Hey Reader!

This morning, I just wanted toast. That’s it. Just… toast.

I wasn’t aiming high. I wasn’t dreaming big. Not artisan. No avocado. Not hand-baked by woodland elves. I just wanted a slice of bread, slightly crispy, with butter that melts like it knows it’s the main character.

But no.

First, I couldn’t find the bread. Because someone (not naming names but he’s 14 and acting like he's prepping for hibernation) polished off the loaf sometime between second dinner and midnight snack. And then placed the bag back into the pantry, like a decoy. And then acted like I was the unreasonable one.

But I guess that's better than if he had used the bread to cushion his VR headset so he could play in stealth mode.

He has the metabolism of a black hole.

Why can't I be like him? 😩 I think Somebody got it backwards....surely, older people would take better advantage of being nimble and agile than younger ones...?

Then I dropped the butter on the floor, where it slid under the fridge like it was trying to escape the chaos. The chaos of my mind or my household, I'm not sure which. Being a single mom of 3 kids means you have to get up...A LOT. And honestly, now that I think about it, it's not just single moms. It's all moms who stay at home and homeschool their kids. Well, I try to work at home, too, and it gets old fast when I'm called to get up multiple times.

But I don't get annoyed. I know these years pass by fast. So I welcome when my 14 year old hunts me out just to update me on his latest random obsession (this week it’s quantum computation). I listen. I stop what I'm doing and I look him in the eyes and genuinely listen to what he's saying. Talking a mile a minute, arms flailing, eyes lit up.

At first I would get annoyed. Like, another interruption!!! gahhh!!!

But (now this part is single mama style) who else is he really going to update if not me? (And no, dad's not around. And calling him that is a stretch.)

And since I stopped being a brat about my personal time (I was delusional), I've actually quite enjoyed his updates, and I fondly look forward to them. So much so that I now also hunt him out in return to inquire about any updates.

Two days ago, he wanted me to stop working on prepping for the summit to go look at something in his room. And I REALLY needed to NOT stop working. I have a list of things to do, including the Swag Bag that is almost done except for my stuff to add in, among a few other things. So I didn't really have the time.

But I made it anyway. He made me wear his headphones with the music turned nearly all the way down (ok.....?) and watch him play Geometry Dash on that extreme hard mode. If you aren't familiar, it's where the screen goes by super fast and you have to dodge (or 'dash') through the obstacle course without crashing. It's much harder than it sounds. Kind of like Sonic, zipping and zapping through things, but SUPER fast, and you can't crash into anything.

So I watched him fail about 30 times.

I guess he just wanted me to watch him attempt it 30 times. He wanted to show me how fast that was and how far he gets each time...I think.

Back to the butter.

While I was lying on the floor with a spatula trying to fish out the butter from under the fridge, I realized I’ve been operating in full-blown survival mode lately.

You ever have that moment? The kind that sneaks up on you mid-toast-chase and whispers,

“Hey… you might be losing it.”

I laughed. And then I cried. And then I remembered we’re allowed to do both.

We’re allowed to be tired.
To not have the energy for gourmet breakfasts or Pinterest-level homeschool plans.
To have seasons where the most victorious thing we do all day is make toast.

(Still didn’t get the toast, by the way. I ended up eating yogurt mixed with blueberries (or what's left of them). Out of a measuring cup. Like a queen.)

But I also remembered something else: this is why I built the summit.

Not because I have it all together, but because I don’t.

It's when I'm knee-deep in laundry and lesson plans and doubts.

When life feels like too much and not enough all at once.

It's also for moms who feel the same way.

For the moms who just want a little spark again.

The days leading up to the summit are always slammed back-to-back for me.

It's like they bleed together. I end up working tirelessly around the clock, like the last two weeks before it starts. You should see my task management system. There are legit 800 or so tasks to complete per summit.

All the major things are finito, it's just the minor little things that are left, that happen to tie everything together.

And doggit....I keep forgetting to schedule social media posts about registering for it....

I hate social media.

It is not a nice place oftentimes, and it's not the place I want to choose to spend my time. But yet I'm on it. Make that make sense.

That's why I made the Community, anyway, off Facebook. (Though I still have the Facebook group.)

I wanted a place for moms who are DONE with social media to still have a place to go for support and unity. That's actually the main reason why I love these summits.​

I get so burnt out with the summit way before it even begins... haha. When no one is there yet and registration hasn't opened yet, it just feels, I feel pretty solo, so alone when I'm building it behind the scenes. And all for a maybe too.

Like, maybe they'll register. Maybe they'll like it. Maybe they'll complain about it being subpar or less than. Maybe they don't like whom I invited as speakers. Maybe they'll think it's boring and unhelpful. Maybe they'll never come back again.

The enemy attacks me pretty hard every summit, leading up to it. At this point, I've come to just expect it, really. This is our 4th annual summit happening next week, but it's also our 7th summit. (Dang....)

I pray a lot a lot a lot before each summit, and this year, there are amazing prayer warriors who took initiative to pray for the summit as well! I'm so thankful.

But look....when Summit Week happens.....

My heart gets SO FULL. I'm always reminded of the WHY I do these summits.

Of course, I'm big on showcasing homeschool businesses and curriculums/curriculum creators to the summit attendees, just as much as I'm big on the summit being a vehicle for each mom's reset and spark.

We, as homeschool moms, need to know what's out there and what is available in resources and curriculum. The next curriculum creator or speaker you come across in the summit just might be your saving grace, or your baby's perfect match. Just like how a workshop or a live bonus session can change your perspective in an instant. (This happened to me in last year's summit, thanks Amanda Schenkenberger. She's here again, by the way, for the summit next week!)

In fact, Carol with Let's Go Geography is a speaker and sponsor this year, but I've been using her geography curriculum for years! I'm so thrilled she's back with us again this year. I adore her as much as I love her geography curriculum. (She has discounts and free resources in the summit too!)

So if I didn't have a lock on a geography curriculum yet for my homeschool, I'd be SO BLESSED attending this summit this year because of just that.

And if I needed someone to just "get it", to know what I'm feeling or going through, and for them to pull me out of it, the aforementioned Amanda is a good one for that. Her workshops and bonus live workshops are incredible. In-cred-i-ble. You just have to attend one to see what I mean. She has a knack for reaching the core of your crux and making you feel okay about it, like you can face it after all. She makes it feel doable. She's like a balm to the poor old floppy mama soul. (You'll see.)

I love, love, LOVE Summit Week. I feel the energy through the screen, and I LOVE the camaraderie, the united feel of moms in the community, and I especially love that ads aren't flooding my screen or other unwelcome things from social media.

It's why I do these summits, as exhausted as I get, every year. Because I genuinely care about each mom who comes through those virtual doors. We each have a story (and a backstory), and we're trying to just make a good life for our kids.

When Summit Week comes, it all becomes worth it to me.

It’s not just about workshops and worksheets. It’s not about schedules or strategies (though those are great).

It’s about you.​
The mom watching late at night with a cold cup of coffee and a tired heart.
The one scribbling notes between kid chaos and meal prep.
The one who shows up....not because it’s easy, but because you care.

We're here not because life is neat and tidy. But because it’s not.

It’s the messy days, the burnout, the doubt, and the butter-under-the-fridge moments that made me realize we need each other. We need ideas that actually work in real life.

We need someone to say:

You’re not alone. Here’s a flashlight.

So I built one. And lit a few others.

And every message, every comment, every “this was exactly what I needed” that rolls in during Summit Week...?

*tear*

That’s my reminder.

That’s the spark.

Because somehow, in the middle of our collective messes, this little summit space becomes something sacred.

Not perfect. But full of fire, and fierce love, and so much goodness.

So if that’s you right now...if you're eating yogurt from a cup and trying to hold it all together...I see you. You’re my people. And there’s a whole group of us gathering soon. You’re always welcome.

And no one will ask you to find the bread.

xo,
Richie

PS: Of course, if you haven't registered yet, I encourage you to, if not for anything else but for the friendship part of it. Although you will get tons of resources as an added bonus when you do.

PPS: Also, if you've already registered, I'm so excited for you! You can still upgrade to Lifetime VIP and access the summit RIGHT NOW and not wait until next week! 🙌🏻 (VIP Early Access happened Monday.)

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