Good morning, friends! We had another cloudy weekend with a ton of rain on Saturday. The sun came out on Sunday and I think my flowers shot up a few inches thanks to that blast of energy. We’re expecting a week with more rain showers and I’m relieved – the rain has been keeping the temperatures in check and we haven’t needed to put in the air conditioners downstairs yet. I’d like to keep it that way! This weekend was a relatively easy one with only minor quibbles and issues. I even managed to pull out my knitting during the day and stitch while standing in the kitchen, which I haven’t done in a long time (since maybe Thanksgiving?). So I have a few things to show you!
Thank you to everyone who offered advice for my book dilemma on Friday. Everyone said the same thing so I put my Kindle on airplane mode to ensure that it couldn’t sync up with the library (just in case), dug in, and managed to finish The Bandit Queens before the loan expired. I got started on Birnam Wood and am hooked. This picture says that I’ve read 4% but now I’m at 22% – it’s on the longer side but I’m finding it pretty propulsive. More about both of those books on Wednesday, but I am so happy that I finished The Bandit Queens. It’s such a great story!
I closed my blog post on Friday hoping that I’d get some stitching in that night. It didn’t happen on Friday night, but I managed to pick up my needles over the weekend anyway. I spent most of my stitching time with my Junction sweater and got a good start on the third (and last) brioche section. I’m still feeling nervous about the fit so I haven’t dared to try it on – makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?
I did a little cross stitching over the weekend too and put a few stitches into Winter Rose Manor, a long neglected project. I love the light pink house and that pair of cardinals. I finished the gate over the weekend and am now working on the fence. I don’t know if I’ll be spending too much time with this but it was fun.
We only have two more weeks of this school year before we pause for two weeks and get started again in mid-July. Bronwyn will be starting the Kindergarten Level of Torchlight! It seems delightfully cozy and interesting and I’m so excited to get started on it with her. Bryce will be on the fourth level and I’m excited to start procuring all of the books and supplies we need. This will be my first year following curricula on multiple levels and I’m a little nervous, but I have no doubt that Bronwyn will be on top of everything. She’s so good at getting things done. I don’t usually include pictures of the kids because I’m mindful of their privacy and consent, but just look at her at the table last week:
This is before our school morning started – she always helps me get the table set up and the checklists completed. She’s even been writing her own lately. I am so excited!
Also: the timing is going to be perfect. We follow the trivium for our history curriculum and plan to cycle through chunks of history multiple times. This coming year Bryce will be on modern history (at the first level of the trivium) and Bronwyn will be exploring a broad range of historical information. The next year Bryce will be back at Ancient history but at the second level of the trivium (the logic stage) and Bronwyn will be entering her first year of Ancient history at the first level of the trivium. I know it’s confusing, but the takeaway is that I’m relieved and ecstatic about how this is working out!
So if you’re wondering where my brain is lately: it is in my books, keeping the house relatively tidy, and our school curricula. Every day is so full and I’m trying to make it as fun as possible for the people around me, so it’s no wonder that I have a hard time pulling out my stitching at the end of a long day. But this weekend gave me a little downtime and I’m thankful for it!
How was your weekend? I hope some of you got your long yearned-for rain? Or at least managed to do a little of what recharges your own batteries? I hope to be back on Wednesday with a reading update. Until then – take good care!
The Cozy Burrow 
I’m glad you’re getting rain, it makes the grass so lush and green and the flowers so pretty! You sound so organized with the schooling, I’m amazed that you have any time for handwork at all. Have a blessed week!
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Thank you for the kind words, Gretchen. I never feel organized but these comments always bolster my confidence!
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Agreeing with Gretchen – you sound so busy (though organized) that it is hard to imagine you finding any “you time” to knit or stitch! Glad your temps are holding down (ours are too – amazingly!!). Here’s hoping the week is a good one for you.
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Thank you, Vera. I keep reminding myself that it’s okay to not make as much progress as I’d like. It’s been a hard lesson but one I am starting to internalize. And it makes ANY progress worth celebrating!! 🙂
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I know I sound like a broken record in my awe at all you manage to get done, but truly the most impressive to me is that you are homeschooling kids at different levels on top of parenting, crafting, reading, gardening, and housekeeping. Clearly the kids are really enjoying school, and that’s a great sign of success! I’m glad you managed to finish (and enjoy) The Bandit Queens. I think you’ll find that Birnam Wood will really pick up the pace as you get further into it, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you finished it in the next day or two.
We had lots of much-needed rain last week (though we’re still behind average and actually are on the verge of drought conditions), and our sunflower seedlings grew so much that I was able to transplant them into the ground. Now I just hope they stay alive!
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Thanks so much for all of your kindness and encouragement. It means a lot!
And you’re so right about Birnam Wood – yesterday morning I was at 22% and I finished the day at 52%. I’m not sure if I’ll have it finished for tomorrow’s blog post (busy school day today and we’re going to the space museum in the afternoon, which will very likely leave me exhausted at the end of the day when I usually read), but I definitely see myself finishing by the end of the week. I was hooked right away!
Yay for sunflower seedlings! We didn’t plant any sunflowers this year and I am so disappointed. I hope you’ll be able to share some pictures when they start opening up.
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Junction looking good! There’s something about putting off checking the fit… You don’t want your hard work to end up getting unraveled so you just kind of keep hoping for the best?
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Thank you! And you’re exactly right about the fit, haha. This is my second time knitting this sweater with this yarn. I finished knitting it in February, found it to be way too big, unravelled the whole thing, and started again. I’m not sure I have it in my to start a third time 😅
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I actually think I remember that (or it was another blogger which only goes to show how common it is).
I totally get it. It’s not logical but I get it!
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This is a lovely update, Katie! A little bit of everything-delightful! We really need rain here. We love Crinklefoot! I need to try to find more of his books. Your homeschooling plans sound interesting . We take June-August off, and I’ve barely begun my plans. My second graduated this year! Two down, few to go! 😜😅Love the photo of your daughter.
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Thanks so much, Amy! I hope you enjoy your summer break. I’m so curious about how you stay organized with so many kiddos at once! I think I’m going to have to switch to a plain spiral bound notebook to plot out our week but I really like the weekly view that my “teacher’s planner” gives me. How do you keep track of everyone??
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I buy a $10 calendar/planner book at Walmart and just copy in what they need to do each day. Then I keep that and my plans etc for a record each y year. Has worked really well!
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Thank you for sharing! I think that might be my best strategy!
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What a sweet picture of your daughter! The curriculum sounds fantastic. Love that sampler with the two cardinals. I, too, am in awe over how much you accomplish. Add me to the broken record contingent. 😉
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Thanks, Laurie! You are so encouraging 🙂
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Your school curriculum sounds amazing, Katie! (I most especially love history… so hearing it introduced so early excites me!) I think your sweater is looking awesome and I think trying it on will ease your worries and inspire you to knit on! 🙂
Here is to a great week!
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Thanks, Kat! Torchlight is literature based and the entire year is built around a history curriculum — which I LOVE. I feel so lucky to have found it so early in our homeschooling life (Bryce started it in first grade) and now he’s going into fourth.
And you’re right about trying on the sweater. I am going to gather my courage and go for it!
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I’ve heard lots of good things about Birnam Wood, so I hope you enjoy it. We finally got some real rain today, I’m thrilled! It’s been so dry here.
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Thanks, Laila! Birnam Wood is a propulsive read and I am really enjoying it. And yay for rain! I hope you get plenty more this summer!
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Sounds like a really productive time for you. The history curriculum looks interesting. Hurrah for rain. I had some here today, which I hope will have soften the soil enough for me to finish weeding and planting.
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I hope the weeding and planting is going well, Cathy!
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We’re having a similar weather pattern … which likely means yours will last a bit longer! I love Bronwyn’s enthusiasm for school; I’m sure that smile lifts all three of you through your studies. (and I totally get the not-trying-on thing)
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Doesn’t she look sweet??! I’ll take her cooperation for as long as she’s willing to give it (but it doesn’t usually last too long).
I’m hoping to work on the sweater some more this weekend and maybe try it on next week? Yikes!
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