Happy belated birthday! I relate to so much of this update - including a birthday in August, a general LOVE for the month, and a very disappointing one this year. I had COVID on my birthday week 😫
I love your paper stars and all the book recommendations - added a few to my list and the lgbtq middle grade one for my teen! We also got a rogue sunflower this year and it was my favorite & nearly grew as tall as our house! 🤩 hope you’ve had a smooth transition to kindergarten - it’s such a big milestone but you’ll be amazed how much these little ones can grow! I can’t believe my youngest is a big third grader 😭
Oof, what a horrible way to spend a birthday! I hope you're feeling better and the rest of the month was better!
And thank you so much for the well wishes for the transition. We're starting very soon and my anxiety is HIGH but I have all the confidence in my daughter adjusting (it's me adjusting that I'm worried about😅).
Happy belated birthday! So glad you were born, and grateful for your generosity in sharing on substack what you can, when you can, in all the ways you do :))
I adore your book dragon and hope you someday have one in every color of the rainbow - or all the colors you like, anyway! Thank you for the kind mention, A. And I hope that the transition to kindergarten goes smoothly (or smoothishly) for your child and for your beautiful mama heart! ❤️
Your sunflower is so delightfully ruffled! This happened to us last year - and that self seeded sunflower is why we planted ours this year. Of all the seeds we put down only 2 bloomed. We cut down one for its seedhead this week. They look big and juicy and the pods are completely empty. 😂
Screencapping your book recommendations. I need some nice light reading this month.
Thanks for the shoutout. I love hearing when my eclectic chaos connects. 🥰
Basically, I tend to have multiple books in varying genres/formats going at once, and I pick them up at different times. It's easier for me to read ebooks when I'm waiting for an appointment, for example, and I like audiobooks for when I'm at home and working on a hands-on project or cleaning. I keep physical books by my bed and next to where I like to sit on the couch so when I'm wanting some quiet/to avoid screens, I can pick one of them up (these are mostly nonfiction). Now that I have my Kindle, I tend to keep that with the physical books nearby and reach for it when I'm not sure what else to do.
And I should also mention that since I'm a stay-at-home parent and my kids are pretty young, aside from just having the time to read more because of my situation, I also very much rely on reading to help me regulate. It makes me feel more like myself. I don't do a lot outside of the house, and along with various crafting projects, reading is my main hobby. I used to read one book after another as a kid, and I also went through a phase of not being able to read much at all for about a decade after I burnt out and left college, so I'm just really happy to be able to enjoy it again. I do read a lot, but it's less about the amount of reading for me and more about the enjoyment. 😊
Thank you so much for sharing!! I used to read a lot, but becoming a parent and navigating all these new changes etc has impacted a lot of that. And it's so much easier to reach for my phone to "be productive." I'm trying to be better about making space/time for me and the things I love. I like seeing reading as a hobby!!
I recently got a larger bag so it can fit my Kindle/books. Here's to more reading and less screens! 🎉
I need to add a bunch of these books to my list! One of my favorites I've been rereading lately is "For small creatures such as we" which sounds a lot like "hello, goodbye" except it's written by Sasha Sagan (daughter of Carl Sagan) and she discusses a lot of secular beliefs and how that plays into the necessity for ritual. It's one of my cozy books that I love re-reading.
I didn't realize you were staring down kindergarten! What a big emotional change for all of you. It's so very bittersweet and I hope all the best for your whole family as you navigate this new world.
I will and always be a major fan of India Holton and love her first trilogy (Wisteria Society etc) forever, but her newest book, which is the start of a new trilogy, is just so damn sweet I can't help myself. Highly recommend.
Also, Jellycat released new dragons, but thankfully only in the bigger size, so I'm not tempted yet. One has rainbow scales!
I knew I had another question - what movies have you been watching with the kids? My kids are so anxious, especially around things that happen on a screen, that we really have not had success with any movies, even though I love the idea of family movie day.
Yes! We survived half-day pre-k, and Sybil loves school, so I'm not worried about her doing well there so much as about all the imminent illnesses. I'm hoping this year will be better since the kids have been exposed to more now, but I really struggle with it all since Covid.
Oh, I've got Holton's Wisteria Society on my queue for next year already and am really looking forward to it, but I didn't realize she's got a new trilogy started! I'll definitely have to keep an eye out for it (although I might wait until she's finished all three so I don't have to wait in between😅)!
I'm thinking I might choose another Jellycat dragon colour for Christmas. They're just so cute and perfect for cuddling!
The kids are a bit of a mixed bag with movies and also don't struggle with anxiety like me at this point, so I'm not sure that sharing our favourites will be helpful (there's lots of old and new Disney, some Studio Ghibli, and they like superheroes which I don't prefer). Sybil has really only had trouble with certain scarier things on TV in the last few months, so when we watched Labyrinth for the first time recently, she started crying about Jareth taking the baby and Sarah not being able to find him. And in that case I reassured her that the movie wasn't real, as well as that it *did* end happily, in case that helped, and also told her that we didn't have to finish it if she didn't want to. And for her that was enough for her to settle in and enjoy the rest. My friend's 6 year old struggles with any movies with conflict, though, and I know his favourite has been Wall-e. He's still slowly expanding what he's comfortable with, and I'm not sure exactly what else he's watching now. Maybe if you can't find a movie that feels safe enough, you could start with a show and have a little marathon? Bluey is my go-to comfort show, so maybe something like that?
Happy belated birthday! I relate to so much of this update - including a birthday in August, a general LOVE for the month, and a very disappointing one this year. I had COVID on my birthday week 😫
I love your paper stars and all the book recommendations - added a few to my list and the lgbtq middle grade one for my teen! We also got a rogue sunflower this year and it was my favorite & nearly grew as tall as our house! 🤩 hope you’ve had a smooth transition to kindergarten - it’s such a big milestone but you’ll be amazed how much these little ones can grow! I can’t believe my youngest is a big third grader 😭
Oof, what a horrible way to spend a birthday! I hope you're feeling better and the rest of the month was better!
And thank you so much for the well wishes for the transition. We're starting very soon and my anxiety is HIGH but I have all the confidence in my daughter adjusting (it's me adjusting that I'm worried about😅).
Sending lots of peace 🙏🏽
Happy belated birthday! So glad you were born, and grateful for your generosity in sharing on substack what you can, when you can, in all the ways you do :))
Thank you, Keith! 🧡
I adore your book dragon and hope you someday have one in every color of the rainbow - or all the colors you like, anyway! Thank you for the kind mention, A. And I hope that the transition to kindergarten goes smoothly (or smoothishly) for your child and for your beautiful mama heart! ❤️
Thank you so much, friend! 🧡
I need a Jellycat book dragon. 😍
Your sunflower is so delightfully ruffled! This happened to us last year - and that self seeded sunflower is why we planted ours this year. Of all the seeds we put down only 2 bloomed. We cut down one for its seedhead this week. They look big and juicy and the pods are completely empty. 😂
Screencapping your book recommendations. I need some nice light reading this month.
Thanks for the shoutout. I love hearing when my eclectic chaos connects. 🥰
The Jellycat dragons are SO soft (and also less expensive if you buy them directly from the company)!
I will definitely try again with the sunflowers in a different location next year!
I can't wait to hear about your reading! 🧡
What a fun collection of resources! Do you have a past post on reading tips? I’m curious how you manage to read so much each month. 🤩
I really appreciate you asking! I don't exactly have tips, but I did write a bit about my reading rhythm here: https://open.substack.com/pub/writingwilder/p/the-way-i-read-books-now-like-grandma?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=pfigt
Basically, I tend to have multiple books in varying genres/formats going at once, and I pick them up at different times. It's easier for me to read ebooks when I'm waiting for an appointment, for example, and I like audiobooks for when I'm at home and working on a hands-on project or cleaning. I keep physical books by my bed and next to where I like to sit on the couch so when I'm wanting some quiet/to avoid screens, I can pick one of them up (these are mostly nonfiction). Now that I have my Kindle, I tend to keep that with the physical books nearby and reach for it when I'm not sure what else to do.
And I should also mention that since I'm a stay-at-home parent and my kids are pretty young, aside from just having the time to read more because of my situation, I also very much rely on reading to help me regulate. It makes me feel more like myself. I don't do a lot outside of the house, and along with various crafting projects, reading is my main hobby. I used to read one book after another as a kid, and I also went through a phase of not being able to read much at all for about a decade after I burnt out and left college, so I'm just really happy to be able to enjoy it again. I do read a lot, but it's less about the amount of reading for me and more about the enjoyment. 😊
Thank you so much for sharing!! I used to read a lot, but becoming a parent and navigating all these new changes etc has impacted a lot of that. And it's so much easier to reach for my phone to "be productive." I'm trying to be better about making space/time for me and the things I love. I like seeing reading as a hobby!!
I recently got a larger bag so it can fit my Kindle/books. Here's to more reading and less screens! 🎉
I need to add a bunch of these books to my list! One of my favorites I've been rereading lately is "For small creatures such as we" which sounds a lot like "hello, goodbye" except it's written by Sasha Sagan (daughter of Carl Sagan) and she discusses a lot of secular beliefs and how that plays into the necessity for ritual. It's one of my cozy books that I love re-reading.
I think I added that to my queue for next year already! It sounds wonderful.
I didn't realize you were staring down kindergarten! What a big emotional change for all of you. It's so very bittersweet and I hope all the best for your whole family as you navigate this new world.
I will and always be a major fan of India Holton and love her first trilogy (Wisteria Society etc) forever, but her newest book, which is the start of a new trilogy, is just so damn sweet I can't help myself. Highly recommend.
Also, Jellycat released new dragons, but thankfully only in the bigger size, so I'm not tempted yet. One has rainbow scales!
I knew I had another question - what movies have you been watching with the kids? My kids are so anxious, especially around things that happen on a screen, that we really have not had success with any movies, even though I love the idea of family movie day.
Also can't wait to see the new ink!
Yes! We survived half-day pre-k, and Sybil loves school, so I'm not worried about her doing well there so much as about all the imminent illnesses. I'm hoping this year will be better since the kids have been exposed to more now, but I really struggle with it all since Covid.
Oh, I've got Holton's Wisteria Society on my queue for next year already and am really looking forward to it, but I didn't realize she's got a new trilogy started! I'll definitely have to keep an eye out for it (although I might wait until she's finished all three so I don't have to wait in between😅)!
I'm thinking I might choose another Jellycat dragon colour for Christmas. They're just so cute and perfect for cuddling!
The kids are a bit of a mixed bag with movies and also don't struggle with anxiety like me at this point, so I'm not sure that sharing our favourites will be helpful (there's lots of old and new Disney, some Studio Ghibli, and they like superheroes which I don't prefer). Sybil has really only had trouble with certain scarier things on TV in the last few months, so when we watched Labyrinth for the first time recently, she started crying about Jareth taking the baby and Sarah not being able to find him. And in that case I reassured her that the movie wasn't real, as well as that it *did* end happily, in case that helped, and also told her that we didn't have to finish it if she didn't want to. And for her that was enough for her to settle in and enjoy the rest. My friend's 6 year old struggles with any movies with conflict, though, and I know his favourite has been Wall-e. He's still slowly expanding what he's comfortable with, and I'm not sure exactly what else he's watching now. Maybe if you can't find a movie that feels safe enough, you could start with a show and have a little marathon? Bluey is my go-to comfort show, so maybe something like that?