make me a little bit sad.
But you know what does appear? June’s smile, because she is sunshine. My parents, because they stayed with us for six weeks to help out. My hands, twice, and my voice and my laugh, because I was committed to getting behind the camera and keeping this tradition alive, even in the midst of upheaval. And our home, a soft and warm place to land, even if we did get a little stir crazy at times.
Each of these videos, no matter the year, is a snapshot of our life and our little one in that season. This one just happens to be particularly unusual :) I hope you enjoy a peek, friends!
I thought I’d share a bit about our inaugural back-to-school dinner, for those who might be interested! Many others have hosted these before me: Merrick has shared some details, Stephanie’s are legendary, and ours was inspired by the Clarkson’s Family Day, too.
I would not classify our 2021 dinner as legendary – it was quite simple and low-key. I anticipate it will be a family tradition for many years to come, though, so there’s plenty of time to build on what we’ve started! While our decorations were fun (June declared them “fancy!” when she saw the candles lit), our kids are still VERY young and were mostly not interested in our introduction of the family scripture theme, ha. Banking on that part coming with time!
So why have a back-to-school dinner?
First, I’ll take any chance to make some everydaymagic. And a fresh school year is certainly something to celebrate!
Some years, a special dinner may be needed to bolster a kiddo who feels nervous or reluctant (definitely not the case for us this year – June was PUMPED).
But mostly, I think a well-timed dinner like this helps to ground our kids in our family culture, family values, and family unit before they’re sent back out into the absorbing and sometimes cold world of school. It’s one more opportunity to remind them they’re loved, they’re liked, they’re valuable, and they’re capable.
Our back-to-school dinner decorations:
Table decorations may just seem like fluff, but as I so passionately argued for years in the wedding space, the setting sets the tone: it tells the attendees this is an out-of-the-ordinary night. It tells them they’re worthy of some fun and fanfare. And it makes the evening more memorable by being unusual.
This year, I set the table with our gray gingham tablecloth (bought many years ago and still going strong!) and everyday placemats. June contributed the place cards, we sprinkled some sequins and star confetti, and I added tea lights in mini mason jars we had on hand. The piece de resistance was the centerpiece: flowers from our yard in a pencil-wrapped vase.
To make the vase, I bought a mega pack of pencils and stuck them onto a simple glass vase with double-sided tape, then tied on the satin bow. Pro tip: I was worried the tape wouldn’t come off the vase, but if you dab it with water, it peels right off!
What we ate at our back-to-school dinner:
I was prepared to cook a family favorite, but the kids requested our beloved Chinese takeout, so that’s what we did! We had build-your-own ice cream sundaes for dessert (Neopolitan ice cream, peanuts, hot fudge, caramel sauce, sprinkles, whipped cream, cherries) and June talked for days leading up to it about how she was going to make her OWN without any HELP, ha. These little bowls were perfect and we’ve been using them daily for after-school snacks, too.
What we did at our back-to-school dinner:
Mostly, we just chatted and enjoyed each other’s company! Such as it is with a five year old, a three year old, and an infant :) We also introduced our scripture theme for the year (Matthew 22:37-39). I feel like I fumbled through this as I do explaining many things about faith, but reminded myself it’s the effort that counts – hopefully that encourages you if you feel this way, too!
The goal is that we would all memorize these verses and be more likely to bring them up in conversation and teaching moments throughout the year. To help with this, I printed out a copy for each of the kids and let them paint simple wooden frames to display them in their rooms. This turned out to be very popular, and they did such a good job! As for memorization, we’re just planning to recite the verses together before bed for as long as it takes! :)
Other than that, John and I told them about some of our memories from kindergarten, and we talked again through how the next day would unfold.
In future years, I would love to include more words of affirmation between parents and kids and between siblings – either in written notes or just going around the table and encouraging each other in a specific way! I also think a back-to-school/first day outfit fashion show and/or dressing up would be fun additions.
And that’s it! Aside from the little bit of decoration prep (my love language), it was really very simple, but a lovely evening to mark a big milestone. I’m looking forward to seeing how this tradition evolves in the years to come! If you have any back-to-school dinner or first day of school traditions, I’d love to hear.
Happy Labor Day, friends! To mark summer’s unofficial end, I thought I’d record a few things I want to remember from this season, inspired by one of my favorite bloggers. It would be easy to just remember the bigger events (ahem, someone’s birth! someone’s injury!) or to focus on what this summer didn’t include (a trip to the Maine, for the first time ever), so I like the idea of capturing the little pleasures and particulars to look back on. Here’s some of what we’ll remember from summer 2021…
Listening: Leading up to Annie’s birth, I started to crave the worship of strong female voices. (A different kind of pregnancy craving, ha!) I put together this playlist, mostly of Mission House and FAITHFUL songs, and it’s what we ended up listening to in the delivery room. It’s been a calming and strengthening companion after her birth, too.
Eating: All the Meal Train meals, thank you Jesus and friends! Highlights included this casserole (thank you, Libby!) and a picnic meal with this chicken salad, this potato salad, fruit salad, and Garden Salsa Sun Chips (thank you, Ginna!). I hadn’t eaten Sun Chips in years and it turns out they are SO GOOD.
Visiting: We opted out of a neighborhood pool membership last year with all the COVID uncertainty, so it was a delight to get back to it this summer! Even with John’s injury and my very-pregnant self and then a newborn, we made it to the pool several times a week and the kids LOVED it. Our favorite time to go was after dinner – there was something about the cooler temps, the emptier pool, and the proximity to bedtime that made our visits a bit magical.
Wearing: My nap dress was worn 2-3 times a week, I kid you not. The perfect late-pregnancy, post-partum, easy-breezy outfit. I’m glad it was permanently memorialized in Annie’s newborn photos because it was definitely the outfit of the moment.
I was also influenced into a pair of fauxm (faux, foam, haha) Birks for all those pool trips. Two thumbs up.
Enjoying: The company of my parents. Though I wouldn’t necessarily have chosen to have them stay with us for several weeks leading up to and including Annie’s birth, we are so grateful to have had their help and their companionship. Living far apart makes our time together precious, and I did my best to soak it up.
Learning: With all our time at the pool, June’s swimming improved leaps and bounds! She completely ditched her floatie, gained so much confidence in swimming underwater, and even bought these dive rings with her own money :) Lessons with a neighborhood college student were the highlight of her weeks.
Attending: Physical therapy appointments! John’s been going twice a week since he graduated from crutches, right around when Annie was born. His at-home exercises were as much a part of our evening routine as a plate of juicy peach slices.
Watching: Parental leave was the perfect opportunity to indulge in the Tokyo Olympics full force and we certainly did. July also brought the return of Ted Lasso – season two has been SO GOOD so far! (Rom-communism, anyone?!)
Reading: With our other two children, the last feeding before bed was accompanied by total darkness and rustling the sheets under pain of death so as not to disturb their settling. For whatever reason, Annie is tolerant of even a bedside lamp being on as she falls back asleep, and so I’ve been able to sneak in a few pages of reading each night (a HUGE gift to this mama, as my nightly bedtime reading routine is one of the hardest things to give up in seasons with a tiny baby). The first book I read after she was born was The Self-Driven Child, and aside from LOVING it, it was perfect for the moment: engrossing, but not so interesting that I was tempted to stay up for hours :)
What will you remember from summer 2021? I’d love to hear!
With our first kiddo, I consistently shared products we were loving throughout her first few years. Since we relied on so many of the same favorites for Shep, it hadn’t felt necessary to share the same – until now! Our newly-minted three-year-old is growing into his own interests and preferences, and so in honor of his recent birthday, I thought it would be fun to share a few things he (and we) are loving right now!
Clothing favorites for three-year-old boys:
Mini Boden tees | Y’all know most of our kiddo clothes come from consignment sales or hand-me-downs, which is why I give myself permission to splurge on a few fun pieces each season! Shep looooves the fun designs from Mini Boden, which usually involve dogs doing things like driving construction trucks or blasting into space. We just got him this shirt and this one for his birthday :)
Cat & Jack shorts | I prefer a shorter length for little boy shorts, and these ones are perfect! At $5-8 (!!!), they’re not too precious, either. I find they run a little big!
Shady Rays sunglasses | At $32, you surely could find a pair for less – but these ones are great quality (they have the right amount of flex and actually stay on the ears!), AND they include lifetime replacement if lost or broken! Shep has the royal blue polarized.
Needlepoint baseball hat | Harding Lane has the absolute CUTEST designs – everything from dogs to dump trucks, planets to puppies, and fire trucks to alligators. I bought Shep’s triceratops design last Black Friday for 50% off, and he gets compliments everywhere he goes!
Natives | I’m sure I don’t need to tell you about Jeffersons, but they are our go-to three seasons of the year! Shep most often wears the Regatta color.
Toy and gear favorites for three-year-old boys:
Balance bike and scooter | Shep switches back and forth between his Kazam balance bike (which he received at age 2.5 for Christmas) and his scooter (a second birthday gift). We love and highly recommend both of them! He happily wears this helmet with both.
Playmobil recycling truck | This was his gift from Annie, and it has been a MASSIVE hit. Despite some of the pieces being a little fiddly for three-year-old fingers (the listing recommends it for age 4+), he loves it and plays with it constantly.
Fire chief costume set | It took him a little time to warm up to this dress-up kit, but once he did, it’s made daily appearances around the house. If only the fire extinguisher actually squirted water!
Jellycat stuffies | All of our kids have Jellycat stuffies they love – they are the sweetest designs, and so soft! Shep’s most beloved are two identical dogs. One was supposed to be the back-up in case of loss, but he found it in the closet and has had two tucked under his arms at night ever since :) Jellycats come in a few sizes, and I find the “small” to be perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.
MagnaTiles | And especially the cars and trains expansions!
Okay-to-wake clock | We introduced this clock when he moved to his big boy bed a few weeks ago. Shep is our early riser, and we were hoping this would encourage him to stay in bed a little longer in the mornings. It absolutely has! He instantly cottoned to the cute design, calling it “his guy” and unplugging it from the wall and carrying it downstairs like a stuffed animal post-nap the first few days, ha!
Welly band-aids | Our kids, and especially Shep, LOVE these band-aids with their fun and colorful designs. They’re the cure for what ails you, whether that’s a scrape or a stomachache :)
Love our little three year old :) Hope his favorites give you something to tuck away for future birthdays or holidays!
