Our Week in 7 Quick Takes

 

~1~

I truly didn't mean to go all week without writing here, but the days got away from me. The great news is that our living room is totally organized again and there is nothing hiding under any of the beds or in the bedroom closets.

 

~2~

Only 8 DAYS until Superman graduates and he's actually home in the evenings!!! We're a *little* excited. Ender made a countdown chain the other day because he just can't wait til the dayy daddy's days off actually mean free time.

~3~

I've been in a knitting slump. I've started and ripped back the toe of the same sock three times now because I always do something foolish with it. I've been knitting socks for how long now? A year? I should know how this goes by now.

I've also tried a few times to get going on sweater sleeves, because I have two sweaters in need of sleeves. FOUR TRIES it took to pick up stitches correctly. I feel like a knitting loser. I actually told superman the other night that I knit so that I don't go crazy and the lack of knitting progress was leading me to the land of the loonies. He looked at me with a "be nice to the crazy lady with sharp sticks" kind of stare.

Thank goodness I finally got a good sleeve going last night or I'd be a wreck today.

 

~4~

We signed the boys up for swimming lessons this summer. Ender is *not* keen to go because he knows that this is the year they'll make him put his face in the water and he doesn't want to. No amount of "you'll learn to swim like a fish" kind of talk is helping him. So Superman is going to try to get him into a friend's pool a few times before lessons to get him used to the idea so he doesn't totally melt down at classes.

This will be Ezra's first year at swimming and it's mostly just safety type stuff: getting in the pool only if an adult is with you, how to kick their legs and move their arms, getting in and out of the pool safely etc.). He *really* hopes that he gets to put his face in the water. Such different personalities these boys have!

 

~5~

I washed fabric for a quilt on Sunday and it has sat in a pile ever since. I actually spent Tuesday evening ironing all of it after the boys had gone to bed and while Superman was in class because I full intended to start measuring and cutting pieces Wednesday morning, but it still sits in a pile (folded now, thank goodness!). I'm very excited about the project, but just can't seem to find a big enough block of time to focus on the cutting right now.

~6~

I'm hunting readers for Ender. Simple stuff, 2-4 words per page so he won't feel intimidated, but enough words to tell a story. We've exhausted the Bob books and some of the books we've haphazardly picked up at the library have been okay on brief flip through, but when I actually read through them at home they're too much for him or combine words that follow too many different rules on one page. He's reading and loving Hop on Pop a few pages at a time if that give you a good idea of level.

Suggestions???

~7~

Next week may be a bit of a blur too- Superman has three finals, a graduation prep class and then the actual graduation and party on Saturday!!!!

Keeping It Simple

Spring cleaning is continuing in the mornings here, but I'm back to work in the afternoons. Only a few weeks left until blessed summer break!

 

A few thoughts on simplicity in our homeschool from the weekend (after another interesting discussion with my husband):

 

:: Record Keeping For Interest-Led Learners.

 

:: FAQs from Starry Sky Ranch

 

:: Tidal Homeschooling

 

:: The Parent's Project Journal. 

 

:: some math ideas in a beautiful main lesson book.

 

:: The Basics at Gypsy Carnival

Seven Quick Takes

If you'd like to see more quick takes, go visit Jen. She has lots of cool stuff.

 

~1~

I know I haven't done one of these in a little while, but I thought I might jump back in this week. It's been a strange week for us. No work for me, spring cleaning, me being sick, the boys sick (to a much lesser degree than me, thank goodness!), trying to get my head around the next studio session, and working on summer plans. While it has been a good break minus the illness, everything is back to normal on Monday.

~2~

We have arranged to have a bit of a science club starting this summer with another family. The other mom and I are making a list of things the kids might be interested in doing, places they might want to go, etc. While looking for ideas I stumbled across this experiment and that brought back many fond memories for me! I think I made at least 50 volcanoes over one school year- maybe 6th grade? I thought it was the very coolest thing I'd ever done or seen.

~3~

It's been a frustrating few days of knitting, and I don't often say that! For whatever reason when I went to work on the second sleeve of my niece's February sweater I could not pick up stitches correctly and proceeded to mess it up on try after try after try. So I'm taking a tiny break from February sweater knitting and I cast on Amanda [ravelry link] from A Fine Fleece by Lisa Lloyd. I should sooooo be knitting for a new little nephew coming toward the end of the summer, but I selfishly cast on the cardigan.

Bad, bad auntie, I know.

~4~

A few days ago I cut my index finger. It wasn't too serious, but because of how I cut it it bled a fair amount. Ender was in shock seeing the blood and as I wrapped it up with a paper towel I told him that I was fine, I just needed a bandaid. The truth is that I don't do well with blood, gore, guts, anything like that, but when I'm the only person around to take care of that sort of thing some special power comes over me and I'm able to muscle through to the end of the situation and then collapse in a pile of shaky nerves afterwards.

So Ender got a bandaid for me and was practically crying. As I washed the cut and evaluated what I need to do, I was talking to him in my best "Mama's cool, this isn't a big deal" kind of voice to help him calm down. I got the bandaid in place, showed it to him to prove the fact that this really wasn't a big deal and gave him a hug. I told him I was glad he was there to help me when I needed it, and all those other good mama things to say.

Then he told me what he was actually worried about- "how are you going to scratch things now? Your scratching finger has no blood in it!"

Boys worry about really weird things.

~5~

I've been working on our learning space over the week as part of my spring cleaning, and I keep coming back to Sarah's simple plan. I know I mentioned her post earlier this week but it's a good one. Simplicity is really the key for us.

~6~

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee is awesome to read, I like her books, I like to see what she's knitting, and occasionally she makes me feel inferior. I have to remember I've only been knitting a little less than 2 years and she's been knitting a *little* bit longer. But then she goes and posts stuff like this and it makes me feel WAY better about my little February sweater problem. Because if someone who has been knitting for that long can still mess something up, surely I'm okay. . . and due for WAY more screw-ups in the future. 

~7~

While I was sick on Tuesday and Wednesday I was extremely fortunate to have help around to take the boys out and keep them out of trouble. They planted flowers and other green things with my in-laws on Tuesday afternoon/evening while Superman was at school, and Wednesday they helped my mom with the same task.

Do you think I can convince them to get outside with me this weekend and plant some things of our own?

Boys + Dirt + gardening tools= YES!

 

Just whisper the word "outside" in their direction and stay out of the way of the stampede. :)

Mama's Sick Daybook

Outside my window…

Another bright day so far. We are expecting rain this afternoon though, so we're trying to get outside for as long as we can this morning.



I am thinking…

about an organized house. Hopefully mine. I'm trying to tackle some definite problem areas this week and see if I can squeeze a little more space out of our small house.

I am thankful for…

My husband who spent his day off yesterday wrangling kids, keeping up on laundry and dishes and taking care of my sick self.

Always Learning…

We've had several little conversations about healthy food this week and made some healthy snack cards to help us to remember which kinds of snacks are good snacks to ask for and which ones are not. We always seem to need a post-holiday reminder.

From the kitchen…

A lot of homemade since I am not teaching in the studio this week! I made and froze some soup on Monday, but I was done yesterday with this evil cold. I'm hoping to get back into the kitchen today with some tacos and maybe a lasagna to freeze for another day.



I am wearing…

my lazy "I'm sick" clothes: hoody, terry cloth pants and fuzzy socks.

I am creating…

A new spring cleaning plan since the ones I made up last week aren't actually starting until today since I was unexpectedly sick yesterday (and still today a little. Bleh!) . So I'm revising this morning and trying to figure out what I can actually get done with the time left.

 

I am going …

to stay home this week. Between the inside spring cleaning to be done and the outside yard work there is more than enough to do!

I am reading…

A first novel by a friend of mine, more Elizabeth Zimmerman (have to decide what to knit next!), and still working on The Queen’s Governess by Karen Harper. The last title isn't as well written as some of the other Tudor fiction I've read in the last year, and it's actually a little dry for fiction reading.

I am hoping…

for a great burst of energy in the next few days while I have the time to get a few extras done around here.



I am hearing…

K-Love. Ever since our t.v. broke we've been in the habit of having K-love on most mornings. This station is such a blessing to our family!



Around the house…

Big plans, but nothing accomplished yet. Hopefully I'll have exciting things to share by the end of the weekend. I'm planning a total revamp of our learning area after seeing the awesome simplicity of Sarah's system. It is where my heart was heading anyway, but seeing Sarah's orderly shelves in place renewed my resolve for simplicity in our schooling and in our organization.

One of my favorite things…

Hot tea,which has been my dearest friend these last 36 hours.



A few plans for the rest of the week . . .

A trip to the library by the end of the weekend and a transformed house. That's enough for one week, I think!

A Little Bit of Craftiness

Crafting has been a little slow for me these past few weeks, but I'm steadily making progress on two pieces I thought I might share today: My February sweaters!

I am having the hardest time getting the proper color to register on my camera! The yarn is Ella Rae's Classic Marls in blue and it is actually a very dark blue-black. Ezra actually calls it "the black sweater".

Up close to the gull pattern I love (apologies again for funky color!):

And the actual baby version of the February Sweater:

These are both the famous February Baby Sweater (rav link) by Elizabeth Zimmermann. The dark blue is sized up for me using the February Lady Sweater (rav link) pattern re-mathed by Pamela Wynne, and the pink is knitted as written in Knitter's almanac, except that I left the sleeves on live stitches to go back and do them in the round. Just a few sleeves left to finish, and I'll be sad when they're done. I've really enjoyed this pattern!

Seeing Stars

Oh, my- I'm so glad the recital is over! Today I'm totally relaxing. We have plans to hit the library this afternoon and I suppose I'll have to make dinner at some point, but otherwise I'm just hanging out with my boys and knitting! The past few weeks have been full of work so I'm really excited to have a week of *whatever we want to do*

Today I thought I'd share a gift we recently received. My mother is a quilter- a far better quilter than I am! I mentioned to her a few years ago that I really loved the Mariner's Compass and how I found myself coming back to that pattern again and again. She offered to make a Mariner's Compass quilt for me if I really thought I'd never make one on my own, and I totally took her up on it! I do okay with triangles, but matching up all those little points? I truly don't have the patience at this point in my life!

Our new quilt:

 

Sending You Elsewhere . . .

I have a busy weekend ahead of me- spring cleaning, the big recital, my mom's birthday . . .  so I'm going to focus there and be back in this space on Monday.

So instead of reading about my busy-ness, would you like some links for the weekend?

:: Read what Sarah found about self-directed education. I spent much of the last few evenings reading though those links and it definitely gave me some new insight into our homeschool and also confirmed some long-held beliefs.

:: To get back into some sewing I'm making shorts for Ender and next week I'm planning to get back into some quilting with the blocks I've been drooling over on Sew, Mama, Sew.

:: I'm keeping an eye on these Montessori sandpaper letters and waiting until I have a little bit of school money to put toward these letters for Ezra.

:: Have you checked out the Kind Conversation community yet?

A Sunny Daybook

Outside my window…

It is bright and cheerful already at 8 a.m. We're looking forward to another warm day- we're supposed to hit 80 F again. Our pollen count has been very high these last few days and I've been really feeling the effects. I think Ender has been too.

  

I am thinking…

about the recital this Sunday. Everything is as ready as it can be as of today. I'll be printing programs on Saturday, then it comes down to setting everything up on the day of the event. I'm looking forward to this event, but maybe looking forward a little more to it being over!

I am thankful for…

My mom who understands that this week is stressful . . . so she came over and did my dishes and a bit of laundry to help me keep up at home.

Always Learning…

This week has been interesting for us! We've been invited to be part of the local homeschooling association and also talked to a friend about getting together once a week for nature study. Ender signed up for teeball this summer and we need to pick weeks for swimming lessons. I feel like we've gone from zero outside activities to suddenly several. We are praying for discernment as to which opportunities we should take advantage of, and which would mean too much on our schedule.

From the kitchen…

This week has been a week of treats- cookies for another family, brownies, and plans for more cookies.

There has also been a LOT of picnic making!

I am wearing…

a green skirt, white shirt, and a cardigan. The mornings are a bit on the cool side this week, but by 2 p.m. I'll be too warm for the cardigan.

I am creating…

A February baby sweater for my neice.

new Pajamas for my boys that grow like CRAZY.

Shorts for Ender.

Spring cleaning plans due to start next  Monday!

  

I am going …

to take the space I need this week. I usually spend Supeman's class evenings working on the things that need done around here, but this week I'm knitting, and occasionally just sitting and gathering my thoughts.

I am reading…

Lemony Snicket books (which are incredibly short, I found out!) and The Queen's Governess by Karen Harper- another set in the Tudor household while Anne Boleyn is around.

I am hoping…

for great weather next week so we can work in the yard while I have a free week. The boys are very excited to help me plant flowers this year! (It's all Ender has talked about for almost 2 weeks now!

I am hearing…

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for the first time in ages. Our t.v. broke several weeks back so any episodes that have been watched have been me and Superman watching on the computer. My brother-in-law B. works for a moving company, and a client was leaving a t.v. behind and offered it to him for free! He picked it up and passed it on to us. We do watch some t.v. around here, but we've been so in the habit of not watching that we've only used it a few times since getting the new one.

Around the house…

I'm keeping up with the dailies for this week, but Monday starts the deep spring clean. I'm looking particularly at my laundry room/pantry that somehow became a "catch all" room in the last few months. I tackled the boys' rooms over the weekend and also started on the linen closet. My goal is to have the whole house done by May 1st.

One of my favorite things…

This February sweater gull pattern. The 4 rows are easy to memorize and I have not gotten tired of it, even though this is my second February sweater in a row.

A few plans for the rest of the week . . .

A trip to the library, knitting a lot (as stress relief!), and the big performance this weekend!

Compliments

I was paid a great compliment a few days back.

A friend we haven't seen in awhile came for a visit and the boys brought item after item to her to show her things they had made, things I'd made for them, and projects still in the works. She asked politely after each thing and ooh-ed and aah-ed appropriately. After the boys got over their "show off every cool thing" mode and settled in to play, she said the very best thing:

Your kids seem to really appreciate handmade things.

I hope so. I really do.

I make their clothes, their toys, their blankies . . . my own things too. I hope they understand that the time and love poured into a project is far greater than the actual finished product. I hope their matching pajamas and little handknit toys for a long time- not because of what they are but because someone who loves them tremendously made it for them.

It isn't even about me and the things I personally make for them. It's about supporting the people you know and love in their creative ventures and knowing that that is just as important as the usual things we support each other in.

From the Weekend

I spent my weekend doing approximately 29,000 loads of laundry and spring cleaning in my boys' bedrooms.

You?

It was really a re-organizing of their rooms. I emptied everything out, dusted and cleaned, then put it all back in minus outgrown clothes, winter clothes, and an assortment of toys that were broken, outgrown or just plain needed to be put up for awhile. We just have to do that kind of thing every once in awhile. Plus, the studio has it's annual recital next week and I'm a little stressed over this event (as I am every year). My answer to stress is to clean. Something about re-organizing the space helps me organize my mind.

Over the weekend I also started reading Preschool Pathways to Science and I *love* what I have read so far! In one of the first sections it has a list of methods this book might remind you of, and Reggio Emilia and Montessori were included. That sounds like a match for me! I'll share more once I'm through the book.

This Moment

 

A moment from our week- the first picnic of the season!

If you'd like to see more moments, go visit SouleMama.

Making Cardinals

Cardinals have been hanging around our house lately, so when Ender caught sight of this craft idea at My Montessori Journey, he went in search of all the right tools to make his own cardinal! He was a bit on  the lucky side to have found paper plates since we have been purposely not using paper plates/towels/napkins for awhile now, but he found a few lurking in the  pantry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We learned two things- our paper plates were too waxy for much of the color to stick no matter what medium we tried, and we also learned that Ezra was able to follow the lines to cut but just wasn't strong enough to cut the whole project.

Our Easter

Bright, shiny Easter morning.

A few new things: Nate the Great, new crayons and colored pencils, chalk, a chocolate bunny or two . . .

Have You Heard?

 

I'm looking forward to this board!

Kind Conversations

Playing Catch Up

We're still catching up after holy week, but I'll be back in this space tomorrow.

Today we are watching for tornados after waking up to the sound of hail this morning and a bit of a green sky. Oh, spring in this crazy city! Our temperature can be anywhere from 30-80 F, and sometimes that big of a swing in less than 48 hours. Spring brings rain, tornadoes, bright sunshine . . . and everything in between it seems.

More tomorrow!