What Day Is It, Anyway?

My days are all looking the same. Homeschool, quilting, housework, meal prep.None of that is a bad thing. In fact, they are all worth while things to do with my days.
Mother Nature had me down for 2 days, unable to do any of the above without great effort. Still, I did it. Math concepts were mastered, new words were spelled, prepositions were underlined, and God's Word was opened."Tomorrow" in my house will look much like it did today, and things will get accomplished. I am finding God will give you the strength you need for that day, and that day alone. I have given up expecting a weeks worth of strength, and focus only on what I need for this day.
Today is taken care of. I needed more strength than I thought I would, but right when I needed it, it was there for me. HE was there for me. When I am weak, my God is strong for me.
Thank you God, that You are my strength.

Home School

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Maidens

Friday's are a lax school day here. It is set aside for catching up (sick days, etc.), field trips, tests, and it is the day when we do our Maiden's of Virtue study. This morning the girls and I talked about preparing to be homemakers. It was a fun time. We are excited to start Hope Chests for each of them.

After our shorter school time on Friday's, they enjoy a movie time. Charlotte crochets....she is working on washcloths for Christmas gifts....Anya is working on a whole cloth quilt for her niece, and Alphia curled up in Zach's quilt....Zach is in the background on the couch. Friday's he pretty much has off, unless he needs to catch up or take a test.
I truly enjoy these girls, which surprises me some. I am so comfortable with boys, having raised 2 of them, but the time on Friday's with these girls has been very special to me.
I was able to pull all the basting threads out of the Basket Case while they started their movie.The fabric for the binding is in the dryer as I type this and I will make it and attach it to the front of the quilt this afternoon. Having a solid backing helped to make sure all the basting threads were pulled.... Plus, I just love the back of a quilt!!!
I ran into Acorn Quilts yesterday and grabbed some American Jane fabrics to replace the boo-boo I made a few weeks ago. I will add a bright marigold yellow with these and it should be a beauty!My hoop was not empty for long. Within an hour of finishing the quilting on the basket quilt, I had a little quilt top basted and in the hoop. I love this little quilt.It should quilt up very quickly and then I have several others ready to baste. I think I will be in good shape this Christmas!!
I better scoot and see how that movie is going! They are all so quiet down there!!!
Be Blessed!
Bren

School Daze

I love red!! My neighbor, Cindy, brought me a gorgeous bouquet of red flowers. They include roses, zinnias, carnations, and daisy's.....All beautiful and red! My poor sunflowers are not as cheerful looking.....They look so sad. Well, the weather is cool here though the sun has been shining full throttle for days! Beautiful weather. The kids have been working hard at school. Charlotte has difficulty focusing on her own work, so she does her math at a side table in the dining room (where we home school this year)Anya is doing WONDERFUL, as is Alphia. Yesterday was Anya's day here and Alphia home schooled at her house with her mom (my neighbor and friend, Cindy)
Zach follows me wherever I go. If I go to the kitchen, he brings his book and comes along.... They have been enjoying afternoon read aloud. We are reading "Miracle at Camp Friendship" and studying the book of Romans.On Friday mornings, the 3 girls and I are doing "Raising Maidens of Virtue" as a study and they are creating scrapbooks as we go. The 2 girls go on vacation for 2 weeks starting tomorrow, and when they return we will add history through living books to our afternoons, and spelling to our mornings.
The Basket Case has had lots of attention. While the kids do their school work, I sit with them and hand quilt. I have reached the outer edges!!

I am looking forward to a quiet weekend. More hand quilting and maybe a little machine time....we'll see. Have a blessed weekend and don't forget to give some of your day to Him.

Cotton Gag-Me Pink

I have a deadline. A BIG ONE!!! In 100 days I need to have this completely done PLUS several table toppers completed! So why am I not pounding away on the Basket Case??? Over the last year, I have worked on several quilts. Most were baby quilts, one was a lap quilt. All were hand quilted (except the one done as a joint effort with Coleen). First was the hand applique, hand quilted, SBS for Emerson...... I loved making this quilt.Then the Star Sampler for my sister....all colors I love, so it was not a stretch for me.Then I jumped right on the Peter Rabbit challenge at Easter time. LOTS of pink and lavender, yellows, and baby blues....All the while I was still working on the pink and brown quilt....the never ending albatross that will one day be my best work.Then the baby quilt with all those leftover pastels....by now I am gagging.And of course the Basket Case is all pastels.....
I feel like I have overdosed on cotton candy this year! So why am I not pounding away on the baskets???? Why am I making trees????
Trees that do not have a deadline, or a hint of cotton gag-me pink in them???......
Trees that take f-o-r-e-v-e-r to make.......
Why do I want to spend my hours making 12 more trees when I have a deadline to meet??? I have no answer. I do know I have to be stopped!!! I need to put down my rotary cutter and step away from the trees!

I plan to make a list of quilting goals and do a challenge with my friend Sue. She is a great one to keep me accountable. She has her list done through Dec 2010....not sure if I will go that far. With all I have going, maybe I will need to!! I do know the trees will be on that list!

Tomorrow school starts.

The kids are excited to start a new year. It will be a fun day....the 4 of them will be here and we will go over schedules and what will be required of each child. Anya and Alphia will only be here part time and will be doing school at home part time. We will do no actual school work except Bible, where we will learn the author of the book of Romans, the reason it was written and some background to help us understand it better. After that we will be taking a trip to the Borders Bookstore where each child will chose a book to read at home. They are required to spend 20 minutes or more each day reading outside of school. Charlotte will do much more, but the other kids I am not sure of.

I guess I better go do some dinner prep and then grab that quilting needle....I am pretty sure I am on a pink basket......

The Final Week.....

My phone rang bright and early this morning. It was Alphia (the little girl down the street who will be joining us this year).

"Miss Brenda, does school start today?"

"No, Alphia. It starts next Tuesday."

The disappointment was thick!!! She wanted to come down and start school right then and there! I am not as anxious as Alphia to start school. I am prepared. I am organized. I am totally ready to begin this school year.....still, I will relish this final week to sew and quilt whenever my heart desires!

Yesterday was our church picnic. What a fun time it was. Sweetheart has had an awful cold and, though he attended the outside service, I took him home afterwards as he seemed miserable. He tried. It was a nice time for the kids. Here is a problem.....I have NO idea how to handle it. Charlotte likes boys. Yes, I know that is normal. Yes, she is a cutie-pie and the boys will like her too. Yesterday, she was glued to a boy and he was glued to her. No playing with the other children AT ALL. Just the two of them talking and visiting (no touching of any kind). I went looking for them several times. Once I called Charlotte over to me and asked what was going on....Why was she not playing with her best friend Gracie??? Jimmy was showing her what milk weed is. He was giving her lessons on different plants and they shared their dessert in the alcove of the ministry house. PLUS, she was acting much more grown up than usual! I think she had her pinky finger extended the whole time she ate her cupcake....which, by the way, she ate in little delicate bites. Not her usual devouring of the sugar! OH MY! I am not ready for this at all and need to formulate a plan of attack for the next time. Blessedly, Jimmy attends first service and Charlotte attends second service, so they are rarely together, though they attended camp at the same time and I have heard "stories"...nothing bad, but there was some "Charlotte and Jimmy, sittin in a tree" singing going on amongst the other campers!!! She is 12. Only 12 and too young for the boy thing already. God, give me wisdom.

This week is a "do what ever I want week". Sounds very selfish, eh? That's ok. I plan to do some deep cleaning and get my laundry all caught up. I will pull my HMB back out and get my schedules in order. I rarely ever look at my binder as I have it all memorized. I know what needs to be done each day by heart, though with school starting I need to get my days planned out in a more structured fashion.

Some time in my sewing room will happen this week too. After next week, the weekends will be the only time I will have to spend there. Hand quilting will still have it's place during the week, but sewing room time will be more limited.I am loving those fall colors. Today I will be making some trees.A forest full!!!!!

This first week of September will be relaxed and laid back, cause next week it all changes!

Have a blessed Monday!!!!

Planning

It has been a full day, as it should be! Bread went into the oven. I mixed 1 cup of whole wheat into the 3 cups of white flour for these loaves. I hope they turn out. They are still rising in the above picture. They do smell heavenly, so if they taste as good as they look and smell, I will be pleased! I finished the baby quilt....it is your turn Coleen!!! Not a very pretty quilt, but some nice texture will make a huge difference! Zach found a strip left over and became a Ninja!! I love boys!I spent a good part of the day organizing the up coming school year. I will be homeschooling my neighbor's 2 girls, Anya and Alphia, along with my own. It will be part time...Monday and Wednesday I will have Alphia, and Tuesday and Thursday I will have Anya. Friday they will both be here for a more laid back day. Our curriculum is varied.

Math is Horizons....they are all at different levels and will do this M-F.

Science, Social Studies, and English are PACE's. Zach and Alphia are at the same level and Charlotte and Anya work at the same level....that makes it easy. These are done on M-Th.

Spelling will be Spelling Power (also M-Th).

I will be using Living Books for History....United States and Capitals on Monday and Wednesday, and U.S. Presidents on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Mystery of History will be added later in the year, as will a handwriting program.

Bible will be an indepth study of the book of Romans and will be done M-F.

Daily read aloud (fiction literature) and reading at home will be assigned.

Fridays will be a nice day...math and Bible, but then we will be doing some cooking, needle work, art projects, or field trips....whatever is planned.....and the 3 girls will be doing the Maidens of Virtue book while making a scrap book. On the days Anya and Alphia are home, their Mom will be working with them on the lessons I have planned out. Each child has a weekly card telling them what needs to be done in each subject. I put together our yearly file box which stores the books and papers for the year. One is being put together for Anya and Alphia also. School will be 9-11:30 or 12, and then the girls go home for lunch and come back for an hour or two in the afternoon.Charlotte and Zach cleaned out their school buckets and have them ready for new supplies.....ahhhhh the smell of brand new crayolas!!

To see what other homeschoolers are planning, visit HsKubes Haven at Home.

I have not touched the basket quilt in a full day. Tonight I will get back at it. I am almost finished with block #3! It's one of my favorites in the whole quilt, so I am enjoying it.
Now I need to go figure out something wonderful to fix with that homemade bread. It is dinner time!!!