Fabric Sharks in Progress
We're coming up on one of my favorite times of the year. This year will be kinda different: since we moved to the tropics it doesn't quite seem right without snow (or at least cold weather). We're also still kinda living out of suitcases as we hang out with my in-laws while we wait for our apartment to be ready. I have started a couple of projects for under the tree, and this one above is one I started working on yesterday.
These will be four stuffed fabric sharks. I got the free pattern from this site. You probably can't tell that there are four in progress in this pic. The far upper right is one where the top and bottom has been sewn together, save the tail end which I'm leaving open for stuffing. The bottom right is a stack of three more bottoms, and the bottom left is a pile of three more tops. In the middle-ish are the four fins, sewn together and waiting to be sewn into the tops and then stuffed.
I have also received an order from ClicketyClack on etsy again this year. This time, I ordered a set of the Stonehenge blocks (I special-ordered 8 arches, instead of only 5, with additional top pieces). My husband will help me paint them gray. I also ordered some bushes from ClicketyClack, which I'll paint in shades of green.
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In other news, did I mention we're still staying with my in-laws? Can you sense the crazy coming through these typed words? It's been a challenging two months living with them, to be sure. There have been downright blow-outs, and issues galore, but at the end of the day we try to remember that they have given us a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, and a relatively safe space to be in. It can be hard to find gratitude when dealing with difficult people.
It's certainly been an adventure acclimating to our new locale. For the most part, people have been pretty welcoming and helpful. Naturally, there will always be people who either don't care for "foreigners", or they simply aren't terribly friendly to begin with (and it's in those times that I remind myself that their attitude is probably nothing personal).
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As I noted in a previous post, we have already started in with homeschooling. Things are going pretty smoothly! We "do school" about 3 days a week, with a 4th reserved for field trips/homeschool group activities, and the 5th is completely child-led and a free-form day for the kids to explore whatever it is they want to do and learn. This is working pretty well for us. I've already started exploring our options for next year. Since DS8 is doing so well with the video lessons that come with Math U See, I'm considering Essentials in Writing video lessons. Since my son has challenges with writing, I'll start him out with level 1.
We'll still use the journal that we've been using this year, but instead of using it for three subjects (language arts, social studies/history, science) we may just use it for the latter two, since Essentials in Writing will likely be about as much as he'll be able to handle. I guess we'll see how it goes. The fact he'll be journaling in the other two subjects means he will automatically still be getting in writing practice, so why add in more work than necessary? I have zero interest in just giving him "busy work". I have never seen the point in that.
For those of you who celebrate, have you started your holiday shopping and/or gift-making yet?
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