Tending the Eclectic Kinder-Garden

…but welcome just the same! Rain- that wonderful stuff that helps the grass and flowers grow- is appreciated here this weekend. Not for the foliage though- for the DIRT. Steady rain keeps the sand, grit, and dust out of our eyes when the wind picks up, and friends, the wind blows hard enough here to make the desert dirt an incredibly painful exfoliant!

This weather makes for a great BAKING day!

Cookies and pecan nummies for friends and neighbors:

…with some quick crochet while each batch bakes in the oven:

The squares will be for a new afghan, while the scarf was made with left over baby yarn…I was trying out a new design, one that leaves an opening in the scarf to pull the tail through after you’ve wrapped it around your neck a few times…I like the design.  I don’t like the scarf in this baby yarn.  Winter time will probably see me making more with some softer, prettier yarn.

Cookies are done!  Now to make oatmeal raisin!

Tags: crafts, photos

Though it’s a bit of a murky Monday, today has still been rather productive. Laundry is just about done, the kitchen is clean, February decor is up (photos on a sunnier day), and one baby blanket is on its way to its new owner.

I still need to make “thank you” cookies for my daughter’s friend today. With her help during the “ball experiment,” our girl managed to produce a science report that has earned a presentation slot at the district Science Fair held on the college campus here in town. Yay! Internet Hoax Cookies will work wonderfully, remember those? If you haven’t tried the recipe, file it away for a rainy day- it is actually *quite* good!

Don’t forget Show and Share Thursday this week- if you have a collection, idea, recipe or blog posting from your own site that you’d like to share, send it to me by Wednesday evening via comments or directly at michaelek1(at)yahoo(dot)com and I’ll include your submission with my own posting.

Hope your week has gotten off to a great start! Cookie time!

Tags: cookies, weather

Today I’m tying up loose ends: finishing up the latest baby afghan (pink!), finding a nice “rule” font for the plain notecards I decided to dress up with patterned paper and stickers (”embellish” is too-grand a term for what I do, Queen Scrapbooker/Mixed Media Artist I am *NOT*), packaging up giveaway books in preparation for mailing on Monday morning (check Kindergarten’s 3 R’s to see how to enter), and taking Daughter back to the dentist to re-repair a chipped tooth. All this while my husband prepares for his latest hunting trip (which any military spouse will tell you is like a mini-TDY, so the house will finally be CLEAN!) and I try to decide what Valentiney-type of craft to busy myself with this weekend.

This afghan brings my baby-stash up to eight:

These are the cards that despite my lack of embellishment know-how still look more appealing with the little work I DID do to them:

And here are the giveaway books, nestled in and ready to move to their new home where I’m sure they’ll be shared and enjoyed:

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Some sites to share with you:

Alicia Paulson of Posie Gets Cozy now has a site all about HER up and running now, and has some very cute crochet patterns (available for purchase and download) that I’ll have to take a closer look at now that I’m wanting to take a short break from afghans.

Songs for Teaching has a list of songs for Valentine activities for February. Some of the songs have sound file samples you can listen to- my favorites are “Valentine’s Song” by Hap Palmer and “Valentine, Valentine” by Denise Gagne. Head back to the home page and you’ll find recommended songs for academic subjects, holidays, etc.

Though I’ve never been a Room Mother myself, Parents.com has some wonderful Valentine Treat recipes that have me looking forward to the time when the toddler has his first kindergarten class party several years down the road- I can hear the oohs and ahhs already!
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Remember, if you have a craft, recipe, photo, or idea to share as a teacher, blogger, crafter, parent, or military spouse, feel free to email me at michaelek1(at)yahoo(dot)com by each Wednesday of the week so I can add them to Show and Share Thursday- yep, I’m happy to link back to you!

Tags: cards, giveaway, links, Show and Share

I’ve been busy (they’re blankies, not hankies), but not as busy as the recipients will soon be! Though I’m thankfully not a grannie yet, I do enjoy crocheting the basic granny square.

And the next blankie-to-be?

Tags: crochet

* Pillowfighting with two-year-olds each morning. One particular child, in fact! Concept to remember: While participating in a pillow fight with a young child, watch out, because things like toy buses, toy trucks, and board books *might* accompany the down-filled THWAK that you’re expecting! Ouch! My eye!

* The wide world of Blogging. I have this blog, my MySpace page, and I’m now participating in some sort of “wiki” addressing technology in education. My first entry was HUGE. Wordy. Something to produce eye strain. Sigh. And I’ve been “tagged” and had my page “linked” to others. Concept to remember: never stop learning. I’m looking up blog definitions daily since I’m a late bloomer. Why is commenting good for bloggers? Thanks to Chris Garrett, the author- hope I’m learning how to link appropriately!

* Stress relief and hobby time. With so many friends pregnant (found out about another one yesterday!), I’ve had the perfect reason to crochet my little heart out! With concerns over employment, the realization my babies are growing up (eldest son turned seventeen two days ago), and wondering where Uncle Sam will send us next, I again have the perfect reasons to crochet. So I’ve found some fun patterns in books and online, but the basic granny square is still my favorite. Concept to remember: self-care is a good idea as is letting one’s creative juices….crochet! Here’s the latest blankie:* Creating a homeschool curriculum. Yep, after the nightmare that was my youngest nephew’s kindergarten experience, my sister has decided to homeschool him. I’ll be digging through my classroom materials, manipulatives, and book lists to share with her to get the little guy feeling better and on track. I’m guessing he’ll enjoy Zoo Phonics, a program I’ve used with almost all of my kindergarten classes after Diane introduced it to me years ago! Concept to remember: sharing is good, and so is knowing when to ask for help.

Now all I need to do is figure out the best way to win the lottery! If a Wiccan teacher can do it, then so can I!