The summer leaves little if any time for reflective writing, and I feel like it’s better to say nothing at all than to ramble. But, I always enjoy reading other people’s lists of their favorite things. I don’t claim to be an expert in any area, most especially not the areas of parenting, culture, or food. We’re in summer survival mode over here. So, this is just a quick list of a few things that are making these hot months better in our little corner of the world.
Perler beads
Seeing these little beads all over our kitchen table is like having a flashback to my childhood Vacation Bible Schools days. But perler beads have come a long way since 1985. In fact, JoAnn’s dedicates an entire aisle to perler bead products and accessories now. They make big beads, tiny beads, glitter beads, patterns for beads, and even tweezers for beads. These have provided hours of entertainment for the girls despite several ironing mishaps on my part.
This week’s theme has been patriotism and aquatic life. But I googled “perler bead ideas,” and the options are endless for those who like a challenge.
Art for Kids Hub
Another indoor entertainment option we’ve discovered for those days when the humidity makes it feel like your face is peeling off is a program on YouTube called Art for Kids Hub. These short video snippets are led by a dad with a knack for teaching simple illustration techniques. You can choose from tons of different types of popular characters or objects to learn to draw, and he leads you through the process step by step. His own kids appear in many of the videos alongside him.
The only issue I take with Art for Kids Hub is that he recommends doing the drawings with a Sharpie to discourage erasing. I feel like spirited 6-year-olds and permanent markers are a dangerous combination, so we opt for using regular markers. But if you implicitly trust your children and/or like to live life on the edge, the choice is yours!
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
I went to see this documentary with a friend last weekend, and it lived up to all the hype. As one who grew up watching Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood in the ’80’s, I was already endeared to Fred Rogers. But, this film makes me admire him even more. I think what most intrigues me about his life story is how countercultural he was in the way he interacted with children and used the medium of television. He broke all the rules concerning how a person {or a show} can achieve success, and yet his work and his gentle demeanor positively and powerfully influenced entire generations of young people.
I’ve always wondered if Mr. Rogers was as pleasant and sincere off camera as he was on camera? And apparently the answer is “yes, yes he was.” That alone makes him remarkable. I need to channel a whole lot more Fred Rogers in my parenting, most especially in my summer parenting.
If it’s playing in a theatre near you, this is a great film for anyone who grew up under his influence or works with children today.
Hillbilly Elegy
I’m not in a bookclub and don’t stay up-to-date on the latest reads in any genre, but a good friend recommended this book to me awhile back. I finally started it at the beach in June and was hooked after the first few pages. It came out in 2016, and is still on the New York Times bestseller list. The language is raw and intense, but the way JD Vance tells his story from growing in a tumultuous childhood in Appalachia to graduating from Yale Law School is powerful. It’s an easy read for anyone who enjoys memoirs. And for people like me who live in a suburban bubble, it’s an eye-opening and important story about a culture battling poverty and crisis like nothing we have known.
Back to Nature Mint Cookies
All I can say is these are every bit as good if not better than Thin Mints, and they have far fewer ingredients. And, surely the fact that the packaging is so natural looking means they’re almost a health food?
Turkey Hill Natural Ice Cream Homemade Vanilla
The Kindergartener recently lost her front tooth and the 5th Grader got braces. These dental situations are posing some eating challenges, but one thing everyone can still enjoy is ice cream. Ever so often I get nostalgic about recreating memories for the girls that parallel my own childhood in the ’80’s. I remember the anticipation and excitement I felt on nights when we would go to a family or church picnic where everyone brought their own homemade varieties. A few nights ago I thought it would be a great idea to try to make our own homemade vanilla. I got the heavy equipment out, chilled the bowl, mixed the ingredients, and followed the instructions to a tee. We let the machine do its thing and churn for twenty or thirty minutes. But, in the end all we had was a disappointing soupy mess. Something went very wrong somewhere along the way. We’ll try again at some point, but until then…
A dear friend introduced me to this Turkey Hill brand on the 4th, and I don’t think I’ve ever had a store-bought ice cream that tasted so much like homemade. The vanilla only has five ingredients {as all good ice cream should!} and a great homemade texture. I’ve long been a Breyers fan, but I think this might be better.
Daylilies
A few summers ago we got some daylilies at a local daylily farm. I have no idea what I’m doing when it comes to plants and/or flowers. But, these have survived year after year in spite of me. Every summer when they bloom in late June and early July I’m in awe of their color. Even when the heat index is 105, these blooms make it worth a trip to the backyard.
~~~~~~~~~~
Happy weekend! May yours be full of good food, un-soupy ice cream, and fun. Poor Rosie is just hoping her people will find something better to do than play with her. I promise she looked at me the other day and asked, “When does school start back again??”
Leave a Reply