• "The Other Mothers" by Katherine Faulkner
• "Woman of Light" by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
• "Welcome Home, Stranger" by Kate Christensen
• "The Fake Mate" by Lana Ferguson
• "This Time Tomorrow" by Emma Straub*
• "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho
• "Let Us Descend" by Jesmyn Ward
• "The Berry Pickers" by Amanda Peters*
• "The Last Love Note" by Emma Grey
• "How to Be Perfect" by Michael Schur
• "Part of Your World" by Abby Jimenez
• "A Heart That Works" by Rob Delaney
• "One Summer in Savannah" by Terah Shelton Harris
• "The Switch" by Beth O'Leary*
• "Cutting for Stone" by Abraham Verghese*
• "Family Family" by Laurie Frankel*
• "The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store" by James McBride*
• "Pineapple Street" by Jenny Jackson*
• "The Covenant of Water" by Abraham Verghese***
• "Becoming" by Michelle Obama*
• "Reign" by Katharine McGee
• "The House of Eve" by Sadeqa Johnson***
• "Beyond the Wand" by Tom Felton
• "In the Dream House" by Carmen Maria Machado
• "Just for Summer" by Abby Jimenez
• "Black Cake" by Charmaine Wilkerson*
• "The Henna Artist" by Alka Joshi
• "The Secret Keeper" by Alka Joshi
• "Funny Story" by Emily Henry
• "The Women" by Kristin Hannah*
• "The Perfumist of Paris" by Alka Joshi
• "Meet the Benedettos" by Katie Cotugno
• "I Have Some Questions for You" by Rebecca Makkai*
• "Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone" by Benjamin Stevenson
• "Within Arm's Reach" by Ann Napolitano*
• "The Invisible Hour" by Alice Hoffman
• "Rift" by Cait West**
• "North Woods" by Daniel Mason
• "Eligible" by Curtis Sittenfeld*
• "You Think It, I'll Say It" by Curtis Sittenfeld

Recording the books I've read every 6 months brings me so much joy! I looove to read! 2024 is off to a great start with 40 books read! And so many amazing books on this list. "The Berry Pickers" was so poignant.

And just like that, it's summer. The temperature doesn't quite agree, but Ira and Maeve were still willing to try the new sprinkler. Enoch was a hard pass.

May I have the strength and patience to survive (thrive?) this summer.

Wow, we got a good one. I especially appreciate Conor getting up early in the morning with Ira. Conor is the one I want to be doing this parenting gig with!

The timing of the strawberries seem to vary quite a bit every year. I remember 4 years ago, we were picking strawberries in July (Maeve wore a bonnet and Enoch was brand new to our family!). This year it's mid-June. We picked a stormy Saturday to drive to a u-pick farm and despite the weather, I'd say we did alright! And I got these cute pictures so that's a win in my books!

We're solidly in the phase of life where sometimes one older kid is doing something away from us and so it's not always the entire family. I'm trying to lean in to their independence and relationships, but I missed Greta.

2018 2019 2020 2021

All my brown-eyed boy wanted for his birthday was a big, red fire truck. He was thrilled and so were his siblings. What a joy Enoch is. I just love when he sits on my lap to read a book and his little ear is against my cheek. Every time he calls me, "mom," my heart catches. I love being his mother.

We celebrated his birthday with lots of things! Waffles for breakfast, treats for his class, lunch in a train car with grandpa and finally cake with friends. What a guy!