Back To School Books

It’s that time of year. School is gearing to start up and another year of learning is about to begin. When I used to teach elementary school Adam always knew that come August anything not related to school would be put on hold until Labor Day weekend. The house was a disaster, meals were hardly cooked, laundry was never folded. I was focused 100% on my new group of upcoming students and nothing else.

One of the best parts of the first day was sitting that new group of kids on the rug and reading them a story for the first time. Something about reading to my kids - it just held a since of comfort for me. A chance to connect with the kids through a simple story. I started almost every school year with the story Splat the Cat. It isn’t a book with some profound message to set the class off on the right foot for the school year. It is just a funny, simple book that my students enjoyed. I would finish the day reading Rhyming Dust Bunnies (using some serious voice effects) and that always had the kids laughing. Rhyming Dust Bunnies has absolutely nothing to do with the first day of school - but it was always a hit.

I share all of this because I know school is going to look different for everyone this year. Some might be going to school, others learning online, some doing homeschool. The first day of school might come from a computer screen or equipped with a mask. It breaks my heart how the comfort of going to school has to be so different this year. So I thought I would compile a list of Back to School books for you to read with your child at home when it’s time for school to start back.

A lot about this upcoming school year is hard. It is all new and you don’t need me to tell you that it’s never been done before. But can I let you in on a little secret. Every school year is hard. No matter what the circumstances. The trick is allowing the good to outweigh the parts that don’t make sense. Finding those small moments in each day and allowing them to speak louder than the parts that make you want to hide under your desk until Christmas break.

Here is to a new school year. One like never before. One that I pray brings a new way of teaching, learning, and giving grace.

Our Favorite Things: Pool

Our neighborhood pool is the place to be in the summer. I was super worried it wouldn’t open because of the “big bad sickness”. THANKFULLY (with several restrictions) it was able to open and we are so thankful.

I spend a lot of time down at the pool with both girls by myself. Having two babies around water can feel a little overwhelming, but so far we have been able to manage. I’ve made a list of things we are using this summer with the girls!

Number One - Foldable Wagon

I didn’t know how much I needed this at the pool, until I brought it to the pool and it changed everything. Disclaimer: this wagon is not intended for people to ride in. But Lampley spends a lot of time hanging out there. I typically load up the wagon with our pool bag, Jane Taylor’s puddle jumper, and a chair (our pool doesn’t have the chairs available currently), load it in the back of my car and take it to the pool. It is just the right size that it fits completely opened up in the back of my SUV. But it is super easy to fold and unfold at the same time.

Lampley is in that sweet spot where she can sit up but isn’t pulling up so the wagon is a great place for her to hang as we are getting settled. It’s big enough that she can roll around in it too. I honestly got the idea of putting her in it because my friend with twins has this wagon- which is a huge step up from our foldable one.

Number Two - Pool Bag

Scout bags are the way to go when it comes to bags, but especially a bag for the pool. The one we use is huge. We can put all our towels in it, a lunchbox, sunscreen, and any pool toys we might be bringing with us. Everything just gets tossed in and I love it!

Number Three - Foldable High Chair

We have had this chair for years and taken it everywhere. To tailgate, the beach, and now the pool. Jane Taylor loved it when she was little and now Lampley eats in it all the time. When we eat lunch at the pool I can put Lampley in this chair while Jane Taylor and I eat on a towel.

Number Four - Pool Toys

On the off chance that one of our neighbors isn’t at the pool with us we have a couple of pool toy favorites that keep her entertained. We love this Frozen set and these little boats. Lampley is super happy sitting on my lap on the steps of the pool as long as she has something to hold. This teether is her favorite.

Number Five - LunchBox

Every morning I make Jane Taylor’s lunch in case we decide to head to the pool. I wrote a little about our favorite lunchboxes here. I pack her lunchbox in this adorable lunch bag, add an ice pack and we are good to go! For Lampley’s lunch I usually pack her’s in these little containers which can also fit in the lunch bag.

Number Six - Cover Up

A very wise friend taught me last summer about the beauty of a towel cover up. When we are done swimming and its time to come home I simply get Jane Taylors wet bathing suit off and put this towel wrap on. No need to worry about her dragging a towel out with her. It has been the best thing and made leaving the pool so easy. We also love wearing these slides to the pool because it doesn’t matter if they get wet but they don’t weigh you down like water shoes would.

Number Seven - Potty Seat

I know. I know. Bringing a potty to the pool is so very weird. But listen… it is better than Jane Taylor having to run into the bathroom, disinfect everything.. you get the picture. So we bring this potty seat. It can stay in the car, or come with us to the pool (we are not the only people doing this). It has made life a lot easier. It is small, easy to clean, and great for our newly potty trained child.

Number Eight - Stroller Fan

We clip this fan onto the wagon to turn on whenever Lampley is in there. It is great because if she grabs hold of it, which she does often, the fan won’t hurt her. The days can get hot so it is nice to have!

Number Nine - Puddle Jumper

There is no way I could take both girls to the pool by myself if Jane Taylor wasn’t so good at swimming in her puddle jumper. I know there are a lot of opinions around puddle jumpers and swim safety. This is what works for us.

Number Ten - The Basics

Sunscreen, water bottle, favorite swimsuits for the girls, favorite swimsuits for me.

Life at the Farm

Photography by Brigette Bilups

A couple months ago we had a team of guys working underneath our house to fix some structural damage we had discovered. It was actually a pretty intense process because our house was “sinking” at an alarming rate. To the point where they conducted an investigation to make sure we were not sitting on a….sink hole. Which is story for another day in itself. Spoiler alert: no sinkhole. But still a lot of damage that needed to be fixed.

So one of the workers comes up to ask if we had a potted plant somewhere because there was water POURING down in the crawlspace. Well I can assure you there are no potted plants in our house causing that type of leak…but we do have a frig - and that frig was leaking.

Within a couple of hours the floors were ripped up in my kitchen, the island was moved and fans were placed to try to dry out the subfloor. The good news was we would be getting new floors. The bad news was we would need to move out.

We were all set to go with the new floors when the “big bad sickness” hit. Suddenly the thought of people coming in our home didn’t seem like the best idea. So we pushed the construction time back and lived with a kitchen half hardwood half subfloor for several months. Until insurance called and told us to find a place to live so they could get moving on it. Because of the “big bad sickness” we needed to be out for a month. And that’s where the farm comes in.

We were able to spend the entire month of May at the farm. It didn’t take long for it to feel completely like home. Since we had to completely move out of our current house, we brought several of the girls toys and their cribs with us to the farm. While it felt like a lot, I’m glad we did it and I think it really helped the girls settle into a new place quickly.

We were greeted each morning by the sun, there are no trees around the barn so the natural light was stunning all day long. Most days I would forget to turn on the kitchen lights because the windows in the main room are amazing. We would have breakfast at the little nook to the side of the kitchen or out on the porch. The girls and I would walk down to the river in the mornings and then swing on the downstairs porch. Jane Taylor and I spent a lot of time just playing in the barn. I think all that covered space was a dream to her. And we did a lot of watching of the cows. Seeing them shift from one side of the farm to the other. It was so much fun.

The unique thing about the farm is you are still very close to town but you feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere. I loved the sense of rest that came with being there. It was a great place to just reconnect as a family and have a change of scenery.

Jane Taylor still talks about “our farmhouse” and says “we will go back when our house breaks again!” Now I am not hoping for our house to “break” again, but I can say the farm is a place we hope to visit again soon. We drive by and check on the cows every once in a while. And I thank God for the extended time we got to spend there.

So if you are coming to visit Tennessee, or just need a staycation with a change of scenery. I highly recommend The Farm. You know a place is special when you are sad to leave because it feels just like home.