What a year this month has been! November isn’t over just yet, but with election season (blessedly) in the rear view mirror and Thanksgiving a lingering belly ache, I’m more than ready to dive into some December merriment. But first, a November recap!
|| READING LATELY ||
My reading this month was varied and fun. I really enjoyed this thoughtfully paced romance that was also a beautiful story of friendship, as well as this thriller with a father/daughter story at its center. I’d been eagerly anticipating the latest from my favorite author, and it did NOT disappoint, moving its way to the top spot on my list of favorite books of 2024! This short story from another favorite was also a win. As for Middle Grade fiction, the kids and I enjoyed this heartwarming Christmas classic as well as this book that I enjoyed just as much with this reread as when I first read it more than thirty years ago.
On the nonfiction front, I was intrigued but saddened by this journalistic take on trends among the Christian elite, a topic also addressed in this insightful book. This book on motherhood was fantastic as was this guide for praying mamas. I’ll be sharing full reviews of each of these books in a Quick Lit post in two weeks.
|| WATCHING LATELY ||
The Secret Garden (2020 Version) ~ I wanted to watch a film adaptation of The Secret Garden once the kids and I had finished our read-aloud of the classic novel, and in searching for the 1993 version I grew up with, I discovered this recent remake. This version strays pretty far from the source material, with altered backstories, the elimination of some characters (and addition of a four-legged one), an added magical realism element, and even a different time period (this is set in 1947 whereas the novel takes place in 1911). At first I found these differences distracting, as did the kids, but once we got past the discrepancies we were able to appreciate the gorgeous cinematography and creative reinterpretation of the novel’s themes. After watching, the kids and I all agreed that we liked this quite a bit but would have loved it if we hadn’t read the book first. Go in with an open mind and you’re sure to enjoy this heartwarming story. My Rating: 4 Stars.
|| LISTENING LATELY ||
A few podcasts that inspired or informed this month.
Don’t Mom Alone—Building Healthy Relationships by Exploring Adult Attachment Patterns (Part 1) :: Charissa Lopez [Episode 498] and Part 2 [Episode 499]
The Alisa Childers Podcast—#274 Navigating a Culture of Redefined Words, with Scott Allen
Unshaken Faith Podcast with Alisa Childers & Natasha Crain—#53 Post-Election Thoughts
Honestly with Bari Weiss—How to Save America with Peggy Noonan
|| KIDS’ PLAY LATELY ||
I’ve noticed a big change in the kids’ playtime in the past few months, with the three Bigs interacting with each other more than ever and the twins getting more interested in the same types of play as their big brother. It’s been wonderful to see them all engaging one another so well, and Luke and I have been doing our part to make sure our home is set up in ways that encourage their play.
Legos—The kids are all really into Legos right now, so we decided to turn the train table in our playroom into the designated Lego spot. It’s been so nice having all the Legos in one area, and joining their various sets has made for exponential Lego fun.
Puzzles—They’ve been getting into more challenging puzzles that take some time to build, so Luke made a beautiful puzzle board that can be moved around the house. We’re currently working on a 400-piece puzzle that’s been their activity of choice while I read aloud to them in the mornings.
The Backyard Playground—The weather has been great, so the kids have been spending huge portions of their day outside and are especially obsessed with our playground. It’s not new (we’ve had it since the twins were born) but they’re always coming up with creative new ways to play in this space. My bedroom window looks out onto the yard, and Nico and I love watching them play from our perch in the glider (which is where Nico and I spend spend a majority of our time).
|| MONTHLY KID-ISMS ||
CHARLIE-ISMS:
+ In a discussion about political parties, when I explained that some people are neither Republican nor Democrat but vote third party. “What about Fourth Party or Fifth Party? Can you vote for those?”
+ “I can’t imagine what life would be like without Nico. I feel like we used to have really boring lives. He’s so cute, it’s like you can’t think of anything sad when you’re with him.”
+ Me, after a close call on the road. “That man almost hit me!” Charleston: “He did hit you. He hit you with emotion.”
+ “I figured out what Thanksgiving is for. It’s a time not to listen to your stomach.”
+ Me: “What’s your favorite Christmas song?” Charleston: “I don’t know. My knowledge of Christmas songs doesn’t go very deep.”
+ “This is one of the best pies I’ve ever had!” Me: “Oh, wow, really?” Charlie: “Yeah, I haven’t had that many pies.”
KALI-ISMS:
+ Charleston to Kali, who was climbing over the seats in my van: “Kali, don’t break Mommy’s car. Because I don’t want you to be sad because Mommy will make you pay for the new car and then you won’t have any money to go to college and then you can’t be vice president and it will ruin the rest of your life.” Kali to Charleston: “But I could buy a PINK car!” (This interaction is everything you need to know about their personalities.)
+ Claiming Charleston’s friend Elliott as her own: “Hey, I like boys too, you know, not just girls. God is a boy, and I like Him!”
+ “I’m going to ask Santa for a robot that can do everything! It can make toys too!”
SULLY-ISMS:
+ Discussing the book Tuck Everlasting: “It would be so sad to live forever and never get older because you wouldn’t have any birthdays or birthday presents.”
+ “What happens if you have no more hair? Then you look very fancy?”
|| HAPPENINGS & HIGHLIGHTS ||
We voted early and spent Election Tuesday at Sweet Eats, our local farm/pumpkin patch. We discovered last year that pumpkin patches are WAY better when visited after Halloween: we had the whole farm almost to ourselves! We admired the petting zoo animals, watched pigs race, had our faces painted, got lost in the corn maze, and rode the giant trikes. The weather was perfect and the we left tired but happy.
Last Monday we took another day trip, this time to Longhorn Cavern. It was an incredible experience! The cavern is breathtaking and has a storied history, having served as a hunting trap for prehistoric Texans, a place where bat guano was sourced to make gun powder during the Civil War, an excavation project and then night club during the Great Depression, and a fall out shelter during the Cold War. We had an incredible tour guide who made the stories of this special place come alive. On our tour we saw a few bats, several types of rock formations, and the various marks left by centuries of cave visitors. The cherry on top of our experience was the kids’ delight at the whole experience. I’m sorry it took us so long to visit this gem that is practically in our backyard, but I’m so glad it finally happened.
We spent yesterday celebrating Thanksgiving at Luke’s sister’s house. They moved recently to a house just a few minutes away from ours, and it was nice to have such a short drive over! The kids had a blast playing all day with their cousins and we all enjoyed good food and conversation. The weather got chilly just in time to make the day seem festive! One year ago, I could not have imagined we would be celebrating a baby’s first Thanksgiving this November. Nico (who was able to wear Sully’s first Thanksgiving outfit!) is but one of the MANY blessings I was giving thanks for this Thanksgiving.
|| ICYMI: NOVEMBER ON THE BLOG ||
Nickelson Ryan: A Baby Naming Story!
Nickelson Ryan || Three Months Old
A Sprinkling of Love and Beauty “We may pray for God’s blessings on our lives, and I believe He delights in answering our expressed prayers. But often—more often than we could ever comprehend—He showers us with blessings that are far beyond our requests or even our imaginations.”
This weekend is all about ushering in Christmas! We have Christmas tree shopping and Christmas light hanging and a Christmas party and certainly some eggnog and Christmas movie watching to look forward to. How are you spending your Thanksgiving weekend?