Friday, September 26, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Reed's Quilt: More Fabric
I've received more fabric this week from all over the place! Here are the pictures:
And the most gorgeous fabric came from Gardenbug, Reed's Grandmother:
I'm going to try to highlight the lion and the dragonfly:
The pictures of this fabric cannot do it justice. It is some of the most gorgeous fabric I've seen in quite some time.
I've received almost all of the pieces, and I'm hoping to get started on sorting out a pattern next week once I have all the pieces.
And the most gorgeous fabric came from Gardenbug, Reed's Grandmother:
I'm going to try to highlight the lion and the dragonfly:
The pictures of this fabric cannot do it justice. It is some of the most gorgeous fabric I've seen in quite some time.
I've received almost all of the pieces, and I'm hoping to get started on sorting out a pattern next week once I have all the pieces.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Diligence Check-In
I've been reading quite a bit about Charlotte Mason and specifically about building habits in my children, but decided I couldn't help them to build habits when I haven't developed good habits of my own!
I posted last week about working to develop my own new habits, starting with Diligence. I listed seven specific goals that I'm working on right now, and thought I'd check in with you with how I did last week.
1. Rising at 6 a.m. and completing my morning routine before my boys wake up. This was the hardest thing on the list. I am so not a morning person, but the 2 days that I was up by 6 went really well and I felt pretty relaxed and in control all day. Of all the goals I'm working on I think this one is the key to everything.
2. Packing a lunch for Superman. I packed for him 4 days, and at least reminded him to do it the rest of the time. Not bad!
3. Keeping on top of laundry each day instead of running several loads all in one day. I did really well on this until yesterday! Now I'm a bit behind, but I'm catching up this evening while Superman is at school.
4. Doing dishes as they come at each meal rather than having a big kitchen clean up each night. I have kept up on this one really well. This is probably the thing I'm most proud of since I hate dishes more than just about anything.
5. Keeping at my “to do” list all day long rather than congratulating myself half way through and calling it a job well done. I did alright with this goal. Most of the time I kept at things and didn't call it quits until the kids were in bed. I did not do well on the weekend with it though, so I need to keep working at this goal.
6. Drinking enough water and eating enough calories each day. Not enough water or enough calories. I have to take time to eat when the boys eat rather than using that time to do other things.
7. Going to bed by 10 with Superman. I'm bad about this one too! I tend to stay up until midnight, and then struggle to wake up with Little Bit at 6:30/6:45. I have to take care of this! I know that once I start getting up consistently at 6 a.m. I'll drop into bed earlier.
So, trying again this week!
I posted last week about working to develop my own new habits, starting with Diligence. I listed seven specific goals that I'm working on right now, and thought I'd check in with you with how I did last week.
1. Rising at 6 a.m. and completing my morning routine before my boys wake up. This was the hardest thing on the list. I am so not a morning person, but the 2 days that I was up by 6 went really well and I felt pretty relaxed and in control all day. Of all the goals I'm working on I think this one is the key to everything.
2. Packing a lunch for Superman. I packed for him 4 days, and at least reminded him to do it the rest of the time. Not bad!
3. Keeping on top of laundry each day instead of running several loads all in one day. I did really well on this until yesterday! Now I'm a bit behind, but I'm catching up this evening while Superman is at school.
4. Doing dishes as they come at each meal rather than having a big kitchen clean up each night. I have kept up on this one really well. This is probably the thing I'm most proud of since I hate dishes more than just about anything.
5. Keeping at my “to do” list all day long rather than congratulating myself half way through and calling it a job well done. I did alright with this goal. Most of the time I kept at things and didn't call it quits until the kids were in bed. I did not do well on the weekend with it though, so I need to keep working at this goal.
6. Drinking enough water and eating enough calories each day. Not enough water or enough calories. I have to take time to eat when the boys eat rather than using that time to do other things.
7. Going to bed by 10 with Superman. I'm bad about this one too! I tend to stay up until midnight, and then struggle to wake up with Little Bit at 6:30/6:45. I have to take care of this! I know that once I start getting up consistently at 6 a.m. I'll drop into bed earlier.
So, trying again this week!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Simple Woman's Daybook 4
Please visit Peggy's to see the other Daybook entries.
For Today... Monday, September 22
Outside my Window... quiet... it is late, and everyone is asleep.
I am thinking... about tomorrow's lesson for Big Kid.
From the learning rooms... lots of sorting activities- color, shape and size.
I am thankful for... my boys going down for bed easily tonight.
From the kitchen... leftovers today- vegetable soup and quesadillas.
I am wearing... jeans, a red t-shirt and my hair pulled up, as much as short hair can be!
I am reading... Basic Montessori by David Gettman and The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir.
I am hoping... for a chance to finish up with our seasonal wardrobe change. The boxes have been out for over a week and I've only completely finished Big Kid's clothes. I'm most of the way through Little Bit's, and I still have mine and Superman's to complete.
I am creating... the quilt for Reed, and I'm knitting a new sweater for myself.
I am hearing... a baseball game in the background.
Around the house... all is clean- I have been cleaning like crazy this week!
One of my favorite things...is planning new lessons for Big Kid.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... piano lessons tomorrow, my regular work week, sending Big Kid off for the weekend on a fishing trip with his daddy and grandpa. Little Bit is staying with my dad overnight on Friday so that I can attend a Friday/Saturday women's conference with my sisters and my mom.
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... Big Kid reading to Little Bit
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Hard at Work
Last week was unusually busy and I did not do as much work with Big Kid as we usually do. It was kind of a nice break though, and we got quite a bit of cleaning done around the house- hence all the towels and cleaning products in the background of some of the pics. I got the kids busy working on things, and then worked on cleaning up around here!
You'll also notice that most of these pics are of the boys doing work while in their pajamas. It was that kind of week last week. I got dressed first thing as usual, but the boys stayed in jammies until at least 10 a.m. just about every day last week.
A few pictures from the work we managed to do last week:
First up, Little Bit coloring in his high chair. Little Bit is obsessed with using Big Kid's things: his cup, his plates, his toys, his crayons... so even though I have not felt comfortable graduating Little Bit up to the wonderful fat triangular crayons that are waiting for him (since he still wants to take bites out of them!) I gave him a few of his brother's crayons to color with while I was standing right there. I usually give him colored pencils to color with, but look how serious he takes his coloring work!
I give Little Bit a regular spiral-bound notebook to color in. A single sheet of paper gets torn to bits and slides around a lot since he hasn't yet learned to keep one hand down on the paper. It frustrates him so much that he doesn't try anymore. Since giving him the notebook he has started to color with colored pencils for 5-10 minutes at a time.
The next pictures are of Big Kid and his shapes worksheets. He is really stuck on shapes right now- they are the only thing he's interested in drawing right now. I printed a page for him that includes several shapes to trace, and directions to follow. He treats it like a game. When I say to draw a red circle he hunts for the right color of crayon then finds the right shape to complete it, and he laughs every time.
Little Bit's favorite spot- sitting on the steps by the front door, trying on everyone's shoes. He's very interested in the shoe process and he's pretty good at handling the velcro on his sandals. He's *really* fascinated with the laces on Big Kid's new shoes, and so is Big Kid! We've been talking a bit each day about shoe tying, and on the evenings when Daddy doesn't have school he sits with Big Kid and shows him over and over how to tie a shoe. I thought we'd be doing this next year, but Big Kid is determined to learn to tie his own shoes *right now*!
This next picture is not actual work- Big Kid announced to me one day that he would like to make something, and he asked to borrow a few things from the kitchen. I asked him what he needed, and he asked for the tongs, a pot and a big stirring spoon. I told him that was fine and after helping him find what he needed I went back to my own work. A bit later I observed him sitting on the couch using the tongs to put duplos in the pot, then he stirred the pot and took the duplos back out with the tongs. I asked what he was making, and he looked at me like I was stupid, "Mama, this is block soup." Of course it is, Honey!
In the next picture Big Kid is working on a circle collage. He made the circle first, then started gluing pieces on the circle he'd made. He only made it half-way through, but it was a really great idea that I hope he comes back to.
You'll also notice that most of these pics are of the boys doing work while in their pajamas. It was that kind of week last week. I got dressed first thing as usual, but the boys stayed in jammies until at least 10 a.m. just about every day last week.
A few pictures from the work we managed to do last week:
First up, Little Bit coloring in his high chair. Little Bit is obsessed with using Big Kid's things: his cup, his plates, his toys, his crayons... so even though I have not felt comfortable graduating Little Bit up to the wonderful fat triangular crayons that are waiting for him (since he still wants to take bites out of them!) I gave him a few of his brother's crayons to color with while I was standing right there. I usually give him colored pencils to color with, but look how serious he takes his coloring work!
I give Little Bit a regular spiral-bound notebook to color in. A single sheet of paper gets torn to bits and slides around a lot since he hasn't yet learned to keep one hand down on the paper. It frustrates him so much that he doesn't try anymore. Since giving him the notebook he has started to color with colored pencils for 5-10 minutes at a time.
The next pictures are of Big Kid and his shapes worksheets. He is really stuck on shapes right now- they are the only thing he's interested in drawing right now. I printed a page for him that includes several shapes to trace, and directions to follow. He treats it like a game. When I say to draw a red circle he hunts for the right color of crayon then finds the right shape to complete it, and he laughs every time.
Little Bit's favorite spot- sitting on the steps by the front door, trying on everyone's shoes. He's very interested in the shoe process and he's pretty good at handling the velcro on his sandals. He's *really* fascinated with the laces on Big Kid's new shoes, and so is Big Kid! We've been talking a bit each day about shoe tying, and on the evenings when Daddy doesn't have school he sits with Big Kid and shows him over and over how to tie a shoe. I thought we'd be doing this next year, but Big Kid is determined to learn to tie his own shoes *right now*!
This next picture is not actual work- Big Kid announced to me one day that he would like to make something, and he asked to borrow a few things from the kitchen. I asked him what he needed, and he asked for the tongs, a pot and a big stirring spoon. I told him that was fine and after helping him find what he needed I went back to my own work. A bit later I observed him sitting on the couch using the tongs to put duplos in the pot, then he stirred the pot and took the duplos back out with the tongs. I asked what he was making, and he looked at me like I was stupid, "Mama, this is block soup." Of course it is, Honey!
In the next picture Big Kid is working on a circle collage. He made the circle first, then started gluing pieces on the circle he'd made. He only made it half-way through, but it was a really great idea that I hope he comes back to.
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