So... today was orientation for Smush's first year of school. Tomorrow is her first day. It's just a half day - 8:30am to noon, but her first day nonetheless. Photo Phriday will be delayed until we get that first day of school picture! I am thinking, at this point, that she is handling this much better than I. Unless, of course, she's not. I've noticed that she keeps a lot inside. This sometimes makes it difficult to really tell how she's feeling. She also has a really good social laugh that she pulls out when she thinks she should laugh... anyway...
Orientation didn't really orient me much other than letting me get a good view of what her classroom looks like, where her cubby is, and that while there isn't a really good "spinny" thing in the playground, there is a seesaw and she likes that. Her teachers seem nice enough. One has a lot of experience, one is young and actually had the head teacher when she was in nursery bet. I am actually quite relieved that we got Morah Judy as I had met her at the Open House and felt like she might be a really good match for Smush. I have also heard good things about how she handles children who might need extra work b/c they catch on pretty quick. We think Smush might be like that.
One relief is that there are many other children in this class who have like-minded parents as us regarding food and food choices. This makes the snack issue much easier and we have already decided that instead of each of use sending in an alternative snack we are going to pool together. And, when the school director heard we were considering this, after speaking with one of the parent's in our class who actually owns a health food store, she is considering getting the entire class's snacks through him so there is no alternative snack, just the one, that is healthy, whole grain or fruit and not packed with high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated fats, etc. So nice that a few waves can encourage the sea to swim more healthily.
What am I afraid of? It's just school. I managed to turn out okay, as did Hubby... millions of children do it... but yet... now, as a parent I know I want to do what is right, what is best for my child. She is a wonder. She is so creative and a thinker and I just don't want any of that stifled by a system that wants her to conform. Is it because I read too much? Probably. Do I think I could do better at home? No, not right now. Certainly not with Mr. Squiggly around! Mr. Daredevil who has no fear and regularly unlocks the door to walk to Grandpa and Omi's when I am barefoot and not ready to go out, or am cooking something that I can't easily walk away from the stove! Plus, it's not that I don't have faith in the local education system, it's just that you hear all these stories about children being left behind, or not encouraged...
I really do like the idea of home schooling, but I also really like the ideology and methodologies of Waldorf and Montessori. Neither of which are options right here right now. And, so, for now we are a HANC ECC family, for better or for worse, right now hoping for better.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
Photo Phriday
Strasburg Railway - Smush and Squiggly's favorite train in the world... they probably like this train more than Thomas... of course, they haven't ever ridden on Thomas - but they have ridden on the LIRR!
Next week there will be some more finished projects... been busy around here, including a trip up north....
Friday, August 26, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Finishitis
I've been very busy finishing stuff up. I finally got to the point where there were just too many unfinished things going on so I had a case of finishitis which is uncommon but definitely appreciated. I had started the Who? hat way back in June as I wanted to see if it would be a good car project. We drove to Lancaster, PA (in the beginning of July) and back so there was a good amount of knitting time there...well, it was a quick project and was done well before we even left... except for the button eyes! 
which you can see, there are 10 owls (note for a long long time.... until I was actually sewing them on I thought there were 11... and so I had 11 sets of buttons which because they are so small was no easy feat to find!)
and, then ultimately after nixing one set of "repeats" I thought I was good to go with my 10, but you will see one owl sleeping... I am not sure I will be putting on the last set of buttons. We'll see. I am kind of liking the sleeping owl. That and the last set were actually beads and I had trouble getting my needle through them... but I coulda' kept that a secret and you'd be none the wiser... and, of course, you need the modeled shot.
Then, there's the needle roll I made for someone on Ravelry as a Random Act of Kindness (RAK). I have been practicing a bunch of stuff on my sewing machine. I had a great idea for a DPN needle roll, but felt I needed to do a "normal" one first, so this fit the bill!
it was a lot of fun to make and I think it was well-received by it's recipient.
Then.. there was the project that I have been working on for a long long time... a vest for Smush. See, I found the perfect pattern (but didn't look at yarn type) then, was at a LYS closing w/ Smush and let her pick out her favorite color to make it with... or maybe I had her pick out the yarn and looked for the pattern after... doesn't matter - the project called for fingering weight yarn and was for an infant. I figured oh, to make it fit Smush I will just use worsted and make the largest size on the pattern... well, I had bought 2 skeins of Cascade 220 Washable Wool for this. I figured, 5T = 2 skeins no problem...
Luckily Ravelry has a function that enables you to look for a yarn that someone else might have bought and luckily someone posted the dye lot and luckily that someone was willing to sell it to me for this, because even though I made the piece with 3 skeins, well, lets just say it was a great experience with learning about gauge and swatching and sizing because this thing is big enough for her to wear probably when she's in high school - it fits me! And, it could be a little longer, but there was no way I was going looking for another skein!
But, wait, there's more... like I mentioned earlier I have been sewing a bit. Last night I finished this off - it was mostly done, just the buttonhole needed to be sewn, and the buttons sewn on. Well, I had a buttonhole lesson yesterday and last night... DONE!
voila! finished Phoebe bag! It came out a little smaller than I had anticipated so I have already got the next bag project lined up and sitting on my desk waiting to be cut and sewn. I had made this for a specific purpose but ultimately it's too small so I just get the chance to make a new bag... Not such a hardship since I am loving both this fabric as well as the fabric I got for the new one!
And, there are a couple more things getting finished, so stay tuned!
which you can see, there are 10 owls (note for a long long time.... until I was actually sewing them on I thought there were 11... and so I had 11 sets of buttons which because they are so small was no easy feat to find!)
and, then ultimately after nixing one set of "repeats" I thought I was good to go with my 10, but you will see one owl sleeping... I am not sure I will be putting on the last set of buttons. We'll see. I am kind of liking the sleeping owl. That and the last set were actually beads and I had trouble getting my needle through them... but I coulda' kept that a secret and you'd be none the wiser... and, of course, you need the modeled shot.
Then, there's the needle roll I made for someone on Ravelry as a Random Act of Kindness (RAK). I have been practicing a bunch of stuff on my sewing machine. I had a great idea for a DPN needle roll, but felt I needed to do a "normal" one first, so this fit the bill!
it was a lot of fun to make and I think it was well-received by it's recipient.
Then.. there was the project that I have been working on for a long long time... a vest for Smush. See, I found the perfect pattern (but didn't look at yarn type) then, was at a LYS closing w/ Smush and let her pick out her favorite color to make it with... or maybe I had her pick out the yarn and looked for the pattern after... doesn't matter - the project called for fingering weight yarn and was for an infant. I figured oh, to make it fit Smush I will just use worsted and make the largest size on the pattern... well, I had bought 2 skeins of Cascade 220 Washable Wool for this. I figured, 5T = 2 skeins no problem...
Luckily Ravelry has a function that enables you to look for a yarn that someone else might have bought and luckily someone posted the dye lot and luckily that someone was willing to sell it to me for this, because even though I made the piece with 3 skeins, well, lets just say it was a great experience with learning about gauge and swatching and sizing because this thing is big enough for her to wear probably when she's in high school - it fits me! And, it could be a little longer, but there was no way I was going looking for another skein!
But, wait, there's more... like I mentioned earlier I have been sewing a bit. Last night I finished this off - it was mostly done, just the buttonhole needed to be sewn, and the buttons sewn on. Well, I had a buttonhole lesson yesterday and last night... DONE!
voila! finished Phoebe bag! It came out a little smaller than I had anticipated so I have already got the next bag project lined up and sitting on my desk waiting to be cut and sewn. I had made this for a specific purpose but ultimately it's too small so I just get the chance to make a new bag... Not such a hardship since I am loving both this fabric as well as the fabric I got for the new one!
And, there are a couple more things getting finished, so stay tuned!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Photo Phriday
and, here we are again... Photo Phriday...
My darling husband chose this one for your viewing pleasure!
Photo Phriday
well... I have been trying to add last Friday's photo since, well, last Friday and for some reason each time I try to upload a picture to the blog it crashes my application so I am going to have to figure this one out... will keep you... well... posted!
Friday, August 5, 2011
Photo Phriday
This is the product of giving an inexpensive child branded digital camera to a 3 year old. Smush took this with her very own camera. I think she might have even taken the picture of Squiggly in the previous post as it came out the folder that I think is her pictures. Pretty good for a little one, no?
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