Full of Joy Friday | Week 12 of 2021

I’ve checked my calendar multiple times this morning to confirm that today is, in fact, Friday. This has been an odd week! It has simultaneously flew by and dragged on and I’ve been flummoxed while trying to keep up. And still – yes, it’s Friday. Which means I’m here to share a few joyful things with you.

+ August the Cat seeks out the sunshine. This sliver of sun can be found in our foyer around 5pm lately – it shines right in the skinny part that leads into the kitchen. When the kids find him like this, they give him a wide berth and you can see their wheels turning, how do I get through here? You see, August is a very mean cat. If a person were to walk too closely, they would get swiped by his mousing claws. And I find it delightful to watch the kids work through how to get around him while avoiding his sharp parts. Here’s another recent picture of his rascal-y self:

+ Getting everyone out to the van in the morning can be a challenge. But every once in a while, we look like we know what we’re doing. We all walk out as though we’re actual human beings – someone will hold the door as everyone spills out of the house and into the sunshine. On these days, no one resists walking out the front door and no one gets distracted on their way to the van. And – oh my goodness – everyone gets into the van and directly in their own seats as though it were a synchronized swimming routine. This all rarely happens and I find myself standing at the back door of the van, jaw on the ground, and wondering what’s wrong with my children. And still – joy.

+ We’re expecting rain today. I find that joyful because that means I’ll finally clean the bathrooms.

+ Bryce, my 7 year old, loves time travel and creepy things, so I figured it was time to introduce him to Doctor Who. Each night, after the two younger ones get scrubbed up and tucked into bed, Bryce and I pop popcorn, pull out a quilt, and watch one episode. He is in love! And, of course, there’s one activity that goes hand in hand with watching Doctor Who: knitting. Yes, friends — I’ve been knitting again! And speaking of knitting…

+ Thanks to a recent post on Ravelry, I learned that you can favorite designers to ensure their new designs show up on your pattern highlights page. This is so helpful because I’m no longer following along on Instagram and often miss out on new designs, despite doing my best to sign up for newsletters.

+ This was supposed to be an “off” week for our homeschooling adventure, but things were going so well that I decided to ignore that. We’ve had an excellent week of school, which I’m calling Week 26.5. We went back and covered history and science units we missed, focused on ensuring that we have math facts down pat thanks to a handy stack of flashcards, and spent a lot of time reading and writing to ensure that my reluctant reader/writer is getting less reluctant by the day. So although we’ve still been working, it’s been refreshing and rejuvenating.

+ I’m seriously considering joining The Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club. The thing is – I’m a horrible book club member. Even if I want to read something, it feels like assigned reading the second it’s chosen and I rebel. But even if I’m not following along with the book club selections in real time, I’d love to get access to the backlist of the club – the previous author chats and classes. I know many of my blogger friends have been a part of the club and I’m wondering: do you love it? I’d love to hear from people who have joined!!

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I’m hoping next week feels more grounded for me. May we all have a weekend that’s full of the things we love, is nourishing to our souls and bodies, and is exactly what we need. But before you go, please let me know where you found joy this week!