Midlife awareness

Inspiration for blog posts is somewhat rare these days, but when inspiration does come, it often comes flooding in.  Time to sit with and process these thoughts, however, is also a rarity.   During a recent (read: like a month ago, by the time this is actually being published) "pinch me" moment on the way to the zoo - brought to you by Garfield books, car lunches, and classical music - I had a minute for a thought or two.  Thanks to all of that, as well as some downtime on a recent dumpster-diving momcation (this isn't a topic for this particular post, but happy to answer any questions about it!), here is a fresh scoop for ya. 😉

For this post, the inspiration was three-fold: 

-being invited to both my 20th high school reunion and a 2000s Throwback Prom fundraiser (The years I experienced this season of life are far enough in the past they are being commemorated and "thrown back" to?!)

-a piano student playing Clocks by Coldplay - talking about the release date and the fact that it was when I was in high school made her realize how old I am (She was surprised! 😏)

-several occasions I have been sought out for parenting advice - most recently, travel tips

Collectively, this all had me in my head a bit.  "The Scoop" has documented so many seasons of my life, and now it’s here to document my apparent pre-midlife crisis (though the "crisis" part is not necessarily applicable here).  I don't know that I can or need to fully unpack all of this here, but generally, I just find it so difficult to wrap my mind around the passage of time.  How much time as passed in my life, how time is passing for others, how it will continue to pass - it is all just very unfathomable.  (Also, I am becoming increasingly aware of how history and fashion trends repeat themselves.  Why and how does this happen?!  (For those Enneagram 5's out there, I'm not looking for you to dive deep into this for me, but thanks, anyway. 😉))

What is fathomable, however is what a blast prom was!  It was just so fun, all around.  When a friend invited me to this fundraising event her church was hosting, I was so here for it and knew we had to attend.  I love to dance, Bryant had never been to prom, and I still had my senior prom dress (This is not the first occasion I've worn it for since!).  So, I found a miracle-worker of a seamstress to allow me to wear my dress again, Bryant ordered a red bow tie, and we got a sitter for the night.  We danced the night away and had the best, nostalgic (for me, at least) time!

"Since when do you wear lipstick, Mom?!" -J

This paper rose corsage was a nod to the "Paper Roses" piano roll I grew up playing on my parents' player piano.  What a sweet and thoughtful surprise is was!

  

They really "did it up right" with a photographer, DJ, and everything!

If being reminded of how much time has passed since my high school years has not made me extra-aware of my age, already, the age of my children (and therefore, the years of motherhood I have under my belt) certainly has.  More and more, I am coming to the realization that I am entering, if not fully in, the "seasoned" chapter of parenthood.  I could probably dive deeper into this realization, but as you likely know, I am often much better at practical application than intrinsic reflection and philosophical speculation.  

So, as a seasoned parent, here are some travel tips for kids I recently thought through and documented for a friend.  I am sharing them here, and in no particular order, not only in case you or someone you know can benefit, but also for my own future reference in the event anyone else asks.  If I were a real blogger, there would be pictures and links to accompany everything listed, but I am not, so there are not. 😁

• traveling around sleep schedules - This is something we did much more when the kids were younger, but even still - traveling when we know they will likely fall asleep was and is ideal.  I realize not every kid is a good car sleeper, but especially if you are traveling hours to see family on a regular basis (like us), it is worth a shot to get them conditioned...and as early as possible.
• audiobooks and kids podcasts - We are not opposed to screen time, but it is not necessarily something we want to be the primary source of entertainment for hours-long trips.  Plus, we've never driven a vehicle with any sort of built-in screen, so the logistics of getting things downloaded on iPads and getting everyone set up with the device, the cords, and the headphones all working properly is tricky.  So, we have historically borrowed audiobooks on CD (which does not help me feel any younger...😬) or the Libby app from the library.  We listened to lots of the Boxcar Children series this way when we had several big, back-to-back road trips a few years ago, and there are obviously countless other options of books/series to enjoy.  As far as podcasts go, there are so many of these, as well, and I know we likely haven't scratched the surface of what is available.  Happy to share a short list, if desired!
• snackle boxes -  Snacks are a given for any length of roundtrip and age of passengers, but snackle boxes have been especially fun for our kids.  They are thrilled by the surprise of what is in each section, enjoy having autonomy over what they eat and when over the course of the trip, and are bolstered to spend more hours in the car with a snackle box on the horizon.  These have been trendy for a few years, now, so you are likely to find lots of options in a Google search.  We got our 6-section ones at Target, but anything with a bunch of little compartments will work.  I often just utilize small snacks/treats we have, but my favorite way to fill these (for the kids AND for Bryant and I) is to go to the bulk bin section at Sprouts.  This has not only allowed us to try new, fun things, but also to only buy as many as we need to fill the compartments without having a whole bag of gummy bears or sesame sticks or whatever else to work through in the following weeks/months.
• Ziplock packing - I did not always pack this way, but once I started, I haven't looked back.  I think the inception of this habit was when the kids were spending a couple days at my parents' and had specific activities (and therefore, outfits) for each day.  I packed each day's outfits in a gallon Ziplock labeled for the day and/or activity.  Not only did this eliminate any guess-work and decision fatigue for multiple parties, but it also helped me keep my ducks in a row and make sure I packed everything necessary.  While this is getting a little trickier as the kids get older (and wear increasingly bigger clothes), the concept is still valuable and can be replicated using packing cubes or any other available vessel. 

That's all, for now, friends!  As always, questions are welcome, as are additions to the travel tip list.  If you can relate to the midlife awareness stuff or have already come through it - any coping mechanisms you'd like to share?  Ha.  😉

As youthfully as possible,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

snuggles while cat-sitting ♥

the fact that these exist

these two ♥

Bryant's "promposal"
(yes - homemade fortune cookies...preceded by a homemade Chinese dinner - he really went all out! ♥)

Fall ‘25

Preface:

I was recently asked whether or not "The Scoop from the Coop" was still active.  Ha!  The answer: yes, but with the caveat that it rarely reaches a priority level that allows for anyone to actually know it's active.  I also shared that I had a post sitting in "editing purgatory," because the holiday season had impeded my progress on it.  Here's that post:

This is slowly but surely becoming a seasonal blog, isn’t it? As I use it to document our life’s happenings, the timeliness (or lack thereof) speaks to the busy-ness and priorities of this season of life. All good things, but just a lot at once, and with little margin.

So, here’s a brief recap of some fall happenings:

Lydia turned 5! 
Here she is opening a couple gifts the morning of her big day. 

Her chosen theme for her first ever friend party was "unicorn, flamingo, ballerina."
We did what we could to accommodate. ;)

♥

Some of the last garden zinnias for the season and flamingo straws I'd had the forethought to pick up from Dollar Tree this summer both came in clutch!

Clearance ballerina stockings (thanks, Aunt Jami) and a unicorn/flamingo "duck" game rounded out the theme.

I'm always thankful for my brief stint in 4-H cake-decorating classes...

...and the ability to make cake dreams come true on a budget!

Pin the horn on the unicorn - recycled from one, if not two, cousin's birthday parties.

I also had a birthday!
Breakfast in bed is always a treat, but esp. with tiramisu French toast (Bryant) and gooey rolls (Dad)!

A most delicious cake was made, too!

♥

We took a quick trip to Lincoln to participate in the NWU Homecoming festivities this year.  Families were invited to a tailgate meal, band alumni were invited to perform on the weekend's concert, and there was even a music alumni trivia game (judged by a couple former (and since, retired) professors).  It was so fun to not only relive some of my college experiences with Bryant and the kids, but also some of Bryant and I's earliest memories together with our little family. 

It had been a while since we stopped in Rock Port for the traditional "meet in the middle" photo.

We stayed at "the coop" (this blog's namesake)!
The kids were obviously thrilled.  Me too!

We squeezed in as many favorites as we could that weekend, including a favorite coffee shop!

You know how I feel about a then-and-now...☺

Mannny hours were spent in practice rooms such as this, once upon a time.
This was a really sweet full-circle moment.

I used to give campus tours, so of course, we went in every building we could, including this - Old Main, where the university in its entirety was once housed.

So many feelings about playing on that stage again...but mostly: it was so fun!

The (almost) exact spot we first laid eyes on each other, and in the background, the first place he bought me coffee and the first place we ate dinner - all in the same afternoon/evening!

There is a lot I could say about these seed packets, but for now:
I collected a very large amount of zinnia seeds at the end of this growing season, because we were planning to (and did) do some work to the garden, so we couldn't just leave them to reseed like they had the last couple of years.  I ended up with way more seeds than I knew what to do with.  Shortly thereafter, I was asked to speak at a women's favorite things event at church where ladies would be sent home with gifts from a handful of different themes/topics.  The topic I was asked to share about: gardening.  And guess what I got to do with all the seeds the Lord apparently knew I would need to have collected?!  I got to share them with all the ladies in attendance after telling them all about why gardening is one of my favorite things!

Bryant and I were able to take an anniversary trip to Mackinac Island!  The island hold a special place in Bryant's heart, and as I had never been, it was exciting to have him plan this getaway and show me around.  Being there at the end of their peak season made for such a quiet, relaxing, and refreshing time.  We would love to share more about this trip, so please just ask, if you're interested!

There are no motorized vehicles on the island, so after we got off the ferry, we either walked or rode in horse-drawn carriages!

We spent a whole afternoon walking along the coast of the island.  While it was a bit chilly, the temperature and sunshine were above-average for the time of year, and for that, we were very thankful.

We love taking advantage of everything our proximity to a big city has to offer!
Pictured here: one of several symphony concerts for kids we have attended

Speaking of awesome field trips - we toured Arrowhead Stadium with our homeschool group!
(This was a really cool (free!) opportunity and such an interesting tour.  We were extra glad to have been able to take it after (months later) hearing about the Chiefs' upcoming big move!)

Again - this post is so very belated, but I am thankful for your continued unconditional interest, as well as the opportunity posts like this present for me to reflect on and remember (both now and in the future!) our life's happenings.  Time continues to pass at an alarming rate, and I try hard to not only enjoy and relish in the present moments, but also document them in a way that will allow myself and others to look back on them in years to come.  Someday, perhaps I will have something more profound, or at least timely, to share.  In the meantime, thanks for your grace.  ;)

Tardily yet happily,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

the new coconut oil popcorn from Aldi

the opportunity to homeschool

this self-starting, hard-working girl
She asked for a box to paint so the noise-making kitten toy that is required to live in the basement could have a home.  I'd been saving a box for such a time as this, and we had the tail end of a can of paint, so she was in luck.  She asked to have her breakfast outside so she could "get right to work," and finished the job (really well) with no assistance.

Summer 2025

As cliché as it may be, our summer truly flew by.  Aside from a couple regularly-programmed trips to NE, we did not have any big travel plans on the docket.  So, going into the season, I thought we would likely have a pretty laid-back, slow few months off school.  Our calendar, however, seemed to fill up of its own accord, which lead to every week (and every day of every week) bringing a new adventure.  It was all good things, and while it was a bit of a whirlwind, I am so grateful for all the new experiences, fun opportunities, and memories made.  We certainly made the most of it and soaked it all in!

We kicked off summer by sending Jacob to a science/nature camp in Topeka.  It was led by one of my mom's friends, and he attended with two cousins.  They had a great time, held lots of reptiles, and did some cool experiments.  They also got to have some quality time at Grandma and Grandpa's, without the "pesky" youngest sisters, which was possibly of equal enjoyment.  

Our quality time with Lydia was so delightful.  I know we have great kiddos, but when in their sibling form, it is often difficult to catch them at their best.  The one-on-one time was valuable for this reason, as was her getting an opportunity to choose things she wanted to do without any outside influence. 😉 

Ready for a date with Daddy!
(She "got ready" with no prompting, which included spraying her hair with a ton of detangler and water...😬😊)

He's not quite doing this unsupervised, but is excited to be one step closer!

Jacob did two weeks of morning swimming lessons, and sis was often taking care of business while she waited.  
(Lydia would rather not be in this sort of learning environment with people she doesn't know, so she did "lessons" with me whenever we could this summer.)

first carrot of the season (look at that top!)

One of our summer goals was to do a weekly art video.  Jacob was so proud of this jet plane, and I was very impressed by his attention to detail!

A friend invited me to a cookie-decorating class, courtesy of their realtor, and it was fun and refreshing to be led so well and learn a new skill!

Their first of several camping trips with Grandma and Grandpa included "gourmet" s'mores after I let them use the leftover icing from my class to decorate graham crackers.

Our sweet and talented neighbor made Lydia her own basket for the garden (after she asked if he would give her their similar family heirloom basket when he was done with it).  She immediately wrote/drew him a thank you note...and delivered it in the basket. ☺

They are not yet too old to enjoy the free kids exhibit at Crown Center, and I am so glad.
(This was just before we attended "A Year with Frog and Toad" at the neighboring children's theater with our wonderful homeschool group.)

She planned, packed, and prepped for an impromptu picnic breakfast.

(The iPad was so they could listen to their audiobook while they ate.)

Jacob discovered Garfield this summer, and there were lots of shared giggles during their reading time(s). 
(They definitely earned all their summer reading program prizes!)

The elementary kids at VBS all received tiny Bibles to take home at the end of the week, and this sweet girl asked if she could have one, too.  It is often packed in her purse or bag for trips long and short.

We spent some quality time with my brother and family in Manhattan, which included the kids' first time on a boat!

This girl gave up naps at home at a fairly young age, but she is almost guaranteed to fall asleep in the car if traveling between 1-3:00 p.m.. 

Sweet friends from church took the kids to the zoo, giving me some very valuable time to myself.

More carrots!

♥

Jacob's birthday celebrations this year included the requested meal (and free dessert!) at Nick and Jake's, a huge squirt gun fight with friends, and more special treats and gifts from family at our July 4th gathering.

When you get exactly what you were hoping for...☺

We had our homeschool group and a few other friends over for donuts (he asked for these over cake) and the birthday boy's much-anticipated epic water battle.

A sweet, thoughtful mom friend (who has only boys) made Lydia a festive bracelet.

Before we went shopping for fireworks, Lydia said, "I hope they have a unicorn!"  Low and behold, look what she found...for $17...😳 She nearly didn't let anyone light it, because she wanted to save it - haha!

This sweet little helper helped dig for potatoes, and while we were wrapping up other garden tasks afterward, she took it upon herself to wash all the potatoes.  Needless to say, we used them all much sooner than we'd anticipated...and we were thankful it was a relatively small harvest for her to wash. 😬

Our annual trip to Omaha included a visit to the Laurtizen Gardens.  Their new area for kids is so unique and cute and fun!

♥

The biggest ever elephant ear plant in the atrium.

♥

One of our weeks was occupied by VBS at our friends' small country church.  As expected, it was so well-done and so fun!  Not only did the kids get poured into, but I also got a few hours to myself each morning (most of which I spent planning for our school year, but was still a nice change of pace).  

(Though not pictured, we all got to participate in our own church's VBS at the end of June.  It was a really fun and really full week, with 250+ kiddos in attendance!  The kids enjoyed participating with their peers, and I enjoyed leading around a group of fifteen preschool "ladybugs.")

Riding a Clydesdale...

...was obviously a highlight!

Building his army uniform, one belated birthday gift at a time.

We see a movie probably once a year.  This feature was the new How to Train Your Dragon, because we happened to borrow/watch all the older ones from the library immediately prior to this.

As usual, our summer included as much pool time as possible.  Forever thankful for friends who invite/allow us to use their neighborhood pool passes!

After a fight about who got to sit where on the couch, I built her a "throne/nest," and she sat there reading for at least half an hour...the next day, too...and the next.
(She always says, "But I can't read," when she's directed to go read a book, but this girl looks at pages and words so intently, one could easily be convinced she can, in fact, read.)

I am increasingly delighted by the flowers in our garden and flower beds, and arranging them for friends and neighbors brings me even more joy!

A playdate for Jacob meant a date with this gem - she chose a coffee shop, so she could get a "fluffy" (steamer) and "that purple poptart."

It happened again...the snails laid eggs, and they hatched!  (Big snail and penny just for scale.)
We put them in the "big habitat" with the other snails about a week ago, and I can neither confirm nor deny whether or not they've survived the transition from their secluded Cool Whip container...😬

Another camping trip, another new adventure!

Chuck E. Cheese does a summer reading program - free play points with a food purchase - so, Dippin' Dots, it was. ☺

"Proof of Mom" picture, thanks to the neighbor friend we took to the water park (and who was an awesome playmate for these two several days this summer).

We just can't get enough of her. ♥

A friend invited us to a special community service event she heard about that immediately made her think of us, and I was giddy when we arrived and saw what our task was to be.  We took apart and sorted Lego bricks for kids in need, and I wish I could convey how perfect and fun it was!  Jacob, of course, provided enthusiastic commentary the whole time, and Lydia had her nose to the grindstone, making sure all the pieces at our table, as well as others, were sorted appropriately.  We could have done this all day, and we hope to again!

Some of you may have read on Facebook that I didn't necessarily plan on putting in a full garden this year.  The volunteer plants, the kids, and friends/family with orphan plants, however, had other ideas.  As usual, while it has been a ton of work, it is (often) so fun to work together and to provide garden-fresh produce for our family, as well as so many friends and neighbors.  We even dipped out toes further into canning this year.  We put up some tomatoes a couple years ago, but this year, we tried our favorite sweet relish recipe from my mom, as well as tomato sauce and dill relish.

This helper often snags a snack while out there (peep the green beans and kale in her little pocket!).

Me: "Do you want to smile for a picture?"
Her: "No, I'll stir, so it looks like I'm cooking for real, since I am."

As always, thank you for reading and caring about the happenings in our little corner of the world.  Many of you provide encouragement, solidarity, and wisdom for me in this season of motherhood, and it is so valuable and appreciated.  I often feel like I am failing in many areas of life, but I try hard to remember how impossible it is to succeed at everything all at once.  Perhaps someday, I'll have an intensive workout routine, try fancy new recipes, and keep up with correspondence with great regularity and eloquence.  For now, though, I'll at least maintain friendships near and far (thank goodness for technology), make sure no one leaves our home hungry (or at least without a snack for the road), and continue to partner with my husband to raise (increasingly less) tiny humans who show love and respect to those in and out of our home.  Amidst all that and more, I am thankful, on the daily, for the peace and strength I have in the Lord and for His amazing grace.  He fills in my many gaps and so often shows up for me in tangible, meaningful ways, and I hope I will always stop to recognize them.

We have begun another year of homeschooling, and I am continually grateful for the opportunity to educate our children in this way...and to get to do recess at the pool!  ;)  As I have said before, not all days are easy, not all memories are beautiful, and not all words are kind, but I strive to pray through the hard and focus on the days that do feel magical, the memories I want to cherish, and the words that are sweet.  Another cliché to end this post:  "The days are long, but the years are short."

Seasonally,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

good watermelon

BLTs

unexpected compliments