The month of June is nearly at it’s end with only a weekend separating this month from the next. Emily @ Chatting at the Sky is asking us to share things we’ve learned this month – it can be big, huge, monumental things or quieter little things – silly or serious. The goal is simply to take a moment to reflect on the month ending and what it’s given you.

Here’s what I’ve learned this month:

1. Dates with my husband can consist of more than dinner and a movie. I’ve always known this but a spur of the moment bowling double date with friends (made possible by my dad visiting us) was hands down one of our best dates ever. We’ve tried to keep the momentum going at home by playing card games together and are hoping to schedule another bowling date soon!
2. The new Hy-Vee has some of the best Chinese food in town. I’m not sure if this is saying something good about Hy-Vee or something bad about the local Chinese Food scene, but we were very happy to discover this when a Hy-Vee opened up near Dan’s office. In addition to stellar Chinese food, they also have a great liquor selection, a dining area that has a wait staff to get you drinks in glasses (breakable ones!) and make you forget you are eating at the grocery store. And a coffee shop. They have a coffee shop. Basically, I’ve moved in.
3. My dog now weighs more than both of my children at just over 60 pounds – but not as much as both of them combined just yet (84 pounds)… That may well change by next month!
4. My daughter likes ballet but is not a ballerina. She is a Princess in a Tutu. Ballet lessons with BB were a pretty big eye opener for me – I don’t know if I was expecting her to be like a ballet dancing savant, but I certainly wasn’t expecting teary eyed refusals to participate the first day and though she overcame her fears, I learned that my daughter doesn’t like to necessarily do what everyone else is doing – she has to find some way to make her own spin on whatever is going on.
5. I learned how much my time spent volunteering in my son’s classroom impacted not just myself and the teacher, but also the kids. I was overwhelmed by all the adorable thank you cards I received on my last day volunteering for the school year, in addition to beautiful flowers from the teacher. I got so much out of the experience of really getting to know the teacher and all of MM’s friends and was so touched to see how much they appreciated it.
6. This month we went camping in Door County and I learned that I can survive a crazy thunderstorm in a tent, that moths are fearless and loyal companions and that camp grounds with tons of activities and amenities are not really necessary for us, especially in such an amazing town full of things to see and do.
7. I learned a couple of new card games – my favorite being a game called Beggar My Neighbor which is similar to War but less tedious and easier to play in a small space while tired than Rummy. We played this while camping and loved it.
8. I learned that my children basically think I cease to exist when they are asleep. Also that my favorite things are THEIR favorites things and I have no identity outside of them.
9. I learned how much my data is worth and how much money I am worth, how boy crazy I am and how many cows I am worth – but not how much salt I’m worth – so I made my own quiz to help people find out – How much salt are you worth?
10. I learned how to add corn starch to a berry sauce to thicken it – and all the things you can do wrong when attempting such a thing! I learned that improvisation in cooking can either be really good or really bad!
11. I learned that cutting your finger while cooking hurts SO MUCH WORSE than I would have expected. And that you shouldn’t open a can of biscuits with a can opener.
12. I learned how to crochet – again – it wasn’t until halfway through my husband teaching me last night that I realized I have done this before and I remember why I don’t crochet all the time. I have not entirely given up and I still think it’s WAY easier than knitting but… yeah.

What have you learned this month? Let me know if you are playing along on your blog!