Renee Emerson

This summer I didn’t do much by ways of craft projects (aside from rearranging the furniture and clearing out junk we don’t need) or yard projects (bryan built the kid’s playhouse and swingset though) or even very much writing (or submitting my writing…sigh). 

I did teach a bit online to help finish up paying off our debt—we’ll be debt-free by the end of the year if we keep up our frugalness! Goodbye student loans!  I lost all the rest of the babyweight + 5lbs more. we traveled quite a bit—seeing family and some friends—and have one more trip planned before the summer is out.

but I told myself at the beginning of the summer that this was NOT going to be a to-do list summer—I was going to take things as they came, do what I could, not live by the striving for unattainable goals. And I did just that and don’t regret it a bit. I could have possibly done more—maybe—but I don’t know if I would have enjoyed this summer as much as I have living a little bit more carefree, a little bit more relaxed into the ease and grace of God’s love.

the notebook:
I’m auditing a poetry coop class on prose poetry right now, and I’m reading reading reading, while I still have time for reading. I’ve been writing a bit more the past few weeks then I did earlier this summer, but I’m not thrilled with my work. I think much of this has to do with the fact that my extended family is going through some Stuff and I feel too emotional about it to write good poetry. The average person might think poets are just spilling over with emotion all the time and that’s where poetry comes from—it doesn’t for me. I clam up, often as not.  So there’s been a few little guarded poems and a few poems I wouldn’t want many people to read (the “to be burnt” pile). I suspect I’ll get back into a writing rhythm (and submitting rhythm—haven’t sent poems out in Months!) once the fall comes.

the hubs:
bryan is making music, lots and lots of music (good music! and I’m pretty snobby about music). we wrote 1 song together this summer and want to write more. he finished his collection of songs that were inspired by the lord’s prayer. So now he’s working on recording them  from home (I’ll share them here when they’re out).

he’s nervous about it—putting his music Out There—but I keep telling him what I was told when I was nervous about putting my poetry out there—artwork is a gift, and it glorifies God to share it with the world.

oh hum, how does this work with what I said just now about my own work…. Do I contradict myself? so I contradict myself.

the little one:
at the end of august I plan on starting some “pre-school” K3 with zu. I have no idea at all what I’m doing—I was never homeschooled and didn’t know homeschoolers growing up.  BUT I surely know the stuff she needs to learn (I’ve got the alphabet DOWN!), so we’re going to give it a shot.  

I made her a little “school” area in the corner of the playroom—makeshift desk, chair, her own
bookshelf blockaded from june’s gleeful destruction.  I’m doing a program I read on a mom blog that I found through pinterest. This is probably sketch and not the best homeschooling material out there, but  I figure that since preschool is optional anyway, anything I teach her counts.

In addition to that, I’m thinking of buying a jesus storybook bible study guide or making one up myself (on the list of goals this mom uses, I added a “faith” section, where we’ll study the JSB, short memory verses, and learning to pray)

Ok—readers, you may now leave all of your homeschooling advice in the comments area, thank you!

the littlest:
june has left the colicky throws of infant-hood behind and fully thrown herself into small-toddler(ness?). I. love. It.

toddlers are my favorite. My very favorite. (so far). I love the things they say when they start to say them (No-No, mama! When I was wiping her face. tickle tickle when she wants to get our bellies.  Bay-bee, bay-bee when she’s playing with baby beluga). I love their awkward funny walks. I love that they still have a little bit of baby-fatness (or a lot a bit in june’s case).

Oh and june cuddles! Zu hated cuddling at this age, would fight tooth and nail to be down and going going going, but june, oh june, she runs up to me and buries her face on my chest and nestles and sighs. Zu is leaving the toddler stage for full-out being a Kid (or maybe she is already? She doesn’t hardly toddle any more. she goes potty by herself, brushes her teeth by herself. Hm.)

Anyway, you should see our dance parties some time. it is very squealy over here.

Thought for the week: