Not Reading

Lately we’ve been spending time not reading, which probably sounds pretty normal for most folks.  A few other folks might think I’m doing my children a disservice by not reading to them for X number of minutes every day.  However, given that the kids and I have read something like 754 pages together (just counting Harry Potter, not all the other reading we have done or that my son has done on his own) since October 28th for roughly 125 pages a week, I think we’re fairly well covered.

That’s not even including the roughly 9000 pages that I’ve read in the last month (not a typo, I read through the entire Harry Potter series twice).  We have, as a family, what I would consider marathon reading sessions.  It is not unusual for the kids to have me read them four or five chapters in one sitting which makes this short break rather nice.

Last night doing something else ended in a small stack of handkerchiefs for the Birthday Boo.  This is one of those super quick and easy projects.  Aside from the brief moment of concentration while I line up the ruler to cut the fabric, it requires zero thought.  Once I get the presser foot on the machine changed and the thread loaded, my mind can wander as I listen to music or get lost in the drone of the machine.  I don’t think you can get much easier than two layers of flannel (especially since I don’t even pre-wash the fabric!).

I also knocked out a few invitations for our Winter Solstice Eve party after a brief flash of inspiration over dinner.  It’s supposed to look like a sun rising over the hills – use your imagination.

No sewing done on this one, but I did iron this small piece of what will one day be the altar cloth for our mantle.  Looking at my fabric choices now, I’m not as thrilled with it as I was when I picked the fabric out a few weeks ago.  I’m hoping to get it made before Spring.

My husband has not been left out in the creativity department.  Thanks to Ana White the kids will have some pretty nifty bedroom furniture complete with much-needed storage space.  These are the pieces to what will soon be my youngest daughter’s bed which will one day soon be joined by the second bed and the corner hutch pictured at the link.  From there he’ll be working on a loft bed for our son followed by a riff on the craft table at Ana White, but with a much larger top and a bracket to hang a roll of paper on to become a much-needed art table for all of us.

I love all of the projects and look forward to their completion, but I think I’m looking forward to the new art table the most.

Knitting

I am a failed Waldorf-inspired homeschooler.  Don’t get me wrong, *I* loved the look of Waldorf.  It makes me feel all warm and homey and inspired to do something, make something, or just plain be creative.

I read the blogs, drooled over the beautiful things that other moms did…and failed miserably.  I know bloggers write about their best of the best.  I do it too.  I skip the part where I yelled at the kids or otherwise felt suffocated by so many needs from so many people.  It got to the point after Boo was born that my Waldorf ideas felt like a fourth child.  When it came time to find my sanity, I sadly let Waldorf go.  I stopped reading blogs and I gave up on the beautiful stuff.  If I just made it through the day with everyone alive and in one piece then I considered the day a success.

Maybe it’s because Boo is getting older or because it’s Fall, but I began to feel a bit of a tug for handwork, but more importantly for sharing handwork with my children.  The other day, while Yaya was playing with Legos at the library and the girls were hugging the great big stuffed bear, I checked out one of my favorite kids’ knitting books, “Kids Knitting” by Melanie Falick.  When we got back to the car I handed it to Yaya as he was getting in and suggested he look at it.

Might he be interested in learning how to knit?  Oh, yes!

There was a brief stream of tears this morning as we had to delay a trip to the yarn store for a trip to the YMCA and a shower, but after lunch Yaya, Lou, and myself walked into our local yarn store.  The store had actually moved one floor up, but oh my!  Breathtakingly beautiful – just what your dream yarn store would look like.

Yaya was on a mission when he walked in.  He had the book in his hand and walked with great purpose to the owner of the shop.  “I’m going to learn how to knit,” he said very confidently as he began opening the book to the project we both agreed would be a good place to start.

She read the pattern with him, helped him get the needles, and then showed him several different kinds of yarn that might work.  He chose a blue bulky Cascade and walked over with her to the swift for his favorite part for he has always loved watching her turn a hank of yarn into a neat ball.

I also picked up some yarn for a new hat for Yaya (Skater Beanie on Ravelry), a pair of knitting needles, and another hank of yarn for a scarf.  Lou picked out pink and purple yarn to fingerknit with.  It was…not cheap, but Daddy worked some overtime and I consider it part of Christmas.  Still, it was so very special.

All three of us sat down on the couch while Boo napped.  Lou was disappointed not to have knitting needles, but she struggled with the fingerknitting as much as I struggled with dividing my attention between the two of them.  When you’re older, Lou.

Some of the casting on Yaya figured out on his own.  After a few struggles with the second part of casting on, he took to it like a duck to water.

The knitting part?  That was challenging.  Did I mention that I taught myself to both cast on and knit in the car on the way home from the yarn store?  There were a few false starts, we had to frog it at one point when he dropped some stitches and I couldn’t figure out how to pick them back up (though I did try), and a desperate moment when tears of frustration welled up in his eyes.

I tried to reassure him that it takes practice (this has been tough for him to learn in other areas as well).  He took a break when he was most frustrated.  I took deep breaths and swallowed hard as I kept my frustration in check.  I tried to show how as many ways as I could, tried to explain, but mostly tried to be patient.

By George!  He got it!

I taught my son to knit today and he loved it.  This evening, as I read the first chapter of “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” out loud to the children, my son asked me to wait a minute.  When he returned he had the bag from the store with his knitting in it.

“How do I start again?”

While I sat there reading (and refereeing between Lou and Boo), he sat and knit.  I may never be a Waldorf-inspired homeschooler, but I taught my son to knit.

Made it through…

…the pile of books sitting on my desk that is. I started with a pile and expected that I would end up with just a handful of them.  I have to say, after using the Charlie’s Playhouse annotated book list, I’m happy to report that the list did not disappoint.  I suspect I likely ended up with more books on my wish list after reading it than I thought I would.

I should note that not all of the books listed below were found on the Charlie’s Playhouse list.  Some of them I may have stumbled upon while looking for the books on the list at the library.  Here’s what I ended up with:

Clara & Senor Frog by Campbell Geeslin – This one was included on the list for its supposed help in encouraging people to “see the world for what it is, and appreciate how dazzling it is, instead of layering it with falsehoods.”  That seemed like a tall order and I checked it out of the library just to see if a picture book could live up to these aims.  I get where the author of the list is coming from and I get what they are insinuating with the whole “layering it with falsehoods” bit.  I disagree, but that’s certainly not a problem for me and shouldn’t prejudice anyone against this book.  In the end, it was a great story and the kids really enjoyed reading it.  It’s been one that they’ve returned to on several occasions since our first read through.  The artwork is fantastic – a shame it’s out of print.

A Cartoon History of the Earth by Jacqui Bailey and Matthew Lilly – This is actually a series of several books.  One part science and one part Sunday morning funnies, there’s a surprising amount of information packed into these little books.  They are, unfortunately, out of print.  At this point none of Amazon’s offerings are available with free Prime shipping so I’m putting these on my “watch list.”  It’s the new list of books I’m keeping in my purse so that when I stumble upon the occasional used book store I can keep an eye out for them.

Uno’s Garden by Graeme Base – I’ve mentioned this one before.  It’s actually one of the few books I’ll be putting on my oldest’s Christmas list this year.  There are plenty of books I’d like to put on there, but I know that it would be asking some of our family members to stretch outside of their comfort zone.  This book is innocent enough that even my staunch literal six day creationist museum loving in-laws would be ok with purchasing it.  Not surprising since there’s nothing about evolution in it – just a great story on the issue of balance in our world.

The Beast in You by Marc McCutcheon – This book is going to provide much needed activities to round out our unit on evolution.  It’s cute illustrations, activities, and easy text should make for an adaptable book for our family.  I think there are enough layers of information and activities of varying difficulties to enable us to use this when we pass this way again in fifth (?) grade.

When Fish Got Feet, Sharks Got Teeth, and Bugs Began to Swarm by Hannah Bonner

When Bugs Were Big, Plants Were Strange, and Tetrapods Stalked the Earth by Hannah Bonner – I sincerely wish that Hannah Bonner had written more of these.  The artwork is fantastic, the layout of the pages will keep the kids interested, and the text is equally intriguing.  I snapped up one this afternoon used with free Prime shipping.

Animals Charles Darwin Saw by Sandra Markle – The illustrations in this one were not my favorite, but I liked the way the author framed Darwin’s story through the lens of the animals.  For each two page spread there’s a little text box off to the side that gives more information either about the animals or other related facts of the narration.  For this reason (and the great map at the back of the Beagle’s Voyage) I’m putting this one on the list.

Monster Bones: The Story of a Dinosaur Fossil by Jacqui Bailey and Matthew Lilly – This is a great overview story on how fossils are made and what paleontologists do.  I know the kids will really enjoy this one.

Inside the Beagle with Charles Darwin by Fiona Macdonald and Mark Bergin – Similar in content to “Animals Charles Darwin Saw” in that it covers Darwin’s voyage on the Beagle that began in 1831.  I envision using this book less as a read-aloud (though the kids could surprise me) and more of a resource that we could use to round things out.  There’s a good section at the beginning on the ship and the people who would have come along on the voyage that I think my son will really apprecaite.

One Beetle Too Many by Kathryn Lasky – Ditto the above.  There’s quite a bit of text on each page, but the writing flows well so I think it will serve as a read-aloud quite nicely.  The illustrations are equally wonderful with a depth and texture that I think will really pull the kids in.

Our Family Tree by Lisa Westberg Peters – Love, love, love this one.  The illustrations and simple story work well to convey the scale of history.  It ties all of us together into a interwoven web which I think will help continue to inspire a sense of responsibility for the way we live on the Earth.  I also like the sense of wistfulness it gives which is very much on par with the creation story genre of cultures from around the world.  It’s a good mix of story and science.

Life on Earth by Steve Jenkins – Combined with the Eric Carle-esque illustrations is a fantastic overview of life on earth.  I’m a little torn as to whether or not I have too many books that are too similar.  However, there’s a great timeline at the back of the book that puts life on earth into the context of a day on earth.  I suspect I might be able to find this somewhere else, but I appreciate the sense of scale given that modern humans viewed through this lens only appeared on the scene two seconds before midnight.

Books suitable for service as a spine:

Voyages Through Time: The Beginning by Peter Ackroyd – I don’t believe the story of creation found in the pages of Genesis is meant to be taken as literal scientific fact, however, I appreciate the sense of wonder and significance those words lend to the beginning of time (even though, taken as is, it’s not as if the beginning of our universe was lacking in wonder).  Still, by borrowing a bit from the structure of the Genesis story, Ackroyd weaves together science, a storytellers skill, easy page layout, and fascinating pictures and illustrations for a good overview of the very beginning of our planet to the final emergence of Homo sapiens.  I picked this one up used on Amazon for $0.26 plus shipping (I actually paid more in shipping than I did for the book).  A shame it’s out of print.

DK Eyewitness Books: Universe by Robin Kerrod

DK Eyewitness Books: Evolution by Linda Gamlin – I’m as much of a sucker for DK books as I am for Usborne books.  I love the way they put together text and pictures in little bits.  They make a fantastic “jumping off point” for our studies.

I’ve already filled up the few bookshelves I have in the house with books.  It’s becoming clear to me that we’re going to need to invest in some sturdy bookshelves to house these and future books.  I’m buying them a little bit at a time and used as much as possible.  Yes, I can get most of these from the library, and I always struggle with the decision to buy the books.  On the one hand it would be a cheaper and more budget friendly to use the library’s copies.  On the other hand, I like the freedom and flexibility our own books affords.  I always struggle with timing when to request the book from the library and what happens if we run a bit long and have to return the book before we’re ready.  This happens more times than I care to admit hence the tension.

Next up?  Previewing videos on Netflix for our science unit.

Crocheted Baby Hats

I’ve been struggling throughout this pregnancy to come to a place where I could accept it and maybe even look forward to it. It’s been really difficult for me to do so – for the most part I’ve been preferring to live a bit in denial. Denial in pregnancy will only take you so far. Once you reach where I am (almost 29 weeks) one’s growing belly and the many movements of a very active baby make it difficult to deny.

I decided to take a new tactic and decided to crochet some hats for the new baby. I was hoping that the entire process (picking out the yarn at my LYS, finding the pattern, doing the crochet) would help me work through my own feelings and come to a place of acceptance. I realize this was a fairly tall order for something as simple as a hat. I must say, though, that while I didn’t completely achieve my goal, I certainly came a lot closer than I was before.

These hats aren’t quite finished yet. I need to weave in the ends on all of them and put on the ties for two. I ended up using two patterns – one from Sylver Designs for a Pilot Cap and another one from Lion Brand Yarn called the Elfin Baby Hat. I ended up having enough yarn to make a Pilot Cap for L which she adores, although she won’t let me tie it. J now wants one as well.

I must admit I’m a lit bit apprehensive as to whether or not they will fit correctly, especially after seeing the Pilot Cap on L. I had to add a few more rounds in order for it to be deep enough for her head, but then some of the panels in the shape of the hat are too big while others are more stretched…if that makes sense. It just doesn’t lie on her head as nice as I would like.

Crocheted Items for the Play Kitchen

What’s a play kitchen without a pot holder?

Or a dish cloth (sorry about this picture, I took several, but couldn’t seem to get the camera to focus on the right thing)? This was another part of J’s present for his birthday.

A Cuddly Friend – Part 2

This is J’s cuddly friend made from the “Friendship Doll” kit by Dancing Rain Dolls. I think it’s either the 12″ or 14″ doll, but I can’t quite remember which. My mom made the vast majority of the doll and the clothes. He’s got a backpack, but isn’t wearing it right now. Overall, while we were both happy with the finished product we weren’t as impressed with the pattern. The kit materials were great and of really good quality, but the patterns for both dolls left much to be desired. We also had some customer service issues with DRD which was unfortunate.

We call him “Buddy” and while J is only mildly interested in him, L LOVES him. She’s often carrying him around while also carrying Baby which as I’m sure you can imagine is no small feat for someone her size. J still prefers his stuffed cats and dog which I’m a little bit less than thrilled with, but it’s not like you can make him play with it!

I added in two other wool yarns to the mohair that comes in the kit. I think it looks really good, but I was amazed at how long it took to hook all the yarns in. Next on my “To Do” list is to make a sling for J to use with Buddy and his stuffed animals. I’ve got some fabric so now all I have to do is get some velcro and a couple of rings from JoAnn’s. I’ll post pictures of the finished project when I get it done!

A Cuddly Friend – Part 1

Isn’t she cute? This is L’s friend, Baby. Original, eh? L’s only a year old so since I first referred to her as “Baby” it just stuck. This is from the Snuggles Doll pattern from Dancing Rain Dolls. My mom got the patter and made the doll (we used the pre-made inner heads because neither she nor I felt that adventurous) and I made the hair.

I found the “pattern” in the kit for the crocheted cap left much to be desired. I ended up taking a pattern I found online for a hat and adjusted it accordingly. This was actually the second head of hair I made (J’s was first) and I was pretty well tired of the whole thing – that and it was Christmas Eve so she’s pretty sparse when it comes to hair. I think it looks really cute, but I don’t think that it’s holding up as well as J’s is so every once in awhile I still consider adding more.

The only thing that matters, though, is that L adores her!

I’m still here and busily bustling about!

I have had every intention to sit down and post some pictures and do a final after Christmas wrap up, but it seems lately like there isn’t enough time to do it! My sister and her fiance are in town (from Colorado) so it seems like we’re doing six months of catching up. Poor hubby feels like he hasn’t had any time off this last weekend because we were so busily bustling about. It’s a good kind of busy, but that doesn’t change the fact that it can be tiring. Both J and L are definitely showing the effects in spite of getting decent amounts of rest. I keep reminding myself that it’s all worth it and that there will be plenty of time to rest after my sister goes back to Colorado.

In the meantime I sit here at the computer dressed in my cozy sweater (a cotton/acrylic blend) which although not homemade is still very warm and has definitely helped me not to feel quite so cold. Especially since I saw my gas and electric bill. We keep the house at 64 degrees F in the day and 62 degrees F at night, but my bill was $172 for both the gas and electric (for 413 kwh). It just seems like I should be able to keep my house warmer for that cost! I know it’s a combination of our old furnace and our 1950′s era house (although we do have newer windows). Unfortunately we can’t afford a new furance so we’ll just have to keep plodding along with this one.

Right now I’m working on searching for some amigurumi patterns. The kiddos got this really great play kitchen made from recycled kitchen cabinets for Christmas and I thought some wool play food might be a nice addition to the wood play food and recycled milk jug play dishes that we already have. I found some neat patterns over at BitterSweet that you should definitely check out.

I need to get something for L for her birthday coming up on the 4th. I know she’ll only be one year old so she has no concept of birthdays or presents. I also know she’ll receive gifts from the family members coming to her birthday party, but I would feel bad if there wasn’t something there for her from hubby and I. Hence the online searching for amigurumi patterns. I have a little bit of wool/soy blend yarn that I think will work well.

Originally, I had wanted to head to a semi-local natural toy store, but the day we had planned on going because we were somewhat in the area didn’t end up working out. I’m still dreaming of heading up there, but am not quite sure I’ll make it before L’s birthday. It’s about an hour away so to drive up there just for the toy store seems like a stretch. We have to do some shopping for my sister’s wedding dress coming up on Friday and will be within a stone’s throw away. So…maybe then?

Crocheted Sheep

These little buggers were difficult to photograph. I think it was a combination of both lighting and their color. They were not, however, difficult to make. They’re based on the knitted sheep in “Creative Play for Your Baby“. Since I don’t knit I figured I could take the same idea and basically the same pattern and crochet it. This is the largest one.

This is the middle size one. I’m less than impressed overall with the way it turned out, though. I still plan on making a couple of the smaller ones and I plan on adjusting the pattern a bit for them. This one still needs some ears and both of them need some tails, but it’s a start.

L was less than impressed when I showed them to her, but J was quite enthused. At least I know he’ll play with them. This is the beginnings of what I hope will be a whole felt/crocheted barn yard!