This Moment

Joining Soulemama for {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

 Happy New Year to all...and stay warm.

The Aftermath...

Our Holiday was wonderful.  Low key this year, no traveling just our family enjoying our time together.  Dinner at my aunts and a visit to the newest baby in the family and back home.  Yesterday was spent at the hospital, as most of you know the baby business doesn't shut down for the holidays so I went to work.  Now Greg is back at work and today is the day...I must deal with the "aftermath".  There was much rejoicing, crafting, playing, building, sledding, singing, dancing and music making around here over the long weekend and not much tidying up. 

New Legos need to find new homes...yes there were plenty of hand-made gifts this year, but there were purchased gift as well.  Lego is huge around here right now for the boy AND the girl.

Christmas packages need to get in the mail...yes that's right, I habitually don't get things in the mail in time for ANYTHING!  It is a terrible flaw that I would love to change about myself...but alas, here we are as always.

Our new globe needs a special spot that hasn't been decided yet.  My sweet children bought this globe for me this year, and they are extra proud!  I've been wanting one forever and they decided to make it happen.  How lucky am I?
I'll spare you all the REAL aftermath, the vacuuming that's been ignored, the dishes that haven't been done, things like that.  Instead I'll leave you with what I WANT  to be doing right now instead of getting the house in order.

Has anyone sewn from this book yet?  I'm so excited to get started!  I've got a whole wardrobe in mind...My sweet honey is too good to me.

Getting Our Craft On! (last minute as always)

Well it has become painfully obvious to me that while I have trained some pretty crafty kids, I have also trained them to have at least 85 projects going at one given time...So here we are (happily I might add) getting our craft on through this one last push the week before the big holiday!

There is a pile of flannel pj bottoms for all the little cousins.  The pattern is from Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing, it's super easy and quick.  Soon there will be a t-shirt with an applique on the front matching the flannel pjs.
So far Molly has made some lovely hand-stamped little balsa fir filled scented pillows, Corey has made a most excellent iPhone holder from felt that has a loop for fastening onto your belt.  He's also don some hand-stamped stationary sets (very sweet).
I've been sifting through some books looking for just the right uses for some fabulous fabrics I have that are just screaming to be used.  And as you can see Clementine the cat is always eager to help (whether we invite her or not). 
We are quite busy "elving" around here while nursing a few yucky colds...tis the season right?

May your last minute "push" goes smoothly and all your "elving" get finished in time.

This Moment

Joining Soulemama for {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

a busy little elf

School Right Now

I don't know about other folks out there, but the holiday bug is starting to hit and we are finding concentrating on school work a bit harder this week.  So much to do, decorating, crafting, cooking, gifting and yet school work needs to be done.

We've been moving right along through US history with a few different guides.  I figured I'd try the Oak Meadow online curriculum and see what we thought.  It's really not bad, works as a nice launching pad, we're doing 5th grade history which is focusing on westward expansion and the civil war right now.  We've watched some Ken Burns The West  It's fantastic but I wouldn't recommend it for younger kids at all...The kids are a bit horrified by the violence that went on with the American Indians.  This is the first time they have really heard the brutality of all that was early America. 

We've just started a new Chemistry unit from Real Science 4 Kids .  I am absolutely thrilled with this find!  The price is very reasonable and the content is perfect for middle school.  It's still new but I expect we will continue on with their biology and physics units as well.  It's broken down into a text and lab book and really engages the kids (and myself), there is a teacher manual that helps me along too:)
Math Mammoth has them busily dividing decimals right now.
Crammer and writing are done  in workbooks sometimes as well as Oak Meadow which gives lots of different assignments that are sometimes fun (I do like to pick and choose).
 Both kids enjoy writing in a journal and presently writing a short story together.  I can't wait to read it.
We read poetry and other assorted bits of knowledge from the What Your 5th 6th Grader Needs to Know, I also find lesson plans on their website occasionally.
I'd love a good recommendation for a book to read together.  Both kids read independently, but we don't have a group book right now.
Of course handwork is crazy around here, I think it's everyones favorite!  Both kids are knitting quite a bit.  Molly has really been enjoying using the sewing machine to make doll clothing.  She's found some free patterns at Liberty Jane.  I must say she is becoming quite the seamstress.  Corey has been doing a bit of hand stitching.  Right now he's working on the horse from Feltcraft I enlarged the pattern by 150% and he insisted on using recycled sweaters!  I'll be sure to post pictures of everyones creations as they are finished.
I think it's time for me to help with some math before we get all crafty for the holidays.  I'd love to hear what others are up to in school these days.

In Absence

Amazing how fast our lives seem to be going right now...simply amazing.  This absence I have taken from the computer has been much needed and I thank you all for checking in and for your understanding.  I am in complete awe of all the amazing women I "know" out there in blogland who seem to never miss a post of their own or anyone elses'.  Some of my favorite bloggers like Amanda at Soulemama,   Rachel from Housefullofjays ,Tonya from Plainandjoyfulliving and Meg of Sewliberated (just to name a few)kept their blogs going right through the birth of a new baby! I struggle with finding time to fit it all in every day (maybe I need a professional organizer)...actually there is no maybe about that:)
But here I am back from a bit of a break feeling ready to tackle the keyboard once again.  Thought I would start of simply with some photos of a little of what been going on around here.

a certain little boy turned 10!  There was much rejoicing and a special dinner with a very special Tita.

There is now a Lego star wars advent calender that keeps that certain boy entertained every morning.

A Millenium Falcon when the calendar is done.

Lots of "making" with my favorite new craft block printing.

little signs of the holidays are showing up everywhere.

 

Favorite ornaments are hung once again on the tree.

Thanks again for the time away my friends, it feels good to be back.

This Moment

Coming back to the blogging world this morning to join Soulemama for {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

This Moment

finding time to join Soulemama for {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

This Moment

stopping in to join soulemama for {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

 may your weekend be full of silliness

Yarn Along

Joining sweet Ginny for her yarn along this week, haven't joined in lately as we've been so busy, but it seems I'm finding a bit of time here and there.

I just picked up We Took to the Woods by Louise Dickinson Rich, She and her husband literally took to the woods of northern Maine in the late 1930s and made a life for themselves and their family.  I've only just started it, but so far I'm finding it witty and beautifully written.  Reading only as little as I have I would still recommend it if you enjoy this kind of thing.

As for knitting I just finished up a sweet little neck-warmer/cowl in my usual favorite malabrigo (I do kit with other yarn really I do).  The idea for this came from my dear friend who knit Molly the gorgeous owl cowl.  She then knit up one for herself with her own pattern, I wrote it down tried to whip it out at the hospital at 4:00 am and somehow couldn't manage it!  But at that point I wanted my own neck-warmer so the eyelet pattern was born.
This is a super simple pattern if you want to give it a try, great for a quick knit gift for yourself or a loved one.
I used malabrigo merino worsted and size 9 circular needles
the pattern is in multiples of 5 so it's very easy to make smaller or larger
this one is about 18 in around with a gauge of approximately 5 stitches per inch
CO 90 stitches and join for working in round
R1 p2, k3 around
R2 p2, k3 around
R3 p2, sl 1, k2 psso around
R4 p2, k1, yo, k1 around
continue in established pattern until desired length!
That's it, super easy and super quick, I think I'll link it up to Tonya's handmade holidays to share.

Looking forward to seeing what everyone is up to!

Right here, Right now

Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, drink the wild air...
                                ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Just checking in, right now we're finding time to just be outside enjoying life with friends and loved ones. How lucky we are, just being here together in this lovely place being present.

This Moment

Finding time to join Soulemama for {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

A Regrouping of Sorts...

I may not be by this space much for a bit.  It seems that life is pulling me in all directions right now.  In a good way of course, we are happy and doing lots but it seems hard to keep up with it all.  The housework is suffering, (those who know me personally are well aware of this) there is much school work to be done, and the chaos of holiday time is upon us.  There are craft shows to attend and many handmade gifts to be made (I have to make sure and have enough time for this or my hand-made holidays will come from someone else).   As the cold weather begins to settle in it has become apparent that some long overdue house maintenance needs to be dealt with as well.
I can't say how long I'll be "gone" or when I'll be "back", but I will be stopping in hopefully at least for a weekly update until I feel some order has been restored to the universe.

 unfortunately for my hungry family our dining table often looks like this lately

 and the chairs look like this

 The boy just finds a place amoung the mess to read his latest adventure series The Ranger's Apprentice .  Thanks Tracey for this recommendation he loves it!

 more piles...

Molly is of course crafting through the mess right along with me, she is my girl.  Hopefully We can all find a rhythm that runs a bit more smoothly and find just the right amount of time for everything.
Angie

This Moment

Joining Soulemama for {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

In the Garden

I haven't been visiting this space as much lately, not that I don't want to but other things in life are calling right now.  School, work, a pesky dishwasher that doesn't want to behave and a few upcoming craft fairs.  Here are some pictures of the very neglected fall gardens these days.

I'm always amazed at what the garden will do when left alone (as it tends to be in the fall).  Soon we will put the veggie gardens to bed for the winter, but for now I will just enjoy what nature has to offer.  Hope that you are well.