In my experience, February is usually a pretty slumpy month with icky weather and not much on the calendar. Well, this year my February was the opposite of slumpy. Our weather has been pretty amazing (a mix of briskly cool and enticingly spring-like) and our schedule has been packed with all sorts of fun things. I will say that I’ve missed the downtime that typically comes with this time of year, but with so much to appreciate, I honestly can’t complain.
|| READING LATELY ||
Okay, so my celebration of this February did not translate to my reading month, which was mediocre at best. There were some standouts, especially in nonfiction that included this excellent guide to storytelling from a successful author; this inspiring father/son story; and this book that absolutely blew my mind (with ideas that made their way into last week’s post on What I Learned this winter).
As for fiction, I read a couple of very lovely novellas (both relating to life-threatening illness, but both hopeful) but the two novels I read—this one and this one—were pretty disappointing, especially since high praise from others had me excited about both titles. As a family we read this Newberry winner that I remember enjoying much more as a child than I did with this reread. Book reviews are all headed your way next week.
I also read quite a few excellent Substack articles this month that I’d like to share. (I may make this a regular feature, since so much highlight-worthy work is happening on Substack!)
Writers Against AI (from Paul Kingsworth @ The Abbey of Misrule) This terrifies me, but awareness is important.
Purist Homeschooling Isn’t Sustainable from Phylicia Masonheimer @ Every Woman a Theologian) I related to every piece of this and follow a very similar plan in our homeschool.
I Was Wrong About Alysa Liu (from Laura Tremaine @ Secret Stuff) I didn’t follow any of the Olympics, but was touched by this piece and Laura’s insights into our gut reactions to others’ paths to success.
What Gets Lost When AI Writes for Us (from Mallary Tenore Tapley @ Write at the Edge) More thoughts on AI—clearly it’s a subject that many of us are concerned about.
Ink That Outlives Us (from Michelle @ Library Binding) This has me itching to scour a used bookstore for treasure!
|| LISTENING LATELY ||
Some podcasts that have entertained and informed this month.
Focus on the Family with Jim Daly—An Olympic Champion’s Journey to Real Life and Meaning
|| MONTHLY KID-ISMS ||
CHARLIE-ISMS:
+ “I want to teach a clown school. There, everyone is a class clown.”
+ “If someone burps and toots at the same time, do they pass out because they lost so much air at one time?”
+ In a lesson on how God showed mercy on David by not taking David’s life when he cheated with Bathsheba: “I think David was such a good guy, it hurt him more for his son to die.”
+ “Some people call it Language Arts. Some call it Literature. Some call it Reading or Grammar. Some people call it Torture. I don’t. Torture is a word I save for Math.”
+ On hearing that Kali had used Alexa at a friend’s house: “Oh no, now Alexa knows your name and she’s going to tell it to the government!”
SULLY-ISMS:
+ Kali: “Someone said a bad word at the Y. It starts with H.” Sully: “Yeah, he did say a bad word, he said h-a-t-e.”
+ Me: “Why do you think it’s important to know how to write neatly?” Sully: “So when we’re an adult we can write stuff for our kids.”
+ Responding to me when I said a character “off in another world” (as in distracted): “He can’t be in another world. This is the only world!”
+ When Sully chose some bracelets as his prize at CC Review day: “They called my bracelet jewelry. That’s so silly, it’s not jewelry, it’s green, and a green bracelet is not for girls!”
KALI-ISMS:
+ When driving downtown for a field trip: “There are so much cars here. And you know why? Because it’s Austin. And it. Is. SO. Pretty! Like California.”
+ “What’s the baddest place in the world? Is it Las Vegas?” Me: “Well, there is a lot of sin that happens there.” Kali: “Like moms and dads letting their kids watch TV every single day?”
+ “I’m going to ask the tooth fairy what makes her laugh. Then the next time she comes I’ll do it to try to trap her when she’s laughing and I wake up.”
+ Me, after she observed someone else having a tantrum: “It’s not very fun when someone has a tantrum, is it?” Kali: “I’m not going to say no because I have them too.”
+ “I wish my sleepover could last forever. Like, three nights and four days!”
+ “I can’t wait for bedtime tomorrow! I just love bedtime!” Me: “How about bedtime tonight?” Kali: “No. I’m not excited.”
NICO-ISMS:
Our little man had a half-birthday this month; here’s the update I wrote for Instagram on his big day:
As impossible as it seems, my baby is 18 months old today! He’s a tiny guy (28 inches and about 20 pounds) with a HUGE personality. He is curious and interactive, loves being snuggled and held, and always finds himself at the center of all the activity. Outdoors is his happy place, and he would prefer to be in his swing or out on a walk at all times. He’s also a big fan of water, building pillow forts, and—that perennial toddler favorite—”getting into things.”
After taking a single step a few weeks ago, he has decided that walking still isn’t for him and has diverted all of his energy into power-crawling and verbal communication. [Update: in the couple of weeks since he turned 18 months, Nico has been doing a little more walking; his record is four steps in a row!] I’ve lost track of his word count, but it is well over fifty words, his current favorites being: diaper, toe, oh-no, paper, book, and thank you (he is extremely polite!). Other recent developments include eating on his own with a fork and drinking from a sippy cup (a welcome milestone since he never learned to take a bottle), though he still loves mama’s milkies most of all.
Though he’s perpetually fussy at home, Nico is a gentleman in public and loves making friends with kids and adults and everyone in between. And while he’s a pretty needy little guy, we sure do love having him along for the ride in our family. It’s so fun to have him picking up on things like family prayer time (he reaches out his hands and bows his head) and playtime (he is obsessed with his siblings and their toys and especially loves playing Legos with them BUT is so good about not trying to eat them—he tells us “no no, naughty” when they come near his mouth) and posing for pictures (he has his “cheese” face down!). I thank the Lord every day that he blessed us with this beautiful soul who makes our family complete.
|| HAPPENINGS & HIGHLIGHTS ||
Charleston chose a trip to Kalahari as his big birthday event, and we were able to score an awesome Homeschoolers Deal that allowed us to stay in a two-bedroom suite for two nights/three days at a fraction of the usual price. We all had an amazing time! Our room was fantastic—the extra space was SO nice and we had a great view (unlike last summer when our view was entirely blocked by an air conditioner for the downstairs restaurant). The extra day was also a huge luxury and meant that we could take our time and didn’t feel like we were rushing to get everything done, plus it was nice to have the room to return to with Nico for an afternoon nap. We saved money by packing food for breakfasts and lunches, eating just one meal at the resort and one at Hat Creek across the street.
The water park itself was so fun! It was practically empty, which was so much nicer than the crowds we experienced during our stay last July. It was amazing to walk onto rides with no line at all, and Charleston and I rode every one (minus the two super-extreme slides) again and again! The kids all enjoyed the kids’ playground and baby areas (Nico LOVED the baby swings) and much to my surprise, the twins both agreed to do three of the big kid slides this year! It was actually Kali that did them first and she had an absolute blast. It took tons of convincing and some bribery to get Sully on the slides, but he tried them too (but hated them) and I was so proud of both Kali and Sully for tackling their fears!
Our room came with some extra passes to the water park so Luke’s sister and my niece and nephew were able to join us for a few hours which was a fun surprise for everyone. The whole trip was such a huge success and we all agreed that Charleston chose the perfect birthday event.
Luke’s 42nd birthday was the day after we got home from Kalahari. He had told me that he wanted gingerbread cookies for his birthday, but knowing we would be gone and that I wouldn’t have a chance to make them, I ordered a batch from a friend who has a cookie business, and she did a great job with them—they were a hit and a huge surprise for Luke, who hadn’t thought he was getting his gingerbread after all! We did presents at home (along with the sweetest cards made by the kids) and then we went over to my in-laws’ house for lunch (takeout from Luke’s favorite taco spot), playtime, and a chocolate cake made by my sweet Mother-in-Law. Luke wasn’t feeling well after all the busyness/rides from the week, but I think he still had a good day and we loved celebrating our favorite guy.
The kids and I went on a field trip to Blanton Museum in Austin with our CC group. The museum tour included a hands-on art activity as well as guided presentations through several of the museum’s pieces. A lot of the art was not to my taste, but there were several very amazing pieces and I enjoyed learning about all of it—even the pieces that weren’t favorites were enjoyable to study. I wish that I could have been more engaged with the tour, but Nico was pretty fussy and needed my full attention; I would like to go back to explore further. The kids had a great time and especially enjoyed participating alongside their friends.
The boys went on their Bamboo campout, which is always the favorite Trail Life campout of the year. It was windy and cold (they even earned their Polar badges because it froze over night), but Luke said that Charleston and Sully were both good sports and they had an awesome time, building forts and other structures out of bamboo, participating in a clean-up service project and games, and acting in skits at the campfire that night. Such great memories being made.
While the boys were away, Kali got to go on her first sleepover—a night with her Tía Amanda and cousin Brooke (since my brother-in-law and nephew were also on the Trail Life campout). She had a great time being with the girls, though this mama felt a little off kilter with her chickadees all spread out overnight. It was good to be reunited as a family the following day!
My parents have been in town since Wednesday, and as always we are enjoying our time with them. We’ve had plenty of backyard playtime and board games, and on Friday we all went to Sweet Eats to see baby animals and view the beautiful tulip fields. It was a wonderful day of playing on the farm; highlights included the pig races, face painting, and treating the kids to their first funnel cake. Nico had a GREAT day—he’s definitely our outdoor boy!
My parents will be in town through next week, and my brother and his wife are actually in town this weekend too as an early surprise for my mom’s 70th birthday (which is next month). I’ll share all about the birthday festivities in next month’s Lately post, but here’s a pictorial sneak preview. Any guesses as to the meaning behind our 8-3-9 theme?!
|| ICYMI: FEBRUARY ON THE BLOG ||
The Simple Things That Are Saving My Life This Winter “At times when it’s starting to feel as though the world has lost its mind, these small celebratory rituals tether me to gratitude and divert my attention from crises and chaos to things that are good and beautiful and true.“
Present in 2026 Book Review #1: Every Home a Foundation “The tasks of home are not simply done as a means to an end, and while they do have the added benefits of making our houses comfortable for our families and for those we invite into our homes, the tasks in themselves hold value. I can experience God’s presence as I dust my bookshelves and search for that missing sock and serve up the thousandth snack of the day.“
Reject, Receive, or Redeem? “This is a fantastic framework that I’ve been thinking about and applying constantly since it was introduced to me. It’s been helping me make decisions about the movies and shows our kids watch, the music we listen to, and the routines we see other families embracing.“
Thirteen Things I Learned This Winter (about vision, waterparks, taking breaks, and making mistakes) “Reflecting on the lessons I’ve learned from a challenging time has a way of redeeming the tougher moments and helping me recognize the bright spots, and I am more than happy to soften the blow of some of this winter’s pain.“
Our February fun is continuing into the first week of March! Tomorrow I’ll celebrated my 42nd birthday, and we are enjoying a few more days with my parents in town. I’m also looking forward to bluebonnets coming up in the next few weeks.
How was your February? What is ahead for you in March?