Weekly Rundown: Spring

If you live in a cold climate, you understand the energy and joy that comes with warmer days after a long, frigid winter. The smell of melt and uncovered earth signal a new season is coming.

That happened here this week. The kids spent hours outside riding bikes, jumping on the trampoline, sighting in their air soft guns.

I’m ready for it!

Learning Well LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Affiliate links from Amazon or other programs are used on this website. For more info, please refer to our disclosure statement.

WEEKLY RUNDOWN: Spring

Even though spring here in the Midwest can definitely surprise us with a random snow storm, spring is starting to appear. Unfortunately for several of us–myself included–we missed part of the week buried under blankets, wishing the nausea would end after catching what Vera had last week.

Such a bummer since it feels like we just recovered from the Rona. But alas, we are alive. All is well.

Get the 6 Secrets to a Simpler Mom Life

MAKING HOME

We are going on vacation next week and we had SUCH a great plan to get our bathroom finished by the time we left. This bathroom project has already been 2.5 months–the longest a single project has ever taken us–and the mess is really getting old. All our bathroom stuff is piled in our room and the extra stimuli is really stressful. Not to mention the dust ev.er.y.where!!

We had so hoped to get it done before we left. Then, stomach flu 🙁

So, in consistency with the rest of the never-ending project, I started feeling better Friday and just wanted to get the tile going–just ONE wall of the shower. If we couldn’t get it all done, at least one wall would be tiled!

The boys and I started late in the day, but we were determined.

First, the little plastic key that is needed to run the wet saw went missing. (We never did find it, but really sticking anything in there worked. NOT recommending this though.)

Then, I over thought it all and watched 3452 YouTube videos.

I got over the fear and mixed the mortar. Noah was on one side, I was on the other, and Jack was the tile cutter. Tiles were going up, we were starting to get the hang of it, we’re opening more packages of tile and then….

…the tiles changed. Wrong tiles. Flat subway tiles instead of the beveled ones I thought I had ordered. Maybe it’s just this one box that got packaged wrong.

No. All wrong.

So we stopped for the night until I could order more of the beveled.

About two hours after this photo, I checked Home Depot. You guessed it! They were totally out of the beveled tile. Not backordered or out of stock, just gone forever.

I did find another one, so I thought I could just get that one and add to what we’d done. But alas, they were 2mm too thick compared to the tile we’d started with.

Ugh.

Ugh.

Ugh.

So they tiles came down. I’m heading back to the store today and hoping for the best!

Home projects, amiright?

WHAT WE’RE LEARNING

I was SO hoping for a great week of school after our quick trip to SD last week eating into the middle of our school week and going on vacation next week. But it wasn’t meant to be.

We had a great day of school Monday and it was kind of downhill from there.

Thursday and Friday though, I was feeling a little better and we had “reading days” for school. Honestly, besides needing a math curriculum, I think this could totally work for the entire school year and the kids would learn tons.

Basically, I took a pile of reading material for all the different subjects we’re working on, get comfy, and read to the kids!

The cool thing about this is the subjects will overlap and so many dots will be connected!

Here’s what we Read:

Here’s What we Covered:

  • World + American History
  • US + World Geography
  • Biographies
  • Nature Study
  • Science
  • Bible Study
  • Music
  • Folk Tales
  • I’m sure I’m forgetting something!

The GW book covered the first hot air balloon launch, which is also covered in the BFB Around the World Study, as we’re in France right now.

SQUILT calendar is based on Bach, so we pulled out Zeezok and read from the Bach bio we had and listened to the CD that goes with the book.

The Birds: Our Teachers perfectly goes with our science this year and it teaches so many biblical lessons.

SO even though we didn’t have a perfectly planned out week of school, it was still great!

A while back, I wrote about what to do if you need a substitute teacher if you’re sick or any other reason.

WHAT WE READ THIS WEEK

The kids and I are currently reading the following:

NOTEWORTHY

I have been a fan of Jordan Peterson for years now. I’ve listened to hours of his lectures and watched him in numerous debates. It’s always been very clear that he’s very moral, believes in the Bible as a historical text, and is a very good man. But he’s not a believer.

I saw this post this week and cried actual tears. Pray for Jordan Peterson, friends.


I’m looking for Easter basket ideas this weekend. Here’s a post I did with a bunch of ideas if you need some.

ON MY HEART: Should Christian Women Ignore the News?

I listen to a lot of newsy commentary and read a lot of news articles throughout the week. Honestly, this week has been a hard one for me to take for some reason. Maybe just being sick and everything feeling overwhelming.

One of the days I wasn’t feeling well, I just was thinking about how much easier it would feel to just not read any of it. Just close my eyes and plug my ears, so to speak.

That doesn’t sit right with me. There’s nothing virtuous about being ignorant.

There’s also nothing virtuous about being a nervous wreck either.

I do think we’re supposed to be aware. For way too long Christians have tried to stay in their lane, stay out of politics, just be nice. Christians cannot be so fully immersed and so like the world that there is no differentiation between us and it.

There does seem to be more Christians waking up to that fact.

There is a balance between getting swallowed up in the news cycle AND sticking our heads in the sand and not coming up for air from either of those.

I noticed this for myself this week. Too much news, too little time in the Word.

As I’m writing now, Sovereign Grace Music is filling my ears and hymns of praise lift the dread of what would come without God’s grace.

See, that’s the thing.

There are things that I CAN do. You too. I can be informed, know what’s coming, train my kids, be diligent in prayer, listen to what God’s leading may be, be studious to where the culture is so that I can adequately defend my unwillingness to participate in it.

We do no good by being ignorant to the world. In fact, maybe that’s why our society is such a dumpster fire today.

But we also do no good to cripple ourselves in fear.

We can do both.

Be IN the world–know what’s up, be informed–but not OF the world–turn it over, lay it down, sing songs of praise, remember Who’s you are are where you’re going.

A little bit to get you started if you’re feeling overwhelmed with it all like I have this week:

ON MY NIGHTSTAND

SO. Many. Books right now! They’re all so good and I am plugging away at each one. I have a feeling this is going to be a really good reading year.

Here’s what’s on my nightstand:

Be Thankful

Quick List:

  • Friends that speak truth, not appease me
  • Sunshine in Minnesota!
  • Feeling better and getting sick THIS week instead of NEXT!

What are you thankful for this weekend?

Talk soon!

6 Comments

  1. I saw the Jordan Peterson clip today and I think he’s on his way to Jesus! I told my hubby, who is a big fan, that we must pray for him. Also, the whole last year was a whole lesson for me on how much news and info I can deal with! We are a civically active family, but it can certainly easily take over and then you feel like the whole thing depends upon you! Spending time every day without fail in the word (I’m reading through the Bible) has been great because it takes up that time in the morning that I normally would be scrolling and sets me up for the day. I always pray that God will order my steps, interruptions, conversations, and to make me aware of anything I need to know. As soon as I start to feel overwhelmed, I unplug for a good while. Still learning. I am very thankful for your voice of encouragement! ?

  2. Sorry that you have been sick! The Jordan Peterson clip is so great. My husband really enjoys listening to him and reading his books. The balance of know what’s going on in the world without letting it steal your joy is a tough one these days, one that I find myself constantly talking to God about! Praying that your vacation is wonderful!

  3. Thank you for sharing. I’ve been praying for Jordan Peterson for a while and got goose bumps watching the clip you shared. God is good, I’m in awe of seeing how He moves.

    Praying you have a wonderful, restful, restorative vacation with your precious family where the sun can shine on your mask-less faces. 🙂

  4. Sorry that you were not feeling well. Glad are getting better. Enjoy your vacation. God Bless.
    Jaon,Marion and Marilyn

  5. That Jordan Peterson interview…whew. Tears over here as well. It’s amazing to see God breaking through the intellect to the heart…not that Christianity cannot engage the intellect. But it’s miraculous to watch the Lord bring both of those together. Thanks for sharing.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.