August Progress and September PowerSheets Goals

The breezes taste
Of apple peel.
The air is full
Of smells to feel-
Ripe fruit, old footballs,
Burning brush,
New books, erasers,
Chalk, and such.
The bee, his hive,
Well-honeyed hum,
And Mother cuts
Chrysanthemums.
Like plates washed clean
With suds, the days
Are polished with
A morning haze.
– “September” by John Updike

September 1st brought cooler air—a welcome refreshment for deep breaths as the school year begins! I’m in full homeschool planning and prepping mode right now. Hello, two in Kindergarten and a 4th grader! Cindy Rollins’ book, Mere Motherhood, has had me in stitches lately as I’ve mentally prepared for the year ahead. Homeschool mamas and teachers of all kinds, we can do this! I’m cheering you on! 🎉 Nothing enlivens me more than leading our children to truth and beauty. I’m excited to learn right alongside them.

I enjoyed making little by little progress on my August goals, especially reading Psalms at night and enjoying the garden. Grace found a bevy of monarch caterpillars that she is now raising in our living room—a joy to watch her care for them so tenderly. Josh and Sarah have picked baskets full of tomatoes, and we’ve brought several baskets to our small church group each week.

Early in August, we enjoyed time at the ocean with our church friends. It was just what we all needed before school begins: sand, sea, laughing when the waves knock us over, collecting shells, telling stories of God’s faithfulness, and lots of fun with dear friends. I treasure these memories. Ari’s parents also spent three weeks with us in August, and it was a gift! This life is a gift. Its brevity and beauty are at the forefront of my mind often these days.

In case you missed these:
— I was tickled pink to be included in this Wall Street Journal piece about one of my favorite subjects: caring for our customers.
— The Cultivated Homeschool Planner has launched! Bring clarity, focus, and ease to you and your family this upcoming season.
— Looking for a way to delight your favorite girl? The Girls Goal Planner is here. It’s everything you love about PowerSheets®—for the next generation!
— Join me and some amazing friends at the Faith Driven Entrepreneur Live conference on September 8th.
— PowerSheets are coming! The 2022 Collection launches on October 6! ✨

Onto September. Here’s what’s on my Tending List for the month ahead—all action steps from my 2021 goals.

My focus this month is space between things—words suggested to me by a trusted mentor. Allow space between things. Enjoy that space between things. Notice the living that happens in the space between things. I tend to go from one important thing to the next without margin to process. I’m practicing slowing my pace a bit this month—with some literal space on my Tending List to remind me. 🙂

September Monthly Goals:
— Begin the homeschool year well—lead them to truth + beauty
— Enjoy this life, and these people
— Clear out the house. Reset out family rhythms and spaces. (Step one of our once-per-decade Kondo of the house began today. We decide to start with books, and it was crayyyzzzyyy. As Charlotte Mason homeschoolers, we have amassed quite a collection!)
— Pull up roots and clear the garden for our children

September Weekly Goals:
— Enjoy the garden + fall air

September Daily Goals:
— Read the Bible
— Write the Word
— Read (I found a few treasures in my book clean-out!)
— Weights 2x wk

What’s on your September tending list? Share in the comments below!