Book Recommendation: If I Built...

Not pictured: If I Built a Car

The If I Built Series by Chris Van Dusen.

These have been my kids absolute favorite picture books for the past few years. And yes, that includes my 11-year-old daughter. They are witty and clever and told in a fun rhyming scheme. And the illustrations tell half the story! We enjoy pouring over the pictures to see all the details of the imaginative construction of the school, house, and car. I brought two of these books to my son’s second grade class last year, as well, and they were a huge hit!

Amazon says these books are great for ages 3-6, but I would extend that up to 11 or 12! These books are great for inspiring a kids’ imagination, too. Your kids will be drawing blueprints or building with legos for their new house or car ideas after reading these.

From Amazon on If I Built a Car:

If I built a car, it'd be totally new!
Here are a few of the things that I'd do. . . .

Young Jack is giving an eye-opening tour of the car he'd like to build. There's a snack bar, a pool, and even a robot named Robert to act as chauffeur. With Jack's soaring imagination in the driver's seat, we're deep-sea diving one minute and flying high above traffic the next in this whimsical, tantalizing take on the car of the future. Illustrations packed with witty detail, bright colors, and chrome recall the fabulous fifties and an era of classic American automobiles. Infectious rhythm and clever invention make this wonderful read-aloud a launch pad for imaginative fun.

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Let’s Notice Together

I think about the book The Art of Noticing by Rob Walker a lot since reading it last year. The subtitle says it all: “131 Ways to Spark Creativity, Find Inspiration, and Discover Joy in the Everyday.” I loved the idea that how you notice and what you do with what you’ve noticed can all be an art form. And that is pretty much what the entire list is about: what people have decided to notice and how. I took some notes and had a few ideas for how I could replicate some in my own life, but none have come to much fruition. Still, I can’t get the book out of my head, because my biggest takeaway was just to take time to notice, well, anything!

For a while, I tried to notice anything odd, and even better, snap a picture of it. I chose “odd” rather than “beautiful” because oddities tell stories and make you curious. The first example that comes to mind is when I saw a motorcycle parked on the sidewalk outside the local library. Immediately questions came to mine and a story formed: Who parked it there? Were they in a hurry for a certain book? What book can make someone that hurried? Is there treasure I should know about? Scavenger hunt? Or maybe it was someone important? I have no idea, but to this day, I wonder!

On another day, I saw a orange traffic cone perched at the top of a tree. How did it get there? Did someone put it there? Was it an industrious squirrel? Or a giant?

These are fun examples, and I hope I can keep up this practice. But it’s actually not the point of this post. The point is that efforts to be present in my every day life, to “eliminate hurry”*, to practice noticing, are worth pursuing.

As a Christian, I actually think I have the same calling: to lift up my head and see life for what it really is. And if I use my lenses of “beauty, freedom, and abundance”, the results can be profound. I really love the idea that not only can noticing be an art form, it can also be a spiritual discipline. (I would argue that creating any art is actually a spiritual practice, which I’ve always known in my soul but have learned more practically from these art classes.)

So I will continue to notice oddities (there may be an occasional blog post), but also every season I want to pursue noticing different things that I set up beforehand, engaging many or all of my senses. For example, this fall, I want to notice anytime:

I see the colors of the trees.

I hear the sound of the leaves on the ground.

I smell and taste fall spices.

I feel soft blankets.

All these things come so naturally in autumn, and maybe that’s why I love this season. Maybe I’ve spent my whole life really noticing fall, and therefore finding the most joy this time of year. That’s good. That’s the whole point.

And it’s also good to start with an easy one!

Will you join me in taking notice, in the hopes that it will keep us really living in the present? What goals would you set for yourself to notice this season?

*This quote is from a chapter I read from the book The Life You’ve Always Wanted by John Ortberg.

I just became an Amazon Associate, because I link to books so often on my blog! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, so if you want the book and to support me, use my links in this blog post. Thank you!! ❤️

Book Recommendation: The Owl Who Asks Why

The Owl Who Asks Why by Michelle Garcia Andersen.

I picked up this book because I appreciated the clever title and beautiful pictures, and it didn’t disappoint! It was a sweet story about curious woodland animals who learned to use their own minds and voices.

From Amazon:

This heartwarming tale of friendship from author Michelle Garcia Andersen and artist Ayesha Rubio will remind young readers that by staying true to yourself and embracing what makes you unique, good things come to you.

What I've Learned as Director of Children's Ministry: The Interruptions are the Worship.

Photo by Beth Maree. Note my son with his Spiderman.

Not pictured: our resident 1-year-old, Tess, who always crawls towards the altar!

Something kind of beautiful happens at my church every Sunday: many of the kids sit either in the front or near the front of the sanctuary.

If you’ve gone to church at all, you know this is not the norm. Kids sit in the back. Parents of kids sit in the back with them.

It is reasonable that this happens: it’s convenient to leave if you need to; it’s possibly less disruptive to others; if a mother has to nurse, it’s more private. This all makes sense. And there is an argument that children do need to be taught to sit and listen. The problem is when parents and kids feel relegated to the back as if they aren’t welcome to sit wherever they want. And frankly, kids pay better attention when they are up close anyway!

Oftentimes during church, my son (8) is playing with his stuffed animals (that he never fails to bring). Sometimes it bugs me and I feel like my worship is interrupted by his play. I literally have to work through it in my head: what would Jesus say or do if he was here?

Usually when I ask this question, I have to work out the answer based on what I know about Jesus’s character. But this is one of those rare times we actually have a verse that answers the question!

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)

Perhaps this verse is used so much for Children’s Ministry that it’s lost its potency, but just think about it. It was so important to Jesus and so imprinted on the minds of the early disciples that it makes it into two different gospel accounts! Jesus cares about little children. He wants them to be up front near him. He even goes so far to say that theirs is the kingdom of heaven!

Henri Nouwen says:

“I have always been complaining that my work was constantly interrupted; then I realized that the interruptions were my work.”

I feel this quote deeply. But I think you can also substitute “work” for “worship” and it is still true. (N.B. You could also argue that our work is a type of worship, but that’s a post for another day.)

I have always been complaining that my [worship] was constantly interrupted; then I realized that the interruptions were my [worship].

So when my son is playing, instead of being annoyed at the interruption, I remember that I should prioritize play in the presence of Jesus; that I should delight in my son’s play as an act of worship; that I should remember that the kids are the ministry and future of the church. Shouldn’t they feel as welcomed as any adults?

My daughter (11) recently said to me that she wished we had church more than once a week, because she feels so at home there. As a mother and as a director of Children’s Ministries, I was delighted. That is how church should feel: like home.

What would churches look like if we all delighted in the interruptions of children? If we prioritized play in our own lives? If we let the kids sit up front? If we laughed, instead of scorned, at their antics? If we got to know them and heard their stories and what’s on their hearts?

Maybe church would feel more like home to all of us.

Blessed are those who Mourn

This post is a part 2 to what I wrote a couple days ago. I split the post in half, because the first part felt like it should be poetry. This post is mostly to tie up what I was saying, as well as highlight the words of the amazing Deacon at our church. May we all live by her words.

We make room for lament and grief in the church calendar during Lent, and it is the season that speaks to the depths of my soul. It is missing or overlooked too often in churches. We all know the time for rejoicing is coming - and has already come - but we need to take time to grieve now. 

Jesus models this for us so beautifully when he took time to weep for Lazarus. Why? Why did Jesus do this when He knew Lazarus would be alive again soon? Why is it even recorded in the Bible?

Because we are not meant to skip the weeping. It is part of the process of healing and abundant life. It is hard. But it is good.

Psalm 126:5-6 says,

May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
Those who go out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.

My friend, the Reverend Jan Buchanan says about these verses, 

He does not tell us to stop weeping. We are not told to stop crying so we can get back to work (sowing). We are instructed to go out weeping – to keep doing kingdom work in whatever way our grief allows. The promise of coming back in with joy and with abundance (sheaves) is not dependent on us wiping our faces and getting ourselves together enough to work, but rather the promise is for those who, in their grieving, keep moving forward in the work God as called them to do, in whatever capacity our particular grief allows.

To that I say “Yes, and Amen”.

Mourn with those who Mourn

I wrote this after wondering why I do this to myself sometimes: I just let myself sit and cry, and the grief isn’t always my own. Sometimes I’m crying for friends or family who are hurting, I’m crying for the church, or the world. It feels like a heavy cost, and I wonder what is the payoff? And then I remembered God’s upside-down kingdom, and our prayer to “Let your kingdom come.” Something in me stirred and I realized these tears are kingdom work. I can’t explain it, but this is me trying.

I invite Grief in to sit with me and weep.

Alone, with no one to hear or see,

I cry with those in mourning,

For the oppressed,

And for the suffering.

I know this weeping is good work, 

But I don’t know why. 

I know it keeps my heart soft,

My eyes open, my ears listening.

I know Grief is a friend of mine.

But Grief is more than just for me.

Grief is a warrior.

One who fights for the suffering.

And when I invite Grief in,

I am a warrior, too.

When I sit with the grief of others

I am advancing the kingdom of God.

My tears are doing battle.

I am alone with Grief,

But I am doing the work of God.

I can’t explain it,

But I know it’s good. 

My friendship with Grief is a gift.

A gift I will willingly share with others,

Even though it costs me.

Even when they don’t know,

I share this gift with others

Because I have nothing else to give. 

My tears are the widow’s mite, 

An offering to God.

I invite Grief in to sit with me and weep.

Alone, with no one to hear or see.

I cry with those who suffer,

For those who are oppressed,

And for those who mourn.

What I've Learned as Director of Children's Ministry

I have been thinking for a while of blogging more about my role as Children’s Ministry Director at my church, so today I am writing about something that has been on my mind for a while. In fact, a few days ago, I prayed that God would give me “eyes to see the invisible and ears to hear what people are really saying.” It struck me as very a very powerful image that I prayed that prayer and then immediately walked out of the main sanctuary back to my job with the kids. So here is the first installment of what I’ve learned as Director of Children’s Ministry.

I am an advocate for the invisible: kids in the church.

One of my goals since I began this job has been to make our children in the church visible. I highlight them in the service as often as I can. I bring other people back into the classrooms as much as I can. I need these children to know that they are seen by other members of the church, and by extension, Jesus himself. I tell my youth volunteers that even if they are struggling with their own beliefs (as they should at their age!), they are still representing Jesus to these little ones. But I think everyone in the church should also hear this message: You are representing Jesus to those around you, especially the children. If the children feel loved and seen by you, they will feel loved and seen by Jesus. Because that’s what Jesus does. And by his grace and favor, he uses His church to do it.

I am an advocate for the invisible servants of the church: children’s ministry volunteers.

I want my volunteers to know that this is a high calling and that they are seen by me (I try to bring lots of gifts to prove it!) and by God. It isn’t something to dread, but actually an opportunity to learn and to be blessed. But it’s not the kind of church volunteering that will bring accolades or compliments (this isn’t the worship team!*). It is almost an invisible task and the blessings you will receive will be on the inside and yours alone. Because you will receive blessing from being with the kids. You will be amazed by their questions, their sweetness, and their sheer energy! You will be reminded of your youth. You may even wish that more people had reached out to you in your own youth, and then you’ll realize that that is exactly what you are doing for these kids. And they will remember. That in itself is a burden and blessing. And all this doesn’t even consider what you will learn from the lessons themselves. Lest you think these lessons are only for children, they are not. They are timeless for a reason. 

I am doing the work of Jesus: seeing the invisible and helping others to see them, too. 

I remind myself of this a lot, especially when I struggle with feeling invisible. But when I am doing my job for God’s glory, it is incredibly rewarding and humbling. When I can lift up others who feel invisible, I am almost brought to my knees in praise and adoration: what a gift that God invites me in to this good work! If I can help others to see that God sees them and invites them in as well, then I will have done my job.

*I absolutely love our worship team! My point is children’s ministry is not in front of the whole church (as are many other behind-the-scenes jobs… “like the person running sound”, points out my husband…)

An Abundance of Time

If you’ve been reading my blog or looking at my artwork recently, you will already know that the three words that I’ve been meditating on are beauty, freedom, and abundance. These are the three areas I have been trying to live into and see everywhere. And believe it or not, you can find these things everywhere, if you will just have eyes to see them. Sometimes “eyes to see” just means taking the time to look, sometimes it means shifting your perspective, sometimes it could even mean some serious self-care or mental healthcare. 

Today I want to talk about my path of seeing the abundance of God, and even how it relates it to my anxiety. This is just my story, and everyone will have a different story to tell. But I hope it can be an encouragement to someone.

I have heard that anxiety is your body being constantly ready for something to happen, even if there is no immediate threat! I feel this a lot when it comes to time or productivity. My natural inclination when I feel high anxiety is to just go with it and keep doing and doing and doing until I can cross off as many things as possible from my list. Logically, this should make me feel better, right? If I’m anxious about there being enough time to get everything done, then a few hours of high productivity should make me feel better! Unfortunately, that’s never how it works. 

I remember the exact moment it hit me that the opposite is actually true. I was starting to get that panicky feeling. It was getting late in the day and I was tired. I started to notice piles of stuff everywhere (that’s usually how it starts for me: noticing all there is to do). It suddenly feels like I am drowning and I will never be free, never get done, never be good enough. My impulse was to get to work and push through. But then it occurred to me that maybe I actually needed rest, instead.

Now, resting when I am feeling panicky or anxious is really hard! Taking deep breaths, putting on music, taking a walk, playing the piano, or even just sitting outside are all things that have helped me in those moments. Audiobooks help a lot, too. I don’t have it in me to read, but listening can be soothing.

My spiritual director helped me come up with a breath prayer for moments like these as well. I told her about a time earlier that week when I was telling myself “I just have to push through the rest of this day” when a very clear thought came into my head: God doesn’t want me living like this. Every moment is a gift, I don’t want to squander them by just “pushing through”. 

But the truth is, laundry still has to get done, dishes still have to be washed, children still have to be fed. And honestly, those moments won’t just stop coming. So the next time I feel that impulse, praying in the form of deep breaths:

Inhale: Lord, lift up my head

Exhale: To see your beauty

In taking a deep breath, I literally have to change my posture and actually lift up my head. But I am metaphorically changing my posture, too. I am asking for “eyes to see”, even in those hard moments. 

One of my goals this year was to do more things that have no purpose, or that don’t make sense on the outside. And with the aforementioned realization of needing rest instead of more work, it suddenly felt like this goal was the answer! Just taking the time when you feel like there is no time somehow multiplies the time! This is God’s economy at work, friends. This is abundance.

Rob Walker, in The Art of Noticing, claims that taking the time to notice our surroundings in different ways sparks creativity. I say absolutely yes, and so much more. Taking the time to do something different, or seemingly pointless, helps us see the abundance of God! Not just in our time (but that, too!) but in our world! 

And I have found that in making an effort to take that time, my anxiety about having enough time has lessened. 

Surrendering this to God has been hard, and breaking the patterns of 40 years of living is definitely going to be a process - one that I am doing imperfectly (and that’s OK!). I know God is continuing a good work in me and it’s bigger than I can put in this post. But I have been amazed at how much I have been set free in the surrendering, and how much more I can see of the beauty all around and the abundant life He promises.

This is a little infographic to help me remember that God’s economy looks different from ours. Somehow He multiplies where we hoard.

A Harvest of Abundance

I wrote a few weeks (maybe months?) ago about an art journaling class I am taking hosted by my friend, Farrell. In the process of taking this class, three words began to emerge as powerful and meaningful to me: beauty, freedom, and abundance. I’ve noticed how somehow those three words are showing up in every art journal page, so I decided to do a blog series featuring some of my pages, and just explaining my thought process of each.

This page’s assignment was to create a pumpkin, perfect for this time of year. I wanted to paint a teal, knobbly pumpkin with lots of texture. I used a stencil of grapes to make the texture you see all over the pumpkin.

Grapes have become a symbol of abundance for me. And harvest time really is a time of abundance, isn’t it? The harvest is coming in before the winter and all of a sudden it’s easy to see the abundance of food and life. But all too soon, winter sets in and our mindset of scarcity is back. In fact, I would say that most of our lives are lived out of scarcity. Sometimes I wonder if we actually prefer to live in scarcity: there’s always not enough time, not enough money, not enough space, not enough love.

But seeing the world with eyes of abundance is worth fighting for, and I believe it’s what God wants for us! I highly recommend this video by the Bible Project on Generosity. This is exactly what the video talks about: that scarcity is a mindset, and Jesus calls us to live differently.

In this pumpkin I wrote “a harvest of abundance” in the corner, because not only does a harvest imply abundance, but I also want to harvest a mindset of abundance in my life. It takes work; it takes a shift of my thoughts. But I know it’s worth it.

Reynie

We just adopted the most adorable Dwarf Netherland bunny. I should say that technically he was a gift to our daughter for her 10th birthday, but he has quickly made his way into all of our hearts. After much thought, she decided to name him Reynie, after the main character in a great series of middle grade novels! It also suits his gray color. So here are a few illustrations/sketches that I’ve been playing around with of bunnies, as well as a nature scene that I dropped a bunny into (and a real picture for reference)!

Book Recommendation for Autumn

The Leaf Thief by Alice Hemming.

This is a cute story and my kids and I chuckled quite a bit as we read it out loud together. Also, the illustrations are just lovely and perfect for fall reading.

From Amazon:

Perfect for fans of Fletcher and the Falling Leaves, The Leaf Thief is a funny picture book that teaches kids about autumn, adapting to change, and the seasons.

Squirrel loves counting the leaves on his tree--red leaves, gold leaves, orange, and more. But hold on! One of his leaves is missing! On a quest to find the missing leaf, Squirrel teams up with his good friend Bird to discover who the leaf thief could be among their forest friends.

Beauty, Freedom, Abundance

These three words have been on my heart the past few months and I finally realized that this is how I want to see the world, with eyes that seek beauty, freedom, and abundance. I want them to be written on the frame in which I see every landscape, every sorrow, every joy, every face. But sometimes I need the reminder to actively seek these things, and not expect them to just come passing by.

Today I read in The Art of Noticing by Rob Walker that you should take a piece of plastic and point it at a scene. Then describe that scene with markers on the piece of plastic. Now shift the plastic to another scene and see how the words could possibly fit. I thought I can make that work with my three words as well!

So this is the scene I look at from my office, and these are the three things I want to seek in every place I look. It’s easy to see them here. But may I be the kind of person that can find these three things anywhere and then help to show them to others as well.

A couple faces

A picture of my daughter, done in a slightly different style than I usually do. But I like how it turned out!

This drawing is for the Luca challenge on Instagram! It’s me as part human, part sea monster!

Book Recommendations: Back to School!

I love these two back-to-school books, because they focus on the mothers’ love for their child, and how that can help their child get through the nerves of the first day. (This reminds me of 1 John 4:18.)

We read The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn every eve of the first day of school, and we have for years now! In this book, the mother gives her child a kiss on his hand, and tells him to use it whenever he needs it during his school day. Now we give each other Kissing Hands, and my kids laugh and laugh that I can never resist “using it” right away.

Love by Corrinne Averiss is a new book that we read this year. (My son didn’t like it, but probably because it’s about a little girl instead of a little boy!) But it is a sweet idea and one that I think can help calm nerves about the first day of school. It reminds me a lot of The Kissing Hand. The idea of Love is that we all have strings that connect us to the people we love, and it is comforting to know the string is always there.

So for anyone starting school this week, or who has started school already, or starts school sometime soon, I hope you know you are so loved!

Musings on the Fear Mountain

The fear is like a mountain, only it’s like a living mountain with arms that reach out to me in my weaker moments. I think the mountain can shrink over time. In fact, if I’m reading the Bible correctly, I think that’s what happens eventually. The fear shrinks and shrinks and then disappears. I’m not sure if that ever happens completely this side of heaven, though. In my experience, limited though it is, the mountain never goes anywhere. It’s a mountain. It doesn’t move. It doesn’t get smaller. 

It’s just a matter of whether I look at it or not. 

It’s a matter of whether I give it space in my thoughts or not. 

It’s a matter of me saying “God is good.” And then realizing if I really believe that, then fear can have no room in my heart. 

It’s a matter of saying “Do I trust God or not?” If the answer is yes, then I cannot look at that mountain. I can’t even glance that way. My only response is to stare into the face of Jesus and never look away. 

Someone once asked me about the fear. I’m sorry to say that my response sounded callous. It is because I have realized that even talking about the fear gives it room in my heart sometimes. But later I revisited the conversation and said “I didn’t mean to sound callous. The fear you mentioned is heavy on my heart. But I just cannot give it room anymore.”

The fear is still there, and it’s a mountain. A mountain of fear. A scary mountain with rampaging arms and gnashing teeth. 

But it’s getting easier not to look at it.

Do I trust God or not? Even with the most precious things in my life, do I trust him? 

Before having children, “trusting in Jesus” was a completely abstract idea for me. I could say that I trusted Jesus, but I was never put to the test, so I’m not sure I actually did. I’m struck that in order to actually trust Jesus, I had to be left feeling completely helpless first. And if having children enter the world doesn’t do that to a parent, I don’t know what will. (I know it’s not just having children that teaches trust, that’s just how it worked for me.)

So do I trust God or not? Even with the most precious things in my life, do I trust him? 

That question has become my mantra. 

It never occurred to me before how much this sounded like Peter walking on water. He had to keep his eyes on Jesus or he would fall. And he did fall. 

I guess I should admit that sometimes I do glance over at the mountain. That is my fall. I imperfectly keep my eyes on Jesus. But I also can see how far I’ve come. 

Maybe that’s a better metaphor. Maybe I am walking and the mountain used to be looming above me, obstructing my path. But walking with Jesus in the helpless moments gave me the way around it, and I am slowly making my way towards him, away from the mountain. Maybe that’s why the mountain never shrinks, it just is easier not to look at it all the time because I have taken steps away from it. But it’s still there, and if I give it room, it can take up my whole heart again. 

I guess the metaphor falls apart here. 

Nevertheless, the fear is a mountain and it hasn’t gone away. But the question “Do I trust God or not?” has made all the difference. That simple, terrifying, surrendering question has made all the difference and I am a new person because of it. Because I can say that yes, I do. 

What's on the Book Pile? Summer Edition

This picture sums up my summer reading very well. Mostly a mix of fiction, from middle-grade to popular adult. There’s always a Harry Potter in the mix and maybe one or two non-fictions. As always, if you’d like a complete list, follow me on Goodreads, where I have lapsed in writing reviews, but still try to count and rate each one finished. I am also 19 books behind schedule, according to my goal set back in January, and I think that is also very telling about my summer reading (or lack thereof).

As to these specific books, I’ll discuss from top to bottom:

1. The Jaguar’s Jewel (A to Z Mysteries) by Ron Roy. This is a series I am working through with my 7-year-old son and he is very into them. They are all mysteries, so he gets excited at the end of each chapter and wants to continue reading. I count that a success! He could easily read these himself (if you are curious about the reading level of these books), but I choose to read them out loud to him.

2. Be the Bridge by Latasha Morrison. This is an amazing book about racial reconciliation by a compassionate and wise Christian woman. We read this book as a church and then came together to discuss once a week. I would definitely recommend. It’s still on the book pile, though, because I have yet to read the last few pages!

3. Bliss by Kathryn Littlewood. This was recommended to me by my 10-year-old daughter, and when she asks me to read a book, you better believe I’m going to read that book! This is not a chore, though, because as previously mentioned, I really do love middle-grade fiction.

4. This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger. I have recently joined an unofficial bookclub with my two cousins! We talk on the Voxer app about which books we are reading and which ones we love. This one came highly recommended by both cousins, so I am anxious to get into it more. So far it is sad. I hope the payoff is coming! (I think it is.)

5. The Fowl Twins by Eoin Colfer. I am a huge fan of the Artmis Fowl books (yes, more middle grade fiction), so I was happy to see another book in the same universe! Have yet to start it, but check Goodreads for it’s rating once I finish. (And read the Artemis Fowl books if you haven’t. Actually, listen to them because the reader, Nathaniel Parker, is phenomenal.)

6. Children of Exile by Margaret Peterson Haddix. I have yet to read this one, but I discovered this author this summer and have read a couple others of hers and she is so good. The books of hers that I have read I would call Science Fiction Lite (is that a thing?).

7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling. I am reading this one with my daughter and we are enjoying it together. It’s so fun sharing some of your interests with your kids and having them be interested, too!

Not pictured (audio books):

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. This book was sad and sweet and was a story of healing. And while I would recommend the book and the narrator, I do not recommend listening in the middle of the night, because there were some parts that the narrator portrayed as quite creepy!

The Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riodan. Another book by Rick Riordan about the Greek gods. This one is from the god Apollo’s perspective, which is not my favorite, but still humorous and entertaining.

Book Recommendation: Spiders?!

This book is an all-time favorite in this house. We found it at the library years ago and kept checking it out over and over again. Finally I caved and just bought a copy! And guess what, it’s still a favorite! My kids are older now, but will still pull this book out occasionally and just laugh and laugh.

(I need to warn you, however, that the title is a bit misleading. I am not now, nor have I ever, tried to love spiders. And though the book is entertaining and has convinced me of their usefulness, I still feel no affinity for the crawly creatures!)

I’m Trying to Love Spiders, written and illustrated by Bethany Barton. She has some fun printables on her website to go along with her books!

We’ve also enjoyed her other books on Bees and Math, though I’m sorry to say we still do not love either of those things either.

Paper Dolls

These three girls remind me of paper dolls, so look for them in my activity pages soon! It was just fun practicing different eye types, hair styles, and dresses.