Summers End

Can it really be the first of August? Where oh where did the summer go? We are starting back to school in a few days and I am just thinking how fast this past year and our first homeschool year was. My boys are growing and learning and I have been in a bit of a rut in crafting. I guess that is how seasons of life go though you know. You transition from one thing to the next depending on what your soul and mind need. I have been working hard on really simplifying things lately and I think I have gotten to a place of balance or as much as it as possible.

So to get this blog caught up on things I thought I needed to post. For some reason I am more of a blogger and fiber arts person in the fall and winter and more visual Instagramer in the hotter summer months. I think it has to do with the fact that I live in Alabama where it feels like stepping outside makes your skin melt off. Because of this intense heat I have not done much in the way of knitting or crochet but I have been doing a lot of other things... like getting ready for homeschool.

I have been finding myself being pulled more to my morning alone time. The time where I get up, have my coffee and do some Bible study and quite knitting. For me it really helps me ease into the day and center myself so to speak.

There has been a lot going on in the crafting world. There has been a shift to making it more diverse and emotions for many are running high. I am not going into much detail but for me its all boils down to love for my fellow human. I strive daily to be the best Christian I can be. Its not an easy chore and not meant to be. We are called to love one another even if the other doesn't show us the same love and kindness. Its funny thought because we all struggle with emotions and how to deal with them. We all want our voices heard and some are better at conveying those emotions more than others. For me I try to remain centered and calm and try to avoid confrontation. One of the ways and I have spoke about it before on this blog is morning quiet time. I think everyone needs this... and it can vary to each individual. I know not all are Christians and so yours may not reflect mine but a simple cup of coffee and stillness can go a long for your day. Which is what lead me to our new curriculum, Abeka. Abeka starts the morning off with Bible time for the boys. I am hoping to see them get the same benefits from it as I do. Our official start date is the 7th however we may break into it Monday. It is a lot more structured then what we used last year so I waning to see how that is going to affect them.

We took June and July off but still did some table time throughout the week which involved some reading, writing and randoms. One of the things we really worked on this summer was understanding emotions. Our oldest is 11 and he gets hit with waves of emotions. I am not sure it is puberty knocking at the door but he will be fine and the next minute have a wave of emotion rush over him. It has happened 3-4 times since February. One night he was crying and just wanted to be besides me and looking at photos of him growing up. We used a few books in our reading time to discuss feelings and emotions and Gabe joined in because really we all have a hard time from time to time understanding and processing the emotions we go through. I tried to find them all but some were library borrows, some we donated and some I have no idea where they went... I looked... but who knows...

One of the books that we used was sent for us to review by B&H Publishing and called "What am I Feeling" by Josh and Christi Straub. This is a book that is really geared to younger children, I would say 2- 1st possible 2nd grade. The red head is only 8 but still enjoyed this book. The story follows the day of a little boy named Sam. I am guessing Sam is in preschool or Kindergarten as they are having show-n-tell that day. Same deals with an emotion as well as some friends. Its a cute short book but does give visual representation to the emotions that the kids deal with. I think in a world of electronics and on the go its easy to get caught up in it all and forget how to handle and deal with our emotions. Its something we are just expected to figure out on our own but for kids that can be hard. I know my own children went to school and experienced other kids who had no idea how to channel their emotions. Maybe if as parents we start with conversation starters like this book at younger ages we can help our children feel empathy, more love and compassion to towards each other.