News: The Good and the Bad

Almost every class we have, I get a new giggle from my Littles. These past few days have been no exception, as we've color-coded and labelled sentence structures, simultaneously learning whatever tidbits about Martin Luther's life I can convey without prepositional phrases or too many adjectives. Upon being informed that they have a test tomorrow, Zachary and Madeline (hereafter called "The Wise Ones") asked for me to print off a couple practice sheets for them. Forgoing our reformer theme (because I couldn't think of new facts right away), I hastily typed out a couple pages and went about my merry way. On the way upstairs this evening, however, I spotted Maddy's practice page:

The good news is: some amount of information from her sentence analyses is getting through. The bad news is: it's all getting dreadfully tangled up with Jane Austen & Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

Watch-It Wednesday: St. Patrick!!

Hello, lovelies!

Yes, I know I missed Monday. Again. I am hoping to get a "proper" post up on Friday...but in the meantime, check out this awesome short on St. Patrick that one of my wee friends made for me!! It's too wonderful not to share, so without further ado, let me present:

"Patric: a short film by Roman"

Thank you, Roman - you're the best!!! :)

And to the rest of you - Happy Be-Lated St. Patrick's Day!

The Things They Say

Some of the biggest smiles in my life are Littles. My own three youngest siblings, the students who march through my door each week, and the cute kiddos I see at church and babysit ~ these are the ones that keep life hopping and happy. Besides the fun of teaching and playing with them, their constant stream of silliness (intentional, and otherwise) keeps me chuckling, no matter what the day has held. If you don't personally know the truth of this, here are some conversations that have taken place around here, lately...

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Zach: "I was just breathing through my ear!"

*Various Siblings*: "That's impossible."

Zach: "No, really! Air was coming in and going out!"

Gracie: "You have an eardrum there, you can't breath through it!"
 

Methinks it's time for a discussion on air flow & anatomy.
 

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Meg: "If actions speak louder than words, then they also speak louder than words in 'Whack'! Shouldn't that be true??"
 

Thanks, Meg! Now I have a logical defense when I find myself tongue-tied & have to just point at someone.
 

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Me: (Placing supper on the table) "Ok you guys, time to eat!"

Little #1: "But...but...but...where's my fork?!?"

Me: "You don't have one yet. Run and get it!"

Little #2: "I have to go get my fork, too!"

Me: "Yep! Go for it!"

Little #3: (while sliding his fork back & forth across the table, yet in dead earnest) "I need a fork, too!"
 

Ahh, peer pressure, how young you start.
 

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You know that part in The Pacifier when Murney has to play Mother Superior for The Sound of Music skit? We were suffering through watching it w/the younger kids, when Zach suddenly blurted out, "Wow! I never knew Mother Superiors had such hairy legs!"
 

...which causes me to stop and consider: Do Mother Superiors shave their legs?

Oh the things I would never wonder if it wasn't for Zachary.
 

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Me: "Meg, put this away."

Meg: "Ewww!"

Me: "Big whoop. It's just clean underwear."

Zachary: "And if your a girl, you wear it every day!"
 

"If you're a girl"?? I don't even want to ask.
 

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Then there's the list of instructions I had to give Maddy, all in one afternoon of knitting.

Please tell me, are these instructions rocket science? 'Cause she seemed to think they were...

 

"Maddy, you may not put your knitting needle in your nose!"

"Maddy, don't scratch your face with your knitting needle!"

"Maddy, get your knitting needle out of the chip bag!"
 

Note to self: knitting needles are complicated tools of {apparently} ambiguous purpose. So much for the explained-by-the-name theory.
 

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What would we do without Littles?



Make-It "Monday": Oh, Strawberries!

Last week, I took a Spring Break from teaching. For the last couple weeks, my room had turned into what I referred to as the "Spring Break Pit." Mending, sewing crocheting, books to read - they were all placed in plain view so I wouldn't forget about them during my "vacation." Of course, I bit off more than I could chew, but one of the projects I did accomplish is this wee Strawberry Dress. A few weeks ago, Maddy made some strawberry slippers for a little girl yet to be born, and mama loved it so much she bought strawberry fabric to make a go-along dress. The pattern is from Create Kids Couture ~ talk about adorable sewing projects!! :)

So yes, happy Make-It Monday on a Tuesday! :)

 



On the Twinkles' Bedroom Door Tonight

Just one of a million reasons why I love having wee ones around. :)

Make-It Monday: Twinkle Smiles

Hooray! Finally back to some Make-it Mondays! This post is in celebration of the completion of one of those "under the bed" projects...

I started these dresses almost exactly a year ago to sew for the Twinkles' birthday. Unfortunately, I forgot the oh-so-enviable fact that little girls often grow straight up without growing out for a couple years. Thus, the dresses fit them just lovely around the waist, but were rather on the short side for the "Sunday dresses" they had hoped to wear. Into a bag and under the bed they went, until such a time when I could (unemotionally) determine the fate of the ruffled hemlines.

At long last, a week or so ago, I pulled them out, cut up and ruffled several yards of eyelet, finished the hand-sewing, and voila! ruffly Sunday dresses! An unforeseen plus of using eyelet for the hem-extensions was the hoop-skirt-reminiscent "poof" at the bottom of the dresses - the eyelet was stiff enough to hold the lighter cotton out, which, of course, the girls loved!

goofy, goofy girls...

In the course of taking the pictures to show the finished project, we switched over to just doing a twin photo shoot. At the end, Maddy said, "Oh, Sarah, we have to do the Head-Heart-Shadow Picture! We love to do it!" As far as I can tell, they came up with it on their own. Also, just so you know, it is "just for twins to do".

Precious, isn't it? What are you working on this Monday?
 

Watch-It Wednesday: Red Blanket in the Great Room

"Sarah," the Twinkles begged last night, "Can we pleeeaase watch a movie?"

"No," was my heartless reply, "Absolutely not. We're not watching movies tonight."

"We'll pick a short one! Please? Please?"

"Nope. Why don't you guys make a movie...or at least, a play?"

"Can we do a story we already know?"

"For sure."

"Ok!!"

And so, with the help of Zachary, they put on a play for James and me 10 minutes later. Although they claimed it was the story of "Little Red Riding Hood", I'm not quite convinced because, well...maybe I'll just show you the story, and see if you recognize the plot. :)

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The Story of Little Red Riding Hood

(Mother): "Here Darling, take these cookies to your Grandmother so she will feel better."
(Little Red Riding Hood): "Yes Mother."
(Mother): "And do not stop to gather flowers in the woods!"
(Little Red Riding Hood): "Yes Mother."

(Narrator): "And then she met the big-bad-wolf"
{no picture, unfortunately, but he was shrouded in a gold-and-burgundy quilt}
(Wolf): "Hello, Little Girl. Why don't you pick some flowers for your Grandmother?
That way, she will like you better."

(Little Red Riding Hood): "Ok!"

(Narrator): "And then she came to her Grandmother's house."
{here there was some confusion about whether or not the one on the 'bed'
was the grandmother or the wolf. In the end, they determined she was the wolf}
(Little Red Riding Hood): "Grandmother, what great big eyes you have!"

(Big-Bad-Wolf): *Evil chuckle*

(Narrator - who also happened to be the hunter): "And then the hunter came in
and killed the big-bad-wolf and dragged her off!"
{here there was some confusion about whether or not they ever found the real grandmother
(they didn't)
and whether or not Little Red Riding Hood was ever punished for disobeying her mother
and picking flowers
(she wasn't)
In the end, they determined it would be best to take a final bow
(so they did)}

THE END!

Have a smiling Wednesday! Obey your mother, and don't believe any wolves who tell you that disobeying will make your grandma like you more! :)

Watch-It Wednesday: Happiness

Grey, drizzly day. Sweats. Cup of tea.

Cosy (that is one word that is just better when spelled the British way) mornings make me happy.

Three Littles cluttering my already-war-zone-looking room. One has a chair set up as a table, and is writing a synopsis for chapters of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Two others have a Lego game in the works - instructions, pieces, and box strewn across the floor. None of them particularly dedicated to their own employment, they are constantly checking in with each other, at times completely halting all pursuits to tell stories based off of the Lego men or instruction-pictures. "King of K5" (although they are now in 2nd grade) explains the word "adjacent" which was just used in the story he was telling. Now they're all back to their proper places - Synopsis Girl checking about when she gets a break, and Game Players rolling the dice.

Littles make me happy.

Cookbooks, pen, and paper cover my bed. Menu-planning and grocery-shopping are on the list today.

The fun of organizing meals and playing working within a budget make me happy.

Phone rings. The funny tune of these new phones we have makes me smile. On the line, a sweet, 6-year-old boy's voice greets me, asking to speak to Little Brother. K5 King jumps up, and returns a few minutes later with a smile and a birthday party invitation. Phone rings again. Again the tune makes me smile. Sweet 6-year-old-friend again. "Hi Sarah, again. Um, Zachary hung up before I could tell him my mama wants to talk to his mama..."

Littles' friends calling on the phone makes me happy.

Synopsis Girl is ready for her break. She climbs up onto my bed, rolls up in one of my fuzzy blankets, arranges my {many} pillows underneath her, and asks permission to pretend she's a cowgirl sleeping in her bunk (as if saying 'no' could stifle the imagination!). Game Players start trying to sing the "Matthew Begats", and ask to hear it on my computer.

Watching the pathways of a Little's mind makes me happy.

Thinking about Easter this past wekeend. Is there a Biblical character you relate to? I relate to Peter. Maybe that's why this song is so beautiful to me (despite the 7-11 ending :).

That Christ is alive makes me happy.

Happy Wednesday!

 

Watch-It Wednesday: Swing It!

With little siblings, who needs movies? They're the stuff any good shows are made of, anyway: learning, maturing characters who are sweet, adorable, and hilarious. Yesterday, the Twinkles were invited to a 50s birthday party. They were so giggly-excited when mama bought them saddle shoes on Saturday, and when Friend Andi's mama gave them their poodle skirts two days ago...let's just say it took us a while to peel them off the ceiling! :)

  

 After getting all do-dadded up for the event, what remained to be done but some swing dancing? So put on the music and enjoy the show! About the third repeat of their dance, I just start laughing. I think we need to teach them a new move! :)

 Don't forget to turn the volume up...it's kind of quiet.

Have a swingin' Wednesday, Lollipop!

Don't Laugh

I've always been told I have a terrible poker face. In fact, my face resembles more a large-print book, lying open for anyone to read, than the controlled, calculated expressions of...say, Lady Deadlock. Sometimes this is good, sometimes this is bad. But apparently, the Littles have banded together to give me some practice in keeping a straight face.

From prayers….

 (Madeline): Dear Lord, thank you for the food, and have a nice day. And please help the flowers to grow and us to grow and…AMEN!

To supper topics…

"In ten years,” Zachary gasped, “I'll be seventeen!"

"In ten years” James countered, “I'll twenty!"

"In a billion years," Meggy chimed in matter-of-factly, "I'll be a-billion-and-six!"


To clean-up conversations…

"Zeke, we need to get the table cleaned off! Is any of this stuff yours?" Zach screetched to a halt mid-gallop as he whizzed through the room, passing piles of school books on the kitchen table. Spinning around, he continued to shuffle from one foot to the other as he looked at me, and registered the question. "Uh...Sarah, can we... um... No! Actually, uh..."

He was still dancing.

"Can I go to the bathroom first? I really can't talk right now!!"

To school discussions…


Photo Credit :)



"Chickens," I began, as the Littles and I settled down for math class (Note: I really am not sure why or when I began calling Team K5 "chickens". It is not, in any way, related to their looks, supply of bravery, or the noise they make when they're happy. It's just...what I call them). "Chickens, why do we study math?"

Many were the reasons listed by my wee students, but by far the favorite was Madeline's matter-of-fact  reply:

"Well, it's just 'cause, in case we need to know math. Like, 'what's nine plus nine?' I know that. It's..." she paused for a minute, pursing her lips "... it's seventeen!"

My poker face has a long way to go. How's yours?