Weekly Report -- Dec. 5

What a week. Monday we were recovering from Thanksgiving and Oireachtas, and putting up Christmas decorations. We had Scouts this week, which typically ends up taking up taking the entire day as we prepare for the meeting. And I caught a cold and spent large amounts of time staring into space while blowing my nose.

Here's what we DID accomplish:

Math -- Thalia continued in Life of Fred Algebra 1. When she gets to a stopping place we'll start watching a Teaching Company DVD of Algebra 1 for a change of pace. AnnaBeth completed 2 lessons of RightStart D, both of which dealt with money as fractions.


English -- AnnaBeth started memorizing Emily Dickinson's A Slash of Blue, which is a poem she doesn't like. She worked on a couple of lessons of First Language Lessons Level 3. We'e decided to slow down our pace in FLL since we're going to be done with it soon. We skipped Writing With Ease. Thalia skipped Lightning Lit.

Other languages -- Thalia worked on making and using flashcards for Latin and Spanish. AnnaBeth finished Ecoutez et Parlez.



Action shot of AnnaBeth's French. This is how homeschool looks -- you do French at the kitchen table while eating snacks and dressed in kitty-cat ears and a black floor-length gown trimmed with white feather boa.

Read alouds -- We started In the Land of the Big Red Apple as we continue to move through Little House Books, Rose Years. And, of course, we read stories about St. Nicholas. We also fit in a bit of The Phoenix and the Carpet by E. Nesbit. Rick started reading some of our Christmas books as night time read alouds.

We also had piano lessons and swimming lessons (woohoo -- AnnaBeth was promoted to the next level at the Y!). We cut back drastically on dance lessons as we're taking a wee bit of a break for December.

Some Finished Products

Cookie box SWAPs that AnnaBeth made for her Brownie troop:



She also made some without the pins for her Kelly dolls to sell to the Barbies and Kens.

Thalia ended up making both a Chibi Kitty (with gold thread to use for hanging on a Christmas tree)


and another kitty softie


I think the 2nd kitty softie will be used as her gift for her Cadette troop gift exchange.

As for me, I'm still waiting to reclaim my sewing machine. I asked Thalia if she'd like her own machine for Christmas, hint hint.

Work in Progress Wednesday

It's time to take a look at the projects we're working on and there's not a lace collar in sight! Hallalujeh!

I took my Basic Chic Hoodie along on our Thanksgiving trip, along with several skeins of yarn and a couple of sets of double point needles. Too bad I didn't take the size 6 circular needle I needed for the bottom ribbing.



What to do on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving when you're 5 hours away from your size 6 circular and you're facing a long weekend? You use the set of 5 size 6 double point needles that you did bring along. And you are incredibly frustrated because that particular set is plastic and uber-slippery, and all the stitches keep falling off. And it takes forever to get through the ribbing since you're constantly having to pick up stitches.

But eventually the ribbing was done, and I moved on to the sleeve. Ironic that I had a nice, non-slippery set of double points for the smaller circumference of the sleeve. Ah well. I am so happy to be knitting this sweater instead of crocheting lace collars that this is a minor issue.

In the meantime, Thalia has a gift exchange with her Cadette troop. They are to exchange something handmade. Thalia chose to make a cat.



It will be dressed in the red fabric. The pattern is from Cherryskin, which I found via this page of links. The black fabric is leftover from a pair of capris I made last summer, the red fabric was found in a box of fabric someone (Mom or my sister Elaine, I don't remember which) gave us. I think it's adorable. AnnaBeth hopes Thalia will make another one for her for Christmas. Thalia, on the other hand, isn't quite so sure ... she says she may make a Chibi Kitty like the Chibi Bunnies she made last week (those patterns all came from My Little Mochi, by the way).

I hope she decides soon, since the Girl Scout party is tomorrow afternoon.

AnnaBeth's Brownie troop is exchanging SWAPs for their Christmas party. We were surfing the internet for SWAP ideas, and happened across this collection of SWAPs. And AnnaBeth adored the little cookie boxes (you'll find them if you scroll through the thumbnails) One of the links given for the boxes doesn't work, by the way, but the other will give you a Word document with slightly fuzzy cookie boxes ready to print out on cardstock, cut out

and assemble.


I think she's putting packing tape around them. Really, I don't know. I can tell you that she's working on them right now, and taking dozens upon dozens of pictures of them as she works (she wants her own digital camera for Christmas, although Thalia advised her to ask for toys while she was still young enough to enjoy them ... although AnnaBeth retorted that she will still play with toys when she's an adult). We need to go get some flatback pins to glue on these.

And I need to get to work on making several Christmas gifts!

That Holiday Meme That's Going Around

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?

Both. But mostly wrapping paper.

2. Real tree or Artificial?

Last year we had a real tree for the first time in years. I got a rash putting it up, and was totally stuffed up when I was in the room with it. This year we're back to artificial, and plan to stay that way.

3. When do you put up the tree?

As soon as possible after Thanksgiving.



This year that was yesterday, which was Monday.



4. When do you take the tree down?

Umm, sometime after Christmas. It sort of falls into the category of "when we get around to it."

5. Do you like eggnog?

The kids love Silk Nog. I'll drink a little, but it's not really my big thing.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?

Oh, there were so many cool presents! None really stand out in my mind as "favorite".

7. Hardest person to buy for?

Pretty much everyone. I don't like shopping. I especially don't like shopping for other people. Especially when there are expectations attached, like that I'm somehow demonstrating my love for them via the item I purchase. That seems so twisted to me, and I get all cranky then and don't want to buy anything.


8. Easiest person to buy for?

My parents. They don't want presents, so we donate to one of their favorite charities. Then we get them something small in one of the following categories: food, clothing, or homemade.

9. Do you have a nativity scene?

Multiple! AnnaBeth is so excited when we get out the Main Set, which is Fontanini. It's like a set of dolls that we only play with at Christmas.



Then we have a set that we put up bit by bit while reading daily stories from a book, The Light in the Lantern by Georg Dreissig. And another Celtic set that Aunt Donna gave us. And a little plastic set from when AnnaBeth was quite little and Thalia didn't want her messing with the Fontanini ... but we don't use that one much anymore.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?

Mail. And the cards are handmade. And the notes inside are hand written, personal notes to that specific individual or family.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?

As an adult or a child? When I was little I apparently burst into tears when my grandma gave me clothing for Christmas, much to the embarrassment of my mother. When I was an adult I got a knick knack that still had a "Happy Birthday to ..." card in the box; the card was addressed to the person who gave me the gift.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?

When I notice things that seem appropriate, which might be in January, and might be Dec. 24th.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?

No. Unless you count giving them to the Goodwill.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?

The butter cookies we make on Christmas Eve.

16. What decorations are on your tree?

Homemade, ornaments people have given us, interesting things we've found through the years ...


and this year we seem to have added a black cat.

17. Favorite Christmas song?

Wow, I know dozens and dozens, and sing them all. I especially like things in minor keys, like Lully Lullay Thou Little Tiny Child or Pat-a-pat-a-pan.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home?

Travel on a non-Christmas weekend, stay home on Christmas. The kids insist that we are home all day and they wear their jammies all day.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?

No. It's not something I've ever felt a need to know.

20. Angel on top of tree or star?

Currently nothing. The angel fell off. We used to use a bird. We need to come up with something else. Or not. Maybe the cat will make it up that high.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

Both. Aunts and uncles on Christmas Eve, Santa and family Christmas morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?

People who expect you to do anything other than Get Ready For Christmas. People who do things like Algebra and Latin in December are overachievers.

23. What theme or color are you using when you decorate?

Our theme is Stuff We Like. Overall, I think themed Christmases are devoid of personality and fairly silly.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?

Something that involves poultry that we can leave on the table while we go play with presents ... then come back later and realize that much of the poultry is gone and the cats don't seem to care if we feed them. Not that things like that ever happen around here.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?

So many people are without homes, and I'm concerned that the problem is going to get worse in the coming months. I'd love to have a way to give them all food, shelter, and a sense of belonging.

When we were in Columbus this weekend I kept thinking about how we were all spending thousands of dollars on dresses, wigs, and makeup for our kids at the Oireachtas while there were other children in that very city who don't even have a home to live in; I really question our priorities regarding that. I'd rather have our kids compete at Oireachtas in t-shirts and shorts, and donate the money saved to feed the children in the hosting city. Wouldn't that be cool?

Life on the Other Side

We are now on the Other Side of Oireachtas -- it's over, we've survived, and are ready to move forward.

During Oireachtas I had fun, I had a terrible time, I was frazzled, I was exhausted, I laughed hard, I nearly cried, I felt like walloping someone upside the head -- all the usual stuff. I think it was the same for everyone else, too. The volunteers who ran things were wonderful, people attending were generally nice, some people were not making the best decisions, some people needed to be walloped upside the head -- the usual crowd.

We left for the long weekend on Wednesday morning, arriving at Grandma and Grandpa's in the late afternoon. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving -- the food was great, the mood was relaxing. We flipped on the television and stumbled across a Bob Newhart marathon on Thursday night; and introduced Thalia and AnnaBeth to the wonders of Larry, his brother Daryl, and his other brother Daryl. Wow, I haven't seen that show for years and years -- funny stuff.

Also, Thalia finished the bunnies for her team:



Each is holding a shamrock for good luck. She tied a gold cord around each neck to attach a card. I think they turned out pretty cute, and that she is thoroughly sick of sewing bunnies. Pattern from My Little Mochi.

Friday morning we repacked the car and took off for Columbus. It was a sunny day and a relatively quick trip. We passed a couple of other vans from our dance school on the way -- I wish we had painted some "Go Team!" signs on our car windows. We arrived in plenty of time, checked into our hotel, a Holiday Inn about a mile from the Oireachtas (this place was fairly plain, but great -- they provided a free shuttle to the Oireachtas, the room was HUGE, the parking was inexpensive and the whole thing was FREE with our Holiday Inn points -- we will stay there again if we attend anything in downtown Columbus, since it was a super, super experience). Teams met for practice and we dispersed to get something to eat. Thalia's team all went out to a restaurant together, but we bowed out of that since we had 2 kids, one of whom is pretty young, to get ready for the next day (shoes polished, legs tanned with tanner, everything laid out for the next day).

And Saturday started EARLY -- we arrived at the practice room at 6 a.m. to start putting on Thalia's wig. One other team mate was there, and others trickled in gradually, some looking very, very tired (I'm thinking we made the right call in skipping the restaurant). Makeup was applied via assembly line, leg makeup was applied and checked, socks glued into place at the correct height, all shoes tied the same way -- this all took nearly 2 hours. Their competition started at 8 a.m. I missed seeing them, since by that time I needed to help AnnaBeth ready for her competition ... wig put on, makeup, leg makeup, socks glued to legs (all at the same height on all 8 girls). We realized that AnnaBeth's wig looked drastically different than everyone else's, our team captain grabbed an extra one from someone on another team and we accomplished a presto-change-o (funny moment as we're struggling to get the original wig off of her quickly in spite of the hundreds of bobby pins I'd put in it -- the other mom calmly saying, "Gee, you did a really good job of pinning this to her head, Gail," and I started laughing about the positive spin she was putting on the situation). Final run-through of the dance, then walked them over to their competition stage. Let me pause here to comment that the practice room was in the Hyatt, and the Oireachtas stages were up the stairs, across the concourse, down the escalator and in the Convention Center -- I walked miles and miles on that pathway going back and forth on Saturday. I had a chance to watch AnnaBeth's team compete, then ran off to find Thalia to get her ready for her Traditional Set competition (an individual dance). I watched Thalia, then tried to find AnnaBeth, who had disappeared. I eventually found her with one of the moms.

Reunited, our family all went to lunch, then I took AnnaBeth to her solos practice. During the practice Rick went back to the Holiday Inn for a break, and Thalia and I checked results -- she had RECALLED! That means that she scored in the upper 50% of the 75 dancers in that competition. AnnaBeth's team had also Recalled! Exciting stuff!

The awards ceremony started around 3p.m.. Each competition was called, and everyone who Recalled received a medal. AnnaBeth's team ended up being in fifth place! Woohoo!



(Thalia's competition recall.)

Pictures were taken, and we dispersed for the evening.

We decided to get far from the Oireachtas crowd, since we really, really needed a break at this point. We headed to a Ruby Tuesdays south of town. We were seated, and Rick and I decided to take turns going to the salad bar. I went first, and as I was walking towards it saw a familiar face -- my aunt! I hadn't seen her since ... well, since the last time someone died and we all went to the funeral. She and her friend live in Dayton, and were on their way home after visiting Akron. They had just happened to stop in the exact same restaurant and happened to sit in the same section ... if she and her friend had switched seats I probably wouldn't have recognized them, given that I was so tired at this point Obama could've been in the restaurant and I wouldn't have noticed that he looked familiar. Truly one of the coolest things that happened all weekend.

Back in the hotel, shoes polished for the next morning, we tumbled into bed. The directions we had been given for the next day: be in the practice room by 7 a.m. with wig on and makeup on for AnnaBeth's solo competitions starting at 8 a.m. So, up early again the next morning (by the way, Columbus is in a different time zone than we are -- it's Eastern and we're Central -- so all of this felt even earlier to us). Wig on, amid protests that "Mrs. Nolan does a better job -- she doesn't hurt my head so much." Would you like me to call Mrs. Nolan at 6 a.m. and ask if she could come over here? Arrived at practice room, ran through dances, told another mom that I'm so exhausted that I feel like I'm in a cult indoctrination. She replied that resistance is futile, and that I will be assimilated -- soon I will be willing to shell out hundreds of dollars on solo dresses and wigs for my children without question -- the Oireachtas experience is the tipping point. Snicker snicker snort. (Okay, probably not funny to a lot of people, but I thought it was hilarious.)

Up the stairs, across the concourse, down the escalator, find stage D, put on the solo dress we're borrowing (very, very cute, and she'll outgrow it by Christmas so we're borrowing instead of buying), and AnnaBeth is up on stage for Treble Jig, danced 3 at a time to get through the 90 dancers competing. Then trek over to stage B and dance the reel. Finish reel, back to practice room, take off dress, change into quasi-normal clothes (but retain wig in case of recall), go get something to eat since we had skipped breakfast. After lunch wait around for results. AnnaBeth didn't recall (if you recall in solos you dance another dance to decide your final placement in regards to first place, second place, etc.). Others are bursting into tears, AnnaBeth simply said, "good, then I can take off this stupid wig,"





and went to change clothes. We pack up and zoom out -- Rick and Thalia had the car loaded and ready to go, just waiting to see how long we needed to stay based on how AnnaBeth did in her competition.

Heading back to St. Louis, the kids quickly conked out in back seat of the car. We passed a van with "Go Trinity" painted on the windows, and I thought about the downside of painting those things on -- it looks sort of forlorn, then, as you leave, especially if your team doesn't win (although Trinity always wins, so those people are safe). We put Christmas CDs in the player, and I thought about how appropriate this feels to be crammed into a packed car on a long trip listening to Christmas CDs -- for years this is how we've spent Thanksgiving, but we haven't had to travel over the holiday since we moved to St. Louis. Listening to that Amy Grant CD in our family room just isn't the same as being squeezed into a car for 7 hours while knitting. Now it really does feel like Christmas!

Channeling Project Runway

We're leaving for Oireachtas tomorrow (well, Oireachtas by way of Grandma's house for Thanksgiving), and I'm trying to throw together 2 dress covers. And I've never sewn a dress cover, and don't have a pattern.

One done, in fabric to match the dress bag (gosh, it would've been convenient if I'd known we were going to make something else out of this so I would've purchased an appropriate amount at the time).



I wish I had more of the pink binding to go around the sleeves. And I wish I had time to sew it to the neck better, but that's not currently an option. For that matter, I wish I'd designed the front panel a differently, to give it more swing when it's worn over the dress, but I think I might be overthinking this -- it's supposed to be simply a bathrobe-type garment to protect the dress, not a fashion statement in its own right.



I took inspiration from an Ottobre pattern -- the double-breasted coats in issue 6/2008. I love the seams down the front, although they're swallowed up in the busy-ness of this fabric. Okay, yeah, Project Runway contestants don't get to crib from Ottobre, but they don't have to interrupt their sewing to go get their Girl Scout troop's Fall Product order, or clean out all of the litter boxes before they leave on a trip, or take a kid to the orthodontist to pick up retainers, so it all evens out.

Please, Mr./Ms. Oireachtas Judge,

Do I hafta wear white poodle socks to compete?

Because my friend just gave me these really cool blue tie-dyed socks



and I want to wear them every single day forever and ever.

Along with my cool new team t-shirt (that has a picture of the entire team) and my team necklace.

And I promise to turn out my back foot better next time. Honest. But mostly I was trying to show off the socks in this picture.