WHAT WE LEARNED
+ The first day of school went as well as to be expected. There were some angry tears from my almost 5-year-old (because I wouldn’t do his school right.this.minute), a healthy amount of naughtiness from my toddler, and the dog only escaped from her playpen once. First impression: it’s going to be a wild and CRAZY year.
+ My two oldest are much more independent this year and we all are loving that change. They got their work done in record time and spent their afternoons coding, drawing, or practicing Spanish.
+ We tried to wrap our brains around the teeny tininess of atoms with this video.
+ Our first stop around the world is to China. Highlights included: reading The Pet Dragon and then copying Chinese characters on their own, and reading The Story about Ping and drawing ducks with a tutorial from Art for Kids.
TEN THINGS I’M THANKFUL FOR
butterflies everywhere I look, reminding me of my grandmother
watching the kids climb trees
a dairy-free alternative to ranch dressing
excited shouts of joy when our science experiment worked
reading aloud again
air conditioning and fans (we had a heat wave this week!)
how much D is enjoying flag football
toddler giggles
sleeping soundly at the end of the day
IN THE KITCHEN
+ A is for Apple Pie, using the recipe in the back of How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World
+ How much I spent on groceries this week: $296.36
Mini frugal accomplishment: I did a little research on how much I should be spending on groceries for a family of 8. I found this calculator, which says we should spend $315.50 per week or $1367.07 per month. Happy to see that we generally already fall below that number, but I’d love to figure out ways to lower it even more.
GOOD THINGS
So happy your school year is off to a good start.
Wonderful gratitude list!