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Does Owning an Ant Farm Make Me a Farmer?
This is a legitimate question. Does owning an ant farm make me a farmer? Or just crazy because I have live ants in my house? Ants that I PAID MONEY to bring into my home and that I’m feeding and watering. You’re right. I drew the same conclusion. It definitely makes me a farmer. Glad we cleared that up. We recently took the kids to a place in New Jersey called Insectropolis. It is a self-described bugseum, which is a pretty great name. It was also a pretty great place to spend a couple of hours. We saw thousands of bugs and even touched a few live ones including a…
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Books My Kids Are Reading Part 9
It’s been awhile since I updated you on what my kids and I have been reading together. How have you survived without this list?! My dad is out there right now saying, “I survived just fine!” Hahahaha! Before I get to the book list, I want to share my library receipt with you. I promise this is interesting. Our library recently started indicating on the receipt how much you saved by checking books out instead of buying them. On this trip we saved $262! Isn’t that a clever marketing idea? Alright, onto the good stuff. Our summer schedule has been pretty loosey-goosey and I felt like we haven’t been reading…
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Not Your Usual Teacher Gift Ideas
My feelings on school starting ping back and forth at least 400 times an hour. Summer is the best. Why does it have to end? HOW long until summer ends? Lazy summer days are amazing. Crud. It’s only 8:07 A.M.! 11 hours and 53 minutes until bedtime. I’m soaking up every moment with my babies. You JUST had a snack! And so on and so forth. The one feeling that remains constant is my profound appreciation for the teachers and support staff who teach, nurture, protect and inspire my children. At some point in the year, I know I will be giving a teacher gift or participating in a classroom gift…
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Books My Kids Are Reading Part 8
“A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.” ― C.S. Lewis I mainly agree with that C.S. Lewis quote. If I’m going to read a book aloud to my kids over and over and over, I want to enjoy it too. However, as my kids have become independent readers, there are some books that my kids love (aka Captain Underpants) that I love less. However, I’m glad these books make my kids want to hide under the covers with a flashlight to read after light’s out. Here are the books my kids and I have read recently that are…
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Books My Kids Are Reading Part 7
I’m back with another update (the 7th!) of what books my kids and I have been reading together. The books I share here are the ones my kids, 2nd and 5th graders, enjoyed and gave their stamp of approval. My feelings are sometimes more complicated. I’m a mom. I overthink all. the. things! First, I wanted to show you a different kind of book. This is my son’s Irish reading homework from a few months ago. Suffice it to say, I have to trust him when he says it’s a story about a monkey drinking milk. Now, onto the book list! The World’s Worst Children by David Walliams We’ve read…
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Books My Kids Are Reading Part 5
First week of September and I am up to my eyeballs in lunch boxes and homework! Before I completely forget everything that happened this summer, I want to give you the rundown of some books we enjoyed while school was out. It’s not the entirety of what we or they read, but the ones worth sharing. These are the books my (kids age 7 and 10) enjoyed and said, “just one more chapter! Please!” AniMalcolm by David Baddiel We stumbled into the world of David Baddiel when I picked up this book at the airport back in June. AniMalcom is a book about a kid who doesn’t like animals and then…
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How I Accidentally Got My Kids Excited for College
It’s the first day of school (WOOHOO!!!), so it seems like an appropriate time to share this story. Come to find out, August is probably the busiest month for tourism in Ireland. It’s quite possible there are more tourists on the island than there are residents. At least it sure feels that way. Dang tourists. (Oh, wait. I’m practically a tourist myself. Never mind. Tourists are the BEST! Except when you don’t walk fast and I have places to be.) Anyway. Let’s just pretend I didn’t tell you how I really feel. My dad and The Junk Whisperer made plans to visit us during August. Them coming to see us…
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You Know You’re a Farmer’s Kid When…
You know you’re a farmer’s kid when… Your dad pulls out his wallet to pay for dinner… just a simple, well-worn wallet… and bits of HAY (yes, hay that cows eat) fly out of his wallet and land all over the restaurant table. All. Over. Then, without missing a beat, he says… “It’s just a little seed money.” Get it…hay seed? What dad can resist telling a good dad joke? Truly, I laughed. It was a pretty funny moment. My dad spends pretty much the entire summer on a tractor making hay. And, yes, that hay seems to get everywhere. And, yes, I’m glossing over how hard this season is for…
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A Year Without Grades
My children completed their first year in an Irish primary school. Woohoo! Next year it is on to 2nd and 5th grade. How did that happen so fast? Time is flying, people. Just flying by. When we moved to Ireland almost a year ago, my kids had been attending a terrific public school in the southern United States. Suffice it to say, this year has been a big adjustment for all of us – especially them. Side note: My kids are not in the Irish public school system. They attend a private primary school. I detailed those reasons here. If you’re an expat moving to Ireland, it’s worth the read. My kids…
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Books My Kids Are Reading Part 4
I was reading aloud to the kids last week while we waited at the train station. My son, in typical fashion, was sitting on my lap and my daughter was sitting on my right. On her right sat an elderly man. I read for 5 or 6 minutes while the kids munched on their after school snack. When they hopped up to throw their granola bar wrappers in the bin, the man turned to me and with a quiet, gravelly voice said, “I remember my mum reading to me when I was a young lad.” I noticed his eyes had teared up. “She’s been gone 5 years now.” With that…
