public, private, home, charter

I learned something during my almost-two-years at home. It's something that probably would not surprise homeschooling parents...

I'm darn good at teaching my kids.

And I love their daycare, I do. And I think that they have been able to teach my kids things that I couldn't, or wouldn't even know to teach. The teachers there work with me like a team. And the social aspects are something I really really like, seeing as I am rather anti-social.

But in some respects, I think their return to school (in marmallow's case, her maiden voyage into daycare) has undone some of the work I did. Particularly with lil' b.

When he was home with me, I ran our play time as an education always happening. He had structured learning, of course, but every moment was a chance to learn, to look up, and to look around. To participate in the world instead of just being told about it. Under my tutelage, he learned his letters, how to write his name, how to count and recognize numbers... and then he went to daycare and relearned those things, making these last few months a waste as far as book-smarts go.

My parents are very interested in having me homeschool my children. I worry about prejudices towards them, though, and honestly that's my biggest concern. I know there are ways to get involved in social activities and sports. And so I continue to think about private or charter schools as an option, which seem to lift a child out of the homeschool stereotype without dragging him down to the lowest common denominator. That balance comes with a hefty price tag, though.

For those whose children are in formal schooling, how do you keep the education growing outside the school walls? How do you combat the issues that crop up outside the sanctuary of home? For those that homeschool, how do you deal with judgmental parents and peers? What other issues do you worry about?

{this moment}

inspired by SouleMama

work in the way

Do you ever get the feeling that work gets in the way of what you really want to be doing? I think I multitask all the time, simply because everything I do is not everything I want to be doing.

I know that sounds kind of odd. But when I am home, I can sit and chat with my little ones (granted, marmallow doesn't say much back yet) while they play and I can knit at the same time. I can talk with them about their day while driving home. I can monitor lil' b's impressive advancements in bicycling while spinning. But at work, there isn't a whole lot of double time. Sure, I can answer emails and talk on the phone at the same time, but I'm a writer, so most of my time is spent with singular focus (or else, as is common for my writing brethren, I completely scatter my thoughts and wind up completely lost for words). I tried to watch the World Cup on one screen while typing with the other and wound up sacking the whole project until the match ended.

Seeing as I spend a lot of time at work, these come in awful handy.

But the shining glory of my workday (topped only by getting home at the end of it), is lunch. I have given up on eating during my lunch break, and instead I find a nice bench between towers and spin. And you know, I'm getting pretty good at it. The outdoor sunlight actually gives the most accurate view of the colors, too.

Look how thin the yarn is getting! It's still kind of inconsistent, but not bad for about a week of spinning, right?

How do I figure out yardage on this, anyway? I mean, I keep spinning and spinning and the little ball of roving doesn't seem to be getting smaller, which is great, but I have no idea how many yards I have. Is it enough to make socks? I don't know. But it sure is pretty!

here and away

We had lots of lovely fun this weekend.

Birthday party fun

Summer fest fun

This included rock climbing fun

Inflatable slide fun

Petting zoo fun

Butterfly exhibit fun

Ice cream fun

Oh My Lolli! fun

Live band fun

Bike with training wheels fun

Lego fun

Stacking rings fun

Mill pond fun

Blueberry picking fun

Muffin making fun

Movie watching fun

(Interrupted by less scary movie watching fun)

Pizza eating fun

Snuggling fun

Cheerio fun

So when I asked lil' b what fun things he did over the weekend during Sunday night bedtime prayers, he said "I don't know, you tell me." For a little man, he can have a very large attitude.

Daddy-B is away for the day. So for a couple nights/mornings, I am playing the role of single parent. He also has the camera, which is why there aren't any pictures of any of the aforementioned fun.

I did finish my fingerless mitts and did some more spinning and work on the woodland sweater.

{wandering wednesday}

inspired by GardenMama.

Here I stand... or rather, sit... at the office, long before my coworkers arrive. The benefits of arriving early are many, but the best of all is leaving early and spending a few precious hours of daylight with my family in the evening.

getting better all the time

Here is my second skein: raw brown alpaca and white merino.

It's a lot more consistent, no?

I also finished the knitting (but not the weaving in ends) of my first fingerless mitt. The phot doesn't do the colors justice. It's a very pretty colorway. The pattern is based on the Kalamazoo Knits pattern I've used before, but I dropped the thumb tube as it always annoyed me on the other pair I have.

I'm wearing the finished one right now as I type, and I have to say that it's just warm enough, fairly lightweight, and great for being in an office where they want it to be about 60 year-round.

It also occurs to me that it is already Wednesday and I haven't taken a picture worthy of my Friday {moment}. I better get focused! It's a real challenge to find something snapshot-worthy when you are only home between 6 PM and 6 AM, and most of that is sleeping.

wonky

This is the first attempt at a plied yarn. It's a mix of mystery roving and the lovely merino Froggy Fibers included in my package.

It's "novelty yarn" right? I just call it wonky. But then, I've never been into novelty yarn.

I made a second plied yarn last night, it's drying in my car (Yes, I am obsessed. It is draped over a clothes hanger in the T & C in the parking garage. What of it?). It's much, much nicer, with the remainder of the merino and some of my brown alpaca.

In between spinning sessions, I have also been working on a pair of fingerless mitts in a merino/cashmere blend (they are so so soft and a delicious pale colorway that looks like neopolitan ice cream), and my woodland sweater.

So spindlers, how do I get larger skeins? And what nifty tricks are there for making very thin singles? I'm hoping to achieve a two-ply yarn in DK weight or less. As that's my absolute favorite weight to knit with, and I'd like to get enough yarn to make some socks.

Oh, and because I hate waste, that first attempt at plying... I'm planning to knit it up into a Christmas ornament cover. I love those things and I've never made one. :)