sixth quilt

Here is the baby quilt I finished on Sunday.  My sister helped me pick out the fabric a couple months ago.  My goal was to make a baby quilt for a boy, and I think that it works well.  Nothing like the approach of the end of the year to get a project done.  This is one of six quilts I completed in 2013.

Happy New Year!

One-Dog Sleigh

One-Dog Sleigh by Mary Casanova is a new book I stumbled across at the library.  This winter story is a companion to One-Dog Canoe and perfect for sharing with children this time of year.  A girl and her dog decide to go on a sleigh ride.  As they are out and about, other animals decide to join them on their ride despite the protest of the girl.  First, the squirrel joins them.  Then an owl, a lynx, a dear, a bear, and a mouse join the group.  If you know of children who like snow and animals, this is a great book to share with them. 

what I am learning

What I am learning....

1. I am learning how to play the piano.   I have never taken any kind of music lessons before.  So far it doesn't seem hard and I am learning to read music.  It is also a good reminder to me how children might find learning certain things more challenging than I realize.

2.  Thankfulness is good for you.  Being thankful doesn't come easy for me.  Each day I have been writing down something to be thankful for, and some days it is a stretch.  It is getting easier, and it seems to keep me in a better frame of mind.  I may continue this project beyond the month of November.

3.  Living in the same small community for a number of years really is a good thing.  Twice in the last week I have had people check up on me because they wanted to make sure I was okay.  One friend had not been able to get a hold of me by phone and the other had not seen me at work.  It is nice to know there are people looking out for me.

What are you learning?

Little Red Writing

Little Red Writing written by Joan Holub and illustrated by Melissa Sweet is a new picture book that I look forward to sharing with my students.  Little Red's teacher, Ms. 2, gives her class of pencils a set of words and the assignment to write a story.  Little Red sets out uncertain what to write about.  She soon encounters a strange noise and discovers it is coming from Wolf, the pencil sharpener.  If you and your children like new versions of well known fairy tales, this would be a book to look for at your library.  If you teach children writing, you might also find it helpful as a springboard for a lesson on writing a good story.

thankfulness

November is coming, and this year I am trying to be intentional about being thankful during the entire month of November.  I am encouraging my family and friends to be thankful, too.  For this endeavor, I made a bunch of blank books with 32 pages each.  If you want to make your own book, see this post).  Each person got a blank book.  Our goal is to write at least one thing we are thankful for each day of the month.  The pages are large enough to add a picture for each day as well.   By Thanksgiving we should each have 28 or more things to be thankful for, and more grateful hearts.

Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do

Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do by Kathryn Heling and Deborah Hembrook is an engaging book for children.  Each page shows an illustration with clothes that would fit with a certain occupation.  There are several lines describing what it is that person does and uses at their job.  When you turn the page, there is a two page illustration which shows the person doing his or her job along with a simple sentence.  This story would be good to add to a preschooler's or kindergartener's book collection.