Five for Friday: A new school, shop update, plans for the future, and more…

July 19, 2019

1. A new baby coming means we are shifting rooms and closets around again! I usually have the baby stay in a bassinet in my room for the first 6 months, but we have yet to figure out what sleeping arrangements we will do after that. I spent a good two hours deep cleaning the boys room yesterday, and suddenly it feels like new to them;) Max couldn’t stop thanking me for making his bed so nice which made me laugh so hard. They spent the rest of the day in there building legos and playing games. Amazing what a deep clean will do for the mind! (For both me and the boys!) I will be posting an updated boys room tour next week showing the process of when we started on it till now!

2.Each year we re-assess our school situation for the kids, and what we think will be best for everyone in the family. With the baby arriving in September, we finally waved the white flag and just admitted we could no longer keep up with the hybrid model school. We loved their school and the hybrid model so much (you can read about our experience in this post), but it took a good deal of juggling on our end even with tutor help, that we made work for as long as we could. It just was too choppy of a home schedule with the range of ages + toddlers we have while trying to run a home business. Our kids will be trying out the local public school which is a stones throw away from our house, and although new environments and the unknown always make me nervous, we keep hearing wonderful things about it. My kids are really excited about it which since their neighbor friends already go to the same school, which makes me so relieved. Rocco and Azelie will be going to pre-k for the first time! Just two mornings a week for Zel and three mornings a week for Rocco. A good thing for them to try as they adjust to no longer being the babies of the family. It’s all so much to take in, and I am trying not to be too emotional about it. Change is always hard for me! Gabe reminds me often nothing is permanent and we can always pivot if we need too.

Interior mobile preset preview!
Taken with iPhone portrait mode, edited with the IHOD outdoor preset

3. We’ve been working on getting the launch of our mobile presets ready, and are very close to the finish line! (You can sign up here to be notified when they first become available.) I originally hoped for May, but as the story goes, I will be thankful to share them with you anytime before September. For now, the photos above are a preview of some before and afters!

via Design Sponge

4. With the constant changing landscape of blogs and social media, (the very first design blog I ever followed is closing it’s doors!), it always has us thinking about where we want to invest our time, and where we would like to be in 5 years. Gabe and I have some dreams we are brewing and will share here of course if they come to fruition. One of them being designing an Airbnb we can use for our family as well. For now, we hope to continue to grow IHOD as more of a community than just another place that shares images and info! Please continue to send us ideas on what you would like us to share here as we are always open to your suggestions! Also, I’d love to hear some about some of the blogs you still faithfully read!

5. I finally hopped on the enneagram boat, and as a type 9, this particular podcast was incredibly eye opening for me. I think if anything, things like the enneagram can only help in giving us the tools that grow our own self awareness and awareness about others. It fascinates me to learn more about the human person and how we are all wired. I am nudging Gabe to take the test next;) My sister Madeline also told me about attachment types and The Place We Find Ourselves podcast next on my list to listen too!

Happy weekend to you all!

Leave a Comment

  • I really appreciate this post! My husband and I are starting to talk about where to send out daughter to school. It’s so overwhelming. I love the hybrid idea but we don’t have something like that in our small town.

    I am also a 9 on the enneagram! I’m starting to learn a lot about it and found out that 9’s have the lowest amount of energy of all types 🙈 do you find this to be true of yourself? If you do, How do you balance 6 kids and working with low energy? We just had our second baby and he’s been a dream but I also wonder if I have the capacity to have more children with my what feels like constant need for rest and alone time.

    • I never realized early on the heavy weight that the decisions about school would feel. This year felt like the first year we just didn’t have any options, but felt so much peace with alll the little reassurances God seems to be sending our way. At the end of the day, we just do the best we can!

      And yes! I heard this too, and I was like…no wonder! I tend to be super low energy if I don’t take the right supplements or exercise, but the winter is especially hard for me. I have found things that help, and have focused a good deal on better self care to give myself to my kids the way I hope. To be honest, little ones are overwhelming to me most days, but I have found more good in all of it than bad. If you are able to get a sitter or help with the kids even a few hours a week to have a morning to yourself, it can make all the difference to get a mid week charge!

  • I am a nine too! Married to a seven, haha. Congratulations on your growing family. Whatever direction IHOD takes, I’ve loved following along.

  • Katie Cervetti

    We have also struggled with the decision of where to send our 6 kids to school. We tried homeschooling and that was a bit much for me as I work part time. The Catholic school near us is very pricey so we tried our public school out and have had a really positive experience. They go to religion class at Church on Sunday and I do the faith and life series with them at home also. I am a huge fan of MDO. I have my 3 and 1 yo in it and it gives me the perfect break to knock out my work and I don’t feel bad at all about sending them there because they have so much fun! I hope you have a great school year and congrats on making some decisions!

    • Katie, that is really reassuring to hear. Thank you! I think so many times we make things harder on ourselves based on self imposed expectations of what and how we should be doing. I’ve come to a point of accepting my limitations and trusting God sees our deepest hopes for our kids.

  • Lauren B

    School decisions are hard. I love hearing families who are okay with keeping options open and course-correcting. We sent our oldest to kindergarten last year at our neighborhood public school. While I was nervous, it ended up being the best experience for all of us. I don’t think any schooling method is perfect, and public school definitely has some drawbacks, but my oldest just flourished. She is so eager to go back in a few weeks and it makes me happy to see. My 2 year old is going to preschool for the first time this fall! It feels like the baby stage is definitely over, but I’m excited to watch her grow. I hope all of your lovely littles have wonderful experiences and grow in new ways.

    • Anna Liesemeyer

      It’s so easy to hold onto worry as parents, and it is always hard to let our kids into the world, no matter the school! Very grateful for good teachers who can make such a positive impact on our kids!

  • It is so fun to hear these updates! That’s hilarious to read about your deep-clean the boys’ reactions-we’ve had a similar experience over here whenever I get around to doing thorough cleaning and decluttering! It’s such a good reminder that so often, “less is more” for kids-they get so much more enjoyment out of simplicity and less items (that being said, my home currently is NOT an example of “less is more”-I have my work cut out for me!).

    I love hearing about your school discernment, too! I think it is so good to hear from people who have thoughtfully decided to change gears to try something new that might work better. I think that’s so beneficial, instead of trying to stick yourselves in the mindset of “we are a public school family” or “we are a homeschool family.”

    • Anna Liesemeyer

      That is so true! I keep minimizing clutter and toys and find that everyone is happier in a simpler environment.

      Thanks for the kind words! I think it’s easy to get stuck in mindset patterns of what we think will work, and to let go of familiarity is always hard by human nature. However, there has been much relief and peace in cutting ourself some slack. ha!

  • This post is resonating with me so much. I’ve been encouraged reading through the comments knowing I’m not alone in how daunting a big school decision is sometimes (especially if it’s different). I love how you mentioned coming to terms with our limitations and trusting God with the hopes we have for our children. Amen! I am with you sister. I’m so thankful for the peace you’re experiencing and yes Gabe is right, a decision never has to be permanent which is so freeing isn’t it?! An AirB&B?! You guys would be amazing at that! What a fun idea/endeavor! Also, enneagram… I’ve been so intrigued but know nothing about it. I’m not sure if my curiosity can hold out any longer. I may have to take the test too! I’m praying for you and your sweet baby!

  • Great update, Anna! School decisions are so hard! We have done the gamut- private, homeschooling, and public. It’s so true that you have to take it one year at a time, and then be at peace. There’s no right or wrong way to raise YOUR family. I always like to remind myself that God knows we are doing the best we can, and then pray for grace and strength–because we all need more of that! Good luck to you both!

  • I’m a 9 as well and I cried in that episode solidifying for me that I am indeed a 9.
    Took me awhile but that episode was pivotal.

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