Seven Quick Takes

 

If you'd like to read more quick takes, go have a look at Jennifer's place.

 

~1~

 

Know an introvert? Are you an introvert? You have to read this: Survival Guide for the Quieter Species. I'm an introvert. Working with my music students is fun and rewarding and the perfect job for me, but this much social contact every day of the week make me want to hunker down at home every other moment of the day.

 

~2~

 

Yesterday I asked Ender to hand me something and he said, "Sure," handed me the tool and paused for a moment. Then he said, "Mama, did you know that "sure" is the spanish word for "yes?"

I fell over laughing.

 

~3~

 

In Ezra news, he decided that minty blue adult toothpaste was a great treat yesterday morning and had himself a snack. One call to poison control and lots of milk later, he's just fine, but I'm trying to figure out how to get blue vomit out of the carpet. Thank goodness that's all I'm worrying about! (And the toothpaste is on a much higher shelf now.)

 

~4~

 

I got the newest Jennifer Weiner novel from the library today. I absolutely loved her first novel Good in Bed, and I have enjoyed some of her work since (namely Goodnight, Nobody- my favorite of hers so far) but some were less than exciting and I never could get into The Guy Not Taken. I really want a good chic lit read. All I've been reading this year is historical fiction and fantasy novels.

 

~5~

 

I've spent time reading  (and re-reading) Ann Voskamp's post, Seven Rungs. I'm trying to soak up the wisdom there and all that's on my mind lately is our home environment and how to simplify our daily rhythm to make room for the things that are important to me.

 

~6~

 

For some reason Ender hasn't been wanting to eat much at meals lately so our solution lately has been to have a "snack plate" for meals. So for lunch he might have a slice of ham, some cheese and apple slices- your usual lunch fare, but magically if we call it a "snack plate" he'll eat every bite. Call it lunch and he's not interested. Four-year-olds are tricky creatures.

 

~7~

 

I've been knitting up a storm this week- finished up both pairs of mittens and I'm almost done with hats for two little boys. I'm hunting a pattern for my niece for Christmas as my next project. She will be 3 months old at Christmas, and there are just way too many adorable patterns out there! Suggestions? Ravelry links?

Go Fly a Kite

Elephants on Parade

Ender *loves* elephants. He has a little elephant that he carries almost everywhere and for weeks now he's been looking at countless elephant books and drawing elephants day after day.



I knew that he was choosing to draw elephants daily, but I hadn't really recognized how much he had progressed in his drawings until last night when I was putting files away. I moved to a file crate system at the beginning of August to help me keep track of the ideas I come across and I've been using the file folders to store their work after the week is over. The plan was to use it to keep things sort of organized until I had free time to really go throught the files every 4 weeks or so.



To be honest, I just haven't been that organized. Sure artwork and papers have gone into the right files at the end of the week, but I haven't been back through everything since I first set everything up in early August. In my free time over the weekend I worked on those files and saw exactly how much Ender's drawing has changed in those dozens and dozens of elephants. I thought I 'd share a few:





















The first is from early August progressing to the last one which was drawn last week.



And just for some extra sunshine on this cloudy October day:

Daybook

Outside my window… It is definitely fall. Almost all of the leaves in our neighborhood have changed in the last week or so and it is getting chilly!

 

I am thinking… about getting started on sewing and knitting Christmas gifts.

 

I am thankful for… this short work week. I need some extra time with my boys and a bit of a mental break.

 

Always Learning… We are working on sight words with Ender and he's working on reading the first set of BOB books. He also has been asking a lot about money again, so I checked out a coin book from the library for him and we are working on naming coins and knowing  values. He is forever asking me about how many cents something costs, so we also talked about the dollar and cents sign this week and how to say the price of an item.

 

From the kitchen… I'mplanning on some roasted pumpkin seeds this week and maybe some pumpkin bread? Mmmmmm.

 

I am wearing… jeans and yet another black long sleeve shirt. I soooo need to branch out in my color choices!

 

I am creating… winter hats for the boys. I have never made hats before, but it's going pretty easily so far. NExt up? New Christmas stockings to sew.

 

I am going… to stay home and play with the boys this week!

 

I am reading… By the Shores of SilverLake by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

 

I am hoping… for a lot of sewing time in this free week!

 

I am hearing… the boys playing trucks. It is a long and favorite game every morning. :)

 

Around the house… I spent the weekend finishing up the clothing switchover and everyone's drawers are organized and ready for winter. Now I just have the jackets/hall closet to take care of and we're ready for snow!

 

One of my favorite things… My Dad. My mother was out of town for a quilting retreat so Dad asked to borrow the boys so he wouldn't be lonely. He had them almost all day Saturday and then they asked to stay overnight too! It was so much fun for them to have that much time with Papa, and I was able to finish up the ends of several projects at home.

 

A few plans for the rest of the week . . .  going to pick out pumpkins, picking apples on the weekend, learning  more about how trees grow and why the leaves change color in the fall.

 

Here is picture thought I am sharing… My birthday boy 4 years ago...