This Vintage Chica

seedy behavior

( a little nod to Renee for the post title)

With daffodils blooming now, it time to start planting.  And as we begin to see the culmination of all of our detailed garden planning come into being, I am reminded of how much I love having my hands in the dirt.  There is just nothing like pressing your hands down into rich, dark soil to ground you.  Literally and figuratively!  

Directly seeded into the ground:

• peas, sugar snap

• spinach

• and three kinds of lettuces

Seeds started indoors:

• more peas (in case a late freeze gets the ones we directly seeded)
• a few early tomatoes
• morning glories
• broccoli
• cabbage
• basil
• cilantro
• zinnias

Its still a bit early, but man it sure is nice to start the process.  I know it doesn't look like much, but before we know it we'll be up to our ears in zucchini again.

What's on the schedule for the weekend around here?

Some friends over for dinner tonight, one all boy sleepover with accompanying light sabers, a trip to ur favorite Full Quiver Farm, church and some summer planning.  As Wyatt would say..."wa-choo doing?"

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And if you find yourself here via the article in the digital edition of Mothering Magazine ... welcome!  Grab a cup of coffee and poke around.  Glad to have you in this space.

ink blob t-shirts

I have been admiring the ink blot t-shirts Martha has been making.  Wyatt happened to be next to me at one point and said "Mom, we can SO make these".  I love that my kids think we can make anything.  We can.  Really, we can.

So we decided to make a few of our own.

Wyatt calls them "ink blob shirts".  I like that name.

Of course opening the shirts up to see the results was by far the best part.

The test run with the three year old warranted a try with the older brothers. So, it was clear we needed to make a run to the thrift store for more plain colored t-shirts. 

Which we did after lunch.Luckily we hit Salvation Army on 1/2 price clothing day.

Here's what we did...

INK BLOB T-SHIRTS

Supplies:

thrifted t-shirt
black fabric paint
several pieces of cardstock paper

How To:

• fold one piece of the cardstock in half lengthwise first then, place it inside your t-shirt to keep the ink from running to the back side of the shirt.  make sure the line down the center of the paper runs down the center of the shirt, it helps to secure the paper with masking tape

• lay the t-shirt flat on a hard surface

• cover half of the t-shirt with another piece of cardstock to focus their paint to one side of the shirt

• let your little one put blobs of paint on the uncovered side of the shirt (it makes better blobs if they keep the paint toward the center of the shirt, but of course mine wouldn't listen to that part)

• after the paint has been applied, fold the shirt directly in half and pat it down (or place a large book on the folded shirt for a few minutes)

• let your shirt dry

New t-shirts for Spring...check.

taking control of our education: resources

As promised here are a list of book links and resources that have been useful in my thought process regarding our education.  I say "OUR" education, because I feel like this is a search to come up with a solution that works for all of those in our family.  I am learning right along with the youngest in our family.

I do not want to give the idea that we are pro or against anything regarding education with these links.  But here are some of the resources that have struck a chord with me.  If you would like to add any links that you feel are valuable in this conversation, please feel free to do so in the comments section.

This orationfrom Sir Ken Robinson...its been awhile, but I keep coming back to it again and again.  It was the first thing I saw when my boys were just in pre-school that made me want to dig in more.  To find out how our schools are teaching and how my kids would learn best.

The Unschooled Mind: How Children Think and How Schools Should Teach by Howard E. Gardner - This was the first book I ever read on the topic of how our little ones learn.  In my opinion, it gets a bit deep, but I still find myself going back to it once in awhile to look up a particular thought.

The Unschooling Handbook: How to Use the Whole World as Your Child's Classroom by Mary Griffith

The Sudbury Valley School Articles especially their Underlying Ideas topics and the Parent Experiences were shared from Sarah

Give Kids Good Schools - full of good information for those of us wanting to make the most of our children's public education.

Should I Homeschool  - a blog post from Lori of Camp Creek Press...really, her whole blog makes me think.  Especially her info. on Reggio Emelia.  Something seems to ring true to me when I read about the whole project based learning style.

The Hundred Languages of Children and subsequently Bringing Reggio Emelia Home.  I checked the first book out of our local library, but they did not have the second book, recommended by Lori.  She kindly sent a second copy she had to me and Im still reading it.  I can't put it down and I find myself re-reading certain parts.

There are probably many more articles that I could have posted here.  The internet is an amazing resource when it comes to educating our kiddos.  There are many different opinions and trains of thought on the subject.  These are just some of the resources that have been introduced to me along our journey.  But, its a start.  And to be honest, the opinions I value the most are those of my family including my children, and other mothers with whom I share a great deal of respect.  Also, if you are having questions about public school like I was, I can not stress enough how important it is to jump in feet first.  Getting directly involved in the boys classrooms has been invaluable.  I have learned to so much about my kids and where their teachers are coming from.  If you have the ability to get involved in your child's public school setting...please, do so.  You will not regret it.

Let's continue this discussion...shall we?

Oh, and I have had a few comments and emails regarding our "summer unschooling" project.  Would anyone be interested in learning along with us?  I would be happy to organize us in some way and provide a forum to share info.  Please let me know if you would be interested through the comments or email and I will put something together.

craft challenge: pillowcase projects published

How is that for a blog title brought to you by the letter "P"?

Quite a while back, I received an email regarding vintage pillowcase quilt I made for my good friend's new baby.  Lark Books asked if I would be interested in submitting the idea for consideration in a new book being published highlighting ways to repurpose vintage pillowcases.  Immediately, I thought of a million and one other things you could make out of pillowcases, but managed to settle on the quilt and a fun little dog bed.

Luckily they accepted both projects.

I have been patiently waiting for my copy of the book in the mail, but so far it hasn't arrived.  Then when I saw the book posted on another blog, I high-tailed it to the local bookstore as fast as I could.  And there it was, sitting right on the shelf.

Craft Challenge: Dozens of Ways to Repurpose a Pillowcase can be found on Amazon and there are already some available as "used".  Im not quite sure how that happens.

This book features several of my favorite crafty bloggers including:

• Cassi, one of my all time favorite bloggers from Bella Dia and The Crafty Crow contributed a sweet little sherbert purse that would be perfect for summer.
• And Elizabeth, another favorite blogger, of Oh Franson! has a lunch box featured in the book that would be so sweet for some little girl going to school for the first time.
• And finally, Creative Kismet's Regina Lord submitted a super fun reversible sun hat in the book.  Love it.
• Lee-Ann Edwards of Whoopsie Daisies Days, a fellow Texas gal, was new to me, but she has the cutest layer cake aprons in the book.  

Check it out!

yellow week: wrap up

Sorry, I have not yet finished the list of resources you requested.  I'm a slacker, I know it.  But I'm working on it.  But you see...the books are here and there all over my house.  Some by the bed, others filed in the bookshelf for later referral, and a few in my car (Im not sure why there are that many books in my car, but there are).

So, until I can post the entire list, here is my yellow week wrap up...

We have a busy weekend planned.  Lots of coffee drinking, newspaper reading, tree climbing and general lounging are in store.  Have a lovely weekend everyone!

yellow week: 2 & 3

Thank you all for your kind comments and private emails regarding our educational decision making process.  You women have truly touched my heart in a big way.

And please, please keep them coming.  And if you read the post, but didn't read the comments, you must crab a cup of coffee and go back and do so.  There is lots of good information there.  And lots of support for the multitude of us who are in the same boat.

Several of you asked what books and articles I have been reading.  As I type this with one hand, Im putting together the list with links with the other, because I got mad multi-tasking skilz like that.  I hope to have it posted by tomorrow.

On a more colorful topic...

Yellow week continues...

If you are still fighting the February funk, pop on over to Erin's yellow week pool for a good dose of "make you smile" yellow.

Or grab your camera and your kids and find some signs of Spring...they are popping up everywhere.

taking control of our education: part 2

OK, so I have been avoiding writing this post for several months now.  But it seems the previous post regarding our education choices struck a chord.  I heard from homeschoolers and public schoolers alike...all of us just trying to make the best decisions for our kiddos.  And I am encouraged to be a part of the conversation.  It seems like there are many of us in the same boat.  Weighing options.  Praying we don't make the wrong decisions.  Praying we don't screw our little ones up.  Its tough.

I wrote part one back in oh...November?

I left off with "So, I started contacting my resources".

I left shortly after that post for Texas to visit family for two weeks.  There I talked to my parents quite a bit about my feelings.  I talked to my Aunt who is an amazing teacher and runs a special reading program that uses volunteers in the community to read one on one with students.  I to my Grammer who worked in the public school system for years about her experiences.

When I got back to Virginia I threw myself into researching online every night.

• Are there different school options that I am not aware of?

• Are public and private our only options?

• What would homeschooling in Virginia look like?

• How hard is it?

• How would we go about it?

• Am I nuts for even entertaining the idea.

I emailed and chatted with Lori, who is a wealth of knowledge.  She was able to answer many of my questions that honestly came down to confidence.  I need to trust my instincts and know that I know my kids better than anyone else in the world.  Stefani offered some insight as always *smile*.  I know a few homeschoolinging mamas at church and talked to them.  I have a few "go to" moms in my community that did not home school, but I have admired their parenting styles and solicited their opinions.

I made a list of "action steps" that included:

• get more involved in the boys classrooms...check...two days a week in Zane's class and one day a week in Ian's class
• speak to the principal
• continue to educate myself

The direct classroom involvement was invaluable.  INVALUABLE!  I found two amazing teachers doing a bang up job with the resources they were given.  One was a brand new teacher right out of college who was thrown a curve ball just before the school year began and was just beginning to learn the ins and outs of discipline in the classroom.  Saying she had her hands full is an understatement.  But she had an amazing heart for her students and a never give up attitude that was contagious.  The other teacher was in her second year...a seasoned parent and wonderful at pulling the resources that the public schools offered.  Watching her teach was a joy.

The conversation with the principal was worthless.  He thought that since I have the unique experience of having two, same age, boys in seperate classrooms, that I was just comparing them.  He enouraged me to see them as individuals and not as a whole...which is a bunch of twin mom crap.  I have always seen my boys as individuals and have always known each's strengths and weaknesses.  However, I do think that having two in seperate classrooms does provide an interesting twist and one that has been a challenge for me this year.  He sent me away with a pat on the shoulder and a back handed compliment about him knowing what a great mom I am.  Which only frustrated me further.

However, this did not solve my problem.  But it did help me nail down where exactly the problem lies.  It lies in teachers having to teach to the SOLs.  It lies in teachers having to teach to too many children to realize right off the bat where each of their students strengths and weaknesses are.  it lies in a principal who is part of the good ol' boy network of educators happy he has tenure and riding his time out to retirement.  The problem lies in an old school system that still teaches for a 1950s world.

So, then it was time to wait for S to come home and have a heart to heart about how everything I had learned, and how we want the boys to be educated.  It was a long wait.  Let me tell you.

But while on this little day trip, we were able to have a long chat about it all. 

Unfortunately, we were on different sides of the fence.  And we couldn't find middle ground on this one.  It was frustrating to say the least, but I know from experience (and from the advice of others) that when it comes to big decisions like this, there HAS to  be agreement.

Private school is out for financial reasons.

I did discover this part time school (thanks Alicia!) and I was thrilled to find it.  We went to visit and found that even this "tuition" was a bit out of our reach.

Which leaves us with some form of homeschooling and public school.  And no final answers.

So I sat.  With the boys still in the public school.  And me trying to fill in with whatever I can in the few extra minutes before baths and on weekends.

I continued to read.  And read.  And read.

I have to admit, the more I read the more frustrated I became in my own head.  I trudged forward, holding on to my belief that knowledge is power.  It almost hurt to be stuck in that place of being lead one way, but holding tight for the time being in an educational system of which I am not fully supportive. 

I am slowly learning to be ok in that place.  Lord knows I have been there enough in the past several years.

We finally decided to leave the boys where they are for the rest of this school year.  Incorporate some unschooling into our summer, like we always do.  Unschooling summer school!  Sounds fun doesn't it?And revisit this whole concept before the beginning of the next school year.

And I was ok with it all for the time being.

That is until a three page stapled document came home in the boys' school folders last week...

(sorry to keep dragging you all along...I just can't seem to get it all into one post)

yellow week: 1

 

for Erin's yellow week.

I have never had good luck with orchids.  I've tried. I can grow almost anything else.  But not these.  However, I've been doing some reading after Blair's flickr post and resulting conversation (see below the photo), Im trying again.

I have one in our bathroom, thinking it is warmer and steamier there.  And this lovely yellow orchid sitting in the middle of our kitchen table.  Its a little experiment...like everything else around here.

According to this group...my yellow orchid is a Phalaenopsis hybrid.  The boys have named her Phil for short.

signs of spring: soccer readiness

We are actively looking for signs of Spring's arrival here.  So, this week I decided to post a "signs of Spring" post everyday.  Hopefully this will lift a bit of the February funk that always seems to seep in this time of year.

Anyone want to join me?  No flickr group to post photos to...just a quiet focus on our blogs of the tiny bits of Spring that are given to us this week.  Who knows, we just might bring a bit of Spring's arrival to our Northern neighbors who won't be seeing daffodils for a few more months.

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Spring soccer season must be approaching.

Because

New (to us) soccer shoes found at the kids resale store...

plus some customization via sharpie markers...

equals three happy little kickers with shoes that are super fast and are able to kick the ball over large buildings.  At least that's what the boys are telling me.  We shall see in a few weeks.

love the love day

 

For one quick minute I thought about purchasing valentines this year. But right at the very second I was ready to make a mad dash to Walgreens, "the plague" or whatever illness has been plaguing our house, began to lift.

Thank goodness.

And thank goodness for some very creative boys who thought up their own valentines this year. Paper airplanes delivering a pencil and one nice thought to each of their classmates. Things like:

"you are a good reader"
and
"I like that you ask a lot of questions"
and
"you can do a lot of pull-ups in p.e."

The one above was from Ian to his teacher Miss Vollrath. Sweet, young (22 to be exact), Miss Vollrath. The other side of this plane said, "You are very very very very very pretty. I love you".

I think this qualifies as my boys' first official crush.  But, don't tell anyone.  If you ask him about it he turns three shades of red and runs to hide under his bed.

Tonight the boys are going to some very very very good friends house (thanks Joe and Maggie) for a sleep over tonight so that we can have a date night.  Its been a while friends.  A very long while.

S usually misses most anniversaries, valentine's days, birthdays, etc.  All part of the job.  So, I am feeling a bit spoiled just being able to sit in the same room as he is.

Yes, we're loving the love day around here!

we're sick

Last week it was the little guy.  But now one of his brothers has a fever as does their tired mama. Everyone stayed home from school today. 

I never used to get sick. Ever. Even when all others were on death's door, I would carry on. Im the one that shows up to a sick friend's house with soup for dinner and helps her put her kids to bed while she rests. 

Im not sure what has changed, but I have been sick more in the past year than I have the 10 years prior. Does getting older have anything to do with that? I know for sure Im not drinking as much water as I used to. There are days I sit in bed and realize I've only had coffee all day. Not good. I used to eat better too.

Must make some changes in the coming weeks. I hate being sick.

I'll be back when my head is not pounding and I can focus on this screen.

sewing again

And boy does it feel nice.  While the little man took an unexpected nap (he's recovering from some nasty fever thing) this morning, I had some time in front of the sewing machine.  Im playing catch up a bit with my blocks from the virtual quilting bee.

Here is Alicia's finished block.  Her month was November, but Im just now getting to it.  She sent the aqua piece in the center and the white.  She asked that we make a simple 9 patch adding whatever we wanted for the other squares.  I added a vintage piece (top left) and a few ships and leaves.  I really like the colors in this one.  Hope she does too.

Here is Morgan's finished block.  I love the blue and white floral and the red piece with the blue and yellow squares.  They reminded me so much of the vintage feedsacks I found in Texas a while back, I had to use them in her block.  I wish it were a bit more square and aligned. 

And finally...Melissa's block.  She sent the solid green and white with the idea of a tree or trees.  I have always loved Amanda's tree quilt.  Melissa's block was directly inspired.  A bit of embroidery with the leaves being left with rough edges.  Hopefully they will wash well and provide a bit of texture.

Of course as with everything else, I am my own worst critic.  As I type this, I am fighting the urge to pick each one of them apart.  Things are starting to wind down with the VQB with just Sarah and Grace left.  Entering the home stretch!

a sailor's valentine

 

I do not work outside of our home.  Except for some volunteer website design...which doesn't pay anything but a full heart.  Which is perfectly ok with me.  But I hate having to tell S I took money out of our account to buy him a gift.  He always tells me he doesn't need anything and not to spend any money on him.  So I decided to get creative with what I had on hand to create something for him for Valentine's Day.  I looked around the house and my eyes landed on a bowl of shells that I had dumped out of my jacket pocket from our last date day.

I did a bit of research on-line and found this site which gives the history of sailor's valentines.  And this one by Lynda Hennigan who creates the most detailed and intricate designs.  I can't think of a more perfect gift for a sailor.

Yesterday morning I started laying out the shells, trying to come up with a design I was happy with.  The boys immediately descended upon my work space to investigate - possibly attracted by the strong smell of the adhesive.

They wanted in on the action, so we cut hearts from red card stock and the glue-fest began.  Each of the boys made one for their teacher.  I hadn't thought of this as a good gift for a teachers, but Im glad they did.

Its all about patterns, symmetry and repetition of one type of shell.  Lots of learning to be found in those three concepts.  Even the three year old got the pattern concept...gray, white, lellow (yellow), gray, white, lellow.

Sometimes when we are all walking along the beach, I come across matching shells that are still attached to one another.  And it amazes me at how through storms and rough seas, they manage to land on the beach...still together.  Corny, maybe...but I think about those shells often.

So here is what I ended up with for S's Valentine's Day gift.  I hope he's not reading.

But if he is.  Hello honey.  I love you.  See you soon.

one step at a time

Ever since I was a little girl, I have had this little quirk...a bit of compulsiveness if you will.  I have counted stairs. All stairs.  I counted the stadium stairs we used to have to run during practice in high school...55 to the top. I counted the stairs in front of the State Capitol of Oklahoma where I first went to work after college...224.  I count the stairs in the house we live in now...12.

While checking out Ella's flickr set (thank you Molly),someone's blog (someone please help me remember, so I can give credit where credit is due) I had seen numbers actually painted onto the fronts of the stairs and something clicked in my brain.  I HAD to do the same thing to our stairs.

So the "quick and easy" in me purchased vinyl numbers from Michael's for $9 and stuck them right down.  I don't know how long they'll last.  But its a good way to try the look out to see if I really want to paint numbers of 12 stairs.  Now my boys are counting the steps in our house too. I can hear them from anywhere else in the house....1, 2, 3, 4 all the way to 12.  So far, I like them.

Apparently, Im not the only one who counts stairs.

As with everything, there is a lesson here for me.  Things have been very busy behind the scenes.  And sometimes I get so overwhelmed with tasks and ideas that I stand in place frozen...not knowing which way to go.  I was talking to my mother about this very thing last week and she so wisely reminded me to just keep taking baby steps and see where they lead you.  Forget about where you will end up.  Just keep moving forward.  Thank you mom...you are great.  I'll be taking her advice.  Im on step number 1, ready to move up to step number 2 and see where that leads me.