For the Love of Popsicle Baths and Puke Buckets
Plus, a collection of delights for February
Every February since I can remember, I have come down with one illness or another just in time for Valentine’s Day. I have a vivid memory of missing out on my second grade class’s Valentine’s Day party: my mother came to retrieve me from one of those sterile blue nurse’s office cots, and I miraculously made it all the way home before promptly throwing up. On another Valentine’s Day during one of my first years teaching, I came down with strep throat before waking to my eyes crusted shut with pink eye several days later. It doesn’t matter what virus takes over—my body seems to intuitively know: “Oh, this is the month of love and romance? I will sit this one out, thank you very much.”
This month, just when I was certain all the things I was doing to try to keep us healthy were *actually working* (Green smoothies! Homemade elderberry syrup! Vitamin D drops! See how in control of my life I am!), we all went down like dominoes. I fell first. I slept 10 hours a night (very interrupted hours mind you, but still, extravagant for a mother of young children except for the hacking cough) for two straight weeks and subsisted on bananas, Rice Chex, orange juice, and Vitamin Water. On day eleven, my husband Joe succumbed…and then the toddler…annnnd then the preschooler, because why the heck not?
At one particularly low point when I had not seen daylight in at least five days, I told Joe that this must be the apocalypse. “LORD JESUS, COME” I sobbed into my pillow while he rolled his eyes and proceeded to launch into a coughing spasm (the Lord has blessed me greatly in the drama department, and Joe is all too familiar with it by now).
The next morning, after days and days of endless popsicle baths, three bodies squeezing into one queen-size bed to read picture books, inordinate amounts of screen time, a useless puke bucket because the preschooler does not yet know how to aim, and too many fever-induced meltdowns to count, I said to the children: “That’s it! Despite your 102 temperatures and the sweaty, glistening sheen on your foreheads, we are all going outside!” I proceeded to stuff the fevery, boogery children into their snowsuits and we clumped down to the Creek in our boots to test out my theory that fresh air solves everything. (I have not decided whether or not this makes me a heroic mother or an insane one—likely a bit of each.)
It was the birds we heard first, upon entering the woods. They were boistrous, frantic—ecstatic even. I could not understand why they had grown so loud in a mere week’s time. Later, I read it is likely the lengthening days, the increase of sunlight that spurs them on to sing. They are rejoicing at all that is nearly within grasp now that spring is peeking over the horizon. They are turning their faces to the light, reveling in having survived the darkest days of winter. I decide, as my four year old points to a mother cardinal in the brush, that this is our invitation to do the same.
As we return home, back to our sick beds and half dozen tissue boxes and honeyed ginger tea, I carry this with me—the birds’ stubborn hope for spring and its nourishment, hungry and thin as they are. The winged friends in our backyard hedges are now alive in chorus, too, so I crack the window open an inch, despite the frigid air. The children press their snotty noses to the gap and breathe in the promise of that melty, earthy scent.
This is how we are choosing hope, one lengthening day at a time—puke buckets, notwithstanding.
learning with littles
A snapshot of what the girls and I are learning together in our day-to-day:
One of the fantastic things about homeschooling in February is the opportunity to use candy in nearly every lesson, which you better believe I milked for all its worth. (As much as candy hearts taste like Tums and display creepy-at-best messages, they are fantastic for elementary math lessons.)
Beyond incorporating Valentine’s candy, we did a lot of art, baking, audiobooks, sensory bins, PlayDoh, and outdoor exploring this month while we took turns puking and sleeping.
Some gems that helped us continue doing fun, low-key learning while recovering from illness:
-Baking makes everything better. We made these chocolate chip banana muffins together and put them in the freezer for snacks and breakfasts. (Wait, this is school? Yes, yes it is. We call it Kitchen Math, and it counts because I said so).
-Read Aloud Revival’s “A Year of Picture Books” book lists are, hands down, the best for guidance on what books to grab for elementary-age students. This list is also one I reference every year for Black History Month.
-We pulled a few of our favorite learning games out like Sequence, Zingo, Memory (this one is our favorite), and Tiny Polka Dot.
-Did you know The Good and the Beautiful has free stories on their website? When I’m feeling done for the day but it’s only 3:30 and I cannot pass the baton for another two hours, a few of these stories are often what get us through. I get a moment to use the bathroom in peace while the children are read to by someone other than me. Luxurious, I tell you.
This month, we learned about: fairy/folk tales, Black history, and all things Valentines-themed. If you’re interested, you can find more of our homeschool content here.
beautiful words
In no particular order, here are some words I read this month that deeply resonated with me:
-This article for Time Magazine, written by Katherine May (author of Wintering and Enchantment) on reworking wonder into our new year— Standing on the cusp of one of the great symbolic moments of the year—a moment of rebirth, of returning light and burgeoning life—we waste it in atonement. Ashamed, we make a subtraction from the ledger of our lives and go on to spend January (already one of the dreariest months of the year) trying to convince ourselves that we’re better off without all of life’s little pleasures.
-K.J. Ramsey’s newsletter in which she describes being a beginner, praying honestly, and working through an armored heart — Prayer used to be prim. Now prayer can be salty. I yell “I’m not okay!” into the sanctuary of my car. I shed my shame over somehow believing I’m supposed to always be doing better than I am. Prayer used to be pleasing God above all else. Now prayer is receiving that God is already pleased.
-This gorgeous essay featured in Orion Magazine, written by Minnesotan playwright and local theater owner Jessica Lind Peterson — When you get to this phase in your crying, there’s no untangling anything. It exists in one big rolled-up yarn ball of hot pain under your rib cage, like a sock full of rice that’s been in the microwave. You see your dog’s shadow under the bathroom door and know that his big fluffy body is pressed against the wood. He must be wondering what’s going on in there. This scene is upsetting him. He’s not going anywhere. That’s his girl in there.
-Four pieces that were exactly the kind of honesty I treasure around Valentine’s Day, especially: This essay by Ashlee Gadd, this essay by Katie Blackburn, this essay by Sarah J. Hauser, and this poem by Liv Holloway. It is so easy to romanticize marriage during the “Month of Romance and Love” and look at things through rose-colored glasses, but these words were raw, honest, refreshing, and so relatable.
books / podcasts / shows
A list of things playing in my ears, sitting on my nightstand, or streaming on my tv:
-When Amy Grass mentioned the podcast Sold a Story in her newsletter last month, I was intrigued (especially having been a former elementary/reading intervention teacher, myself). After the first episode, I was positively hooked. The podcast unpacks what many teachers have been taught about reading instruction via some of the most popular reading intervention programs, curriculums, and influential figures/publishers in the education world…and how it’s all wrong (and even more horrifying, how we’ve had the research to prove it for decades). If you give this a listen, let me know because I would love to hear your thoughts.
-I finally dove into Mary Oliver’s collection of essays, Upstream, and it did not disappoint. In it, she writes about getting lost in the nature, the great thinkers who changed her, and creativity, among many other things. My favorites included her analysis of Poe, and her essay “Bird”. (I also learned that she once built a small house in her backyard for just $3.58—and now I love M.O. even more than I did previously, if that’s even possible).
-Laura Wifler’s new book Like Me is a beautiful, engaging read with stunning illustrations. Her message on how we are all like each other, despite our differences, is so, so important.
-I read Stephen King’s memoir on the craft of writing in less than two days—it was that incredible. I have wrongly judged King for some of his more alarming works of fiction (especially this short story that my eight grade English teacher made us read), but I am forever changed in regards to my opinion of him because he really does know his stuff. Not to mention, I laughed—actually out loud—more times than I could count while reading this and that, my friends, is pure gold.
-I re-watched Coda twice this month, and I cried again like I always do. Hands down my favorite movie of all time due to its incredible coming-of-age narrative and heartwarming, real characters. (Fun fact: Troy Kotsur—who won an award as best supporting actor for his role in Coda—signed the National Anthem at the Super Bowl this year).
-I’ve been listening to a lot of Steffany Gretzinger lately (I discovered her while putting together a birth playlist when I was pregnant with my youngest). She just has the most soothing, uplifting vibe.
feeding the fam
Here’s a rundown of some of the family favorites that showed up on our table this month:
-Tieghan, from Half Baked Harvest, has a killer homemade tomato soup and honey brie grilled cheese recipe—a delightfully bougie version of the classic childhood favorite. You better believe I pulled out all the stops for this dinner one day when we just needed some comfort food, and boy did it hit the spot. This recipe is in one of Tieghan’s cookbooks but you can find something similar here.
-Following our tradition of comfort food dinners that are heavy on the cheese, this casserole is one that my four year old requests often. If you have mushy-broccoli-casserole-from-years-past-trauma, this one is likely to bring healing and change your life.
-This is the best non-white chicken chili. My mother-in-law made this for a family gathering a couple months ago and I begged her for the recipe. Now we eat it at least 2-3x a month. It’s a great “Feed The Freezer” meal. (If you are feeling low on patience for dinnertime battles, keep some deconstructed for the kids and they can make their own bowls. Voilà. Everyone wins.)
the little things
A list of some little things I’ve been loving:
-I found a new favorite dry shampoo this month. It smells amazing and doesn’t leave a cakey-white residue in your hair like some others.
-We’re starting to do a bit more indoor swimming as a family before swimming lessons/summer, and I realized I needed a good swimsuit that would hold up to repeated chlorine exposure and chasing after babies. Nani makes some good high rise swim bottoms (size down one size for these, though), and I paired them with this swim top from Athleta. They check all the boxes for me: simple, no crazy colors, won’t fall off on my way down a water slide—you know, all the important things. Albion Fit is another great option for cute swimwear. (These inexpensive, high waisted bottoms from Target have also held up well for me in the past.)
-Joe got me this seasonal nature guide for Valentine’s Day (lol, he gets me). I had wanted something similar to Lia Leendertz’s bestselling British/Irish almanac, and this one is perfect for anyone in the upper Midwest. It goes month by month, detailing what animals/insects/plants/trees are up to and what to be on the lookout for while you’re exploring outside. I love it.
-I refuse to pay a lot of money for wireless earbuds, for fear of getting them wet in the rain or sending them through the wash or losing one. I’m on my second pair of these Airpod knockoffs (first ones lasted me 3+ years), and they are my absolute favorite.
words I’ve written
Here are some of my own words put to paper this month:
I enjoyed writing more poetry this month, particularly a couple of love poems for February and some thoughts on spring, faith and doubt, moving through emotion, and how we are more like our children than not.
I also wrote this Love After Babies free write for Coffee & Crumbs this month. It’s one of my favorite stories to tell about falling in love and staying in love:
Until next month, friends—may the birds be singing loudly wherever you are, also.
Love,
Krista
Photo by Goran Ivos on Unsplash
Where has The Good and the Beautiful Storytime been all my life (or, like, for this past winter)?? Totally will be incorporating this into our days. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I've loved all your poetry on IG lately <3