No Pictures?!?

I know, I know- I promised pictures on Monday, and they're not here! I'm having some, ahem, "technical difficulties." The first little problem would be my my son-  you know the little one that thinks he's Super-Toddler? Yeah that one. He's been working overtime on climbing, destroying and generally being a boy. Time I'd planned for teaching and sewing on Tuesday was diverted into an unexpected doctor's visit after he tried to fly off the dining table. He's bruised, but okay otherwise- he hasn't slowed down, that's for sure! Yesterday involved falling off the couch, smashing his hand in a door, and making 50 gazillion trips up and down the stairs- him scrambling up as fast as he could about half way and me getting him back down. Who needs regular exercise when you have a fifteen-month-old?

The other difficulty actually is a technical one: my camera card won't speak to my computer for some reason. Superman has promised to take a look at it this evening so I can get pictures put up- or else I'll borrow my sister's camera and computer this weekend.

I've been sewing during nap time/quiet time and after the boys go to bed. It has been so nice to quilt again. The last quilt I made was for Big Kid before he was born. Since then my crafting efforts have gone other places, and making this quilt has reminded me of how much I like quilting. I think I might plan another project to take me through winter.

Today I'm working today until 7:30 then Superman and I have a date planned, so I probably won't sew today, but I'll get back to it tomorrow afternoon during naps. I've finished most of the muslin blocks, but I still have a few more to do tomorrow, then on to the strip piecing. I''ve readjusted my plan and I hope to get all the strips pieced and cut down. I really hope to get to the block piecing, because I know that once I start that part I won't want to stop and the quilt will suddenly be done. :)

Reed's Quilt: Cutting

I have most of the cutting done! This afternoon during nap time I'll finish the cutting, then start working on sewing the muslin pieces. I'm trying to get through all the muslin pieces today and tomorrow. The goal for Wednesday is to have all the strips for blocks sewn. I'm hoping to get those strip cut and set out for blocks on Thursday, then have Friday, Saturday and Sunday to put the blocks together and finish the top.  I'll post pictures of some of the muslin pieces tonight when the boys are in bed.

Reed's Quilt: Last of the Fabric

I believe this is the last of the fabrics for Reed's quilt. I'm planning to start cutting on Friday, with plans to have everything cut, muslin blocks pieced, and strips for the quilt top sewn by the end of Sunday. I'll spend next week piecing blocks. The *goal* is to have the quilt completed by Saturday October 18, bound on October 19 and to the machine quilter on October 20. I am trying to have the entire project ready to send by the end of the month.

Please note that *goal* means it is my desire to finish by that date! This should be totally doable, barring illness or poorly behaved children. :) I've tried to plan in a bit of wiggle room since my kids are known to be, well . . . kids, so that I can still send the project to Reed's mother by October 31.

Discipline: Writing

I've been keeping a personal journal again in the last few months- a real paper journal. I like writing online, but nothing beats the feel of pen against paper for me. I kept a journal for years as a kid- pretty much every single day from age 9 to 19. I got married at 19 and lost track of the habit as marriage, work and children changed my life.

I started journaling occasionally again last May, but I've been looking to try something different. Instead of saving my writing time for bigger ideas, I started writing *everything* down (schooling things, work things, etc.) and have come to be exactly where I want to be with writing for myself. I've been able to work out some of the things I would like to accomplish with the boys in the next few years, what I want "school" to look like in our home, what I want daily life itself to look like around here. I've been using the journal as a place to store my ideas and inspirations for future school things, decorating ideas, Christmas lists and the book list of what I've read so far this year. It has been more of a scrapbook- not just a book of my meanderings, but in between the musings are the things that inspire me right now, and my plans for the future and for our family.

I have always loved the thought that someday my children or granchildren would be happy to have some of my writings. I hope that is true, though I have boys and boys aren't often as sentimental as girls. I hope that it means something to them, but in the mean time it has been so tremendously helpful to me to empty my mind of all my thoughts at the end of the day.

Simple Woman's Daybook

Please visit Peggy’s to see the other Daybook entries.

For Today… Monday, September 29

Outside my Window… there are birds chirping- the first creatures noticeably awake around here.

I am thinking… that I'd really like to spend the day baking, but there are too many other things to catch up on around here.

From the learning room… Little Bit completed his first work last Friday (outside of laying a mat!) and I think he'll want to try again today. I introduced Big Kid to geometric solids and he's been choosing those almost every day ever since. I imagine he'll want to do the same today.

I am thankful for… time away with other women on Friday and Saturday. It was refreshing and the speaker was amazing.

From the kitchen… leftovers again. Monday seems to be our leftover day lately! I have a lot more time to cook on the weekends, so the beginning of the week sees us polishing off the weekend's bounty.

I am wearing… jeans and a nice shirt since I will be working later today.

I am reading… still Basic Montessori by David Gettman and The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir.

I am hoping… to get our new shelves this week. We have outgrown our current storage for the kids things, and I want to keep our montessori things separate from toy things.

I am creating… the quilt for Reed, and I’m still knitting a new sweater for myself. I finished the back piece while at the conference, and started the front.

I am hearing… blessed silence (except those birds!)

Around the house… there is much to catch up on from while I was away, mostly laundry.

One of my favorite things…is fresh sheets. Superman would have me put fresh sheets on the bed every single day we both love that so much, but I just can't keep up with that pace!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week… my regular work week, a library visit, groceries, and lots of cleaning up from the active weekend!