Tag Archive for: girl mom

for the love of reading

/0 Comments/in , /by

One of my biggest goals as a mother and homeschooler is to raise readers. I grew up in a “reading family.” We didn’t watch much T.V. but we had unlimited amounts of books always available to us to enjoy. And I can safely say with the exception of maybe one sibling we ALL are pretty avid readers. I.LOVE.TO.READ. I easily read one book a week. Seriously, nothing makes me happier that sitting down with a good book. However, in this day and age with so many avenues of entertainment available to kids it makes raising readers a bit more challenging. I am constantly reading blogs, checking Pinterest and searching the discovery page on Instagram for new and exciting books to share with my littles. But I find that sometimes it’s not just the content of the book itself that gets my kids excited but more so the event and/or environment surrounding reading time. It’s amazing how a cup of hot chocolate or tea, a cozy blanket and roaring fire can turn reading time into a cozy event, or a comfy patio chair, sunshine and a glass of lemonade can make reading a reward after a morning of school.

We also do a read aloud as a family. Last year we read the Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

IMG_1242

It was lovely, through By the Banks of Plum Creek. My kiddos enjoyed hearing about Laura’s adventures with her sisters and life as a pioneer family. Well all that changed when we hit By the Shores of Silver Lake…

WARNING – SPOILERS AHEAD

When we returned to Plum Creek my kids where devastated to find out that Mary was now blind, Jack was dead and they had to leave their lovely home on Plum Creek because poor Pa, bless his heart, just couldn’t produce a fruitful crop of ANYTHING. It was upsetting to say the least. We had to take a step back from the Little House Series because I thought, “well kids if you think this is bad wait till we get to the Long Winter!”

Anyway, this year we are doing the Harry Potter Series.

IMG_1241 2

Which is a ton more fun because after we finish each book we have what we call a, “Harry Potter Party” watch the movie and have themed snacks and drinks! I know what you are thinking, if my kids couldn’t handle a blind girl and a dead dog how in the world are they going to process the trauma that is the Harry Potter Series? First of all(“through God all things are possible. Write that down.” – Always Sunny anyone?), since Harry Potter is clearly fictional my kids see it as merely that, a fun FAKE story about a wizard boy and his wizard friends but we will see how they feel when we get to the end, YIKES!

It takes us quite a bit to get through the books because our short attention spans only allow us to read a chapter a school day but we finished The Chamber of Secrets(book 2) this past week and enjoyed Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets on Friday complete with…

IMG_1237
IMG_1238

and of course

IMG_1239

This has become such a fun tradition for our family and it gets them so excited to keep reading.

What do you do to inspire reading in your kiddos? Comment below with ideas or tips you would like to share as well as books you think we might enjoy!

Happy Sunday!

everything e

/0 Comments/in /by
IMG_0123
IMG_0160

Last but certainly not least our sweet Eliot Rose aka Ellie, Elle, Ellie Rose, Elgin, Elgy and E. Eliot is our little bonus baby. After I had Noah, Corey and I decided no more babies! Not only is it difficult for me to stay pregnant, pregnancy in and of its self is HORRIBLE for me. Like seriously next level sh!t. Think puking all day for 9 months. Imagine the worst hangover you have ever had, you know the one where you need to be horizontal or else you will puke? Yeah thats me for 9 months, good times good times. Anyway, cut to Noah turning 3yrs old and I was literally DESPERATE for that third baby. After much discussing convincing Corey finally agreed and then there was, Eliot Rose.

IMG_2574
_MG_6851

If you know Eliot you know she is a pretty chill kid, easily entertained and pretty much always just happy to be included. She has spent the majority of her life either at a soccer field, ballet or in a crazy long carpool line waiting on her bigs. Don’t let her fool you though Eliot was quite the challenge as a baby. She spent the first six weeks of her life crying. THAT IS NOT AN EXAGGERATION! What we didn’t know at the time was she was allergic to dairy/dairy proteins but once we figured that out it was smooth sailing and it has been that way pretty much ever since. Corey used to say, “If all our babies where like this we would have so many!”

IMG_4026

Besides her go with the flow attitude Eliot is a pretty freaking funny kid. She keeps us laughing all day long with her funny one liners and her infectious giggle.

IMG_3467
IMG_9703
IMG_0547

Sometimes when I look at her I catch myself gritting my teeth so hard because all was to do is take a bite out of her!! Is that normal? Actually, don’t answer that. I could go on and on about how I’m obsessed but I’ll spare you all the weird details of my love for her but in all seriousness could she be any cuter??????

IMG_3668
Photo Curtesy of : Angie Lipscomb Photography
https://www.angielipscombphotography.com/
IMG_3646
Photo Curtesy of: Angie Lipscomb Photography

https://www.angielipscombphotography.com/

Love you forever Elgy.

XOXO

Mama

all about graciekate

/0 Comments/in /by

Up next my first baby Grace Kathryn aka Gracie, GracieKate, Baby Girl, Sweet Girl, Lovey, G. Gracie is your typical first child, she is extremely Type A maybe a little OCD which can be wonderful, like during school for instance but not so wonderful when you are running late and she incessantly reminds you of that fact plus has a nice dramatic freak out the whole time you are in the car.

92B924E6-62FC-4EF4-8F9B-F8EC57874368
B619A9CB-EBD8-4915-920A-CE724792CEB9
FFED9EDD-B85A-4934-9877-99F24C7A9400

Seriously, the kid has a gift for the stage. I am not just saying this because she is my kid(ok maybe a little) but she is going to be famous one day. Not sure if it will be for ballet, theater or YouTube but it will happen! She is not only talented but extremely driven and tenacious. Her best quality is that she will ALWAYS try even if she wont get it the first time. She is unfazed by the idea of failing or looking silly and when she does “fail” or “look silly,” she doesn’t let that discourage her and she will keep at it until its perfect(see type A personality). This quality and her performance abilities will make her an unstoppable force in the entertainment world.

momstop2
IMG_0195

Plus, she LOVES auditions. That is not sarcasm you just read, she absolutely thrives under that kind of pressure much like when she is on stage. For example, this is a conversation we had at the end of last year…..

Gracie: Do you think maybe I could just do the audition but not the show?

Me: What?

Gracie: I don’t want to be in the show I just want to go to the audition.

Me: Why would you do that?

Gracie: Because I LOVE doing auditions, they are so much fun!

098A27F0-3328-4336-8413-35C6A1AA8429

Unfortunately, with all this ambition and talent comes the need to fly away and pursue her dreams and goals. I have had the conversation with her ballet teacher many times telling her how I always feel like I am hanging on to her by the skin of my teeth and I have a feeling a quiet West Side of Cincinnati life isn’t in the future for our shining star{cut to me crying in the shower}.

F6DD61B5-A511-44AA-BEAF-4E1E721CB53C

Gracie, I love you desperately and am so excited to see where life takes you. Please don’t go away too soon, ok? I promise I’ll let you move out when you are 30 or something….maybe….probably…. we can talk about it later.

XOXO

Madre

About Me

Hi! I’m Joanna, a wife and mom of three. I was born and raised on the West Side of Cincinnati Ohio and Corey and I are now raising our kiddos here. Our life isn’t all that glamorous or exciting but it’s ours and I’m obsessed.

Categories