Friends, have a wonderful Thanksgiving today. My oldest daughter and I will be celebrating the day together with a yummy dinner near the beach. The other kids are with their father this year, and while I miss them I'm happy to report that I've already talked to them on the phone this morning and they're having a good time.
If you're brave enough to go out Black Friday shopping I wish you good luck getting those deals. And if you, like my daughter, works retail this weekend I offer you prayers of patience and sanity.
If you're brave enough to go out Black Friday shopping I wish you good luck getting those deals. And if you, like my daughter, works retail this weekend I offer you prayers of patience and sanity.
Sometimes, simple is "just right" and this quilt is one of those sometimes.
Patchwork quilts may not be the most challenging to make but they sure are fun and appealing to the eye. While I love a good intricate quilt I find the ease of patchwork soothing.
I wanted to showcase the beautiful prints in the quilt, while still creating a lovely quilt suitable for a new baby or a toddler.
The colors are bright and cheery, but by combining enough of them they balance each other very well. I love the variety of prints, some larger scale and some small scale, mixed with the light pink, bright pink, and red solids.
The squares began as 6" each, larger than I normally use for a patchwork quilt, but the right size to give a good feel of the largest prints.
The quilting is done with straight lines and on each side of the "ditch", and is done in a sage green.
The backing fabric is a simple geometric print green cotton.
I started this quilt about 6 short months ago. Since then it has been patiently waiting for me to finish the binding and get around to taking pictures of it.
In the meantime I put together a wonderful memory quilt for an Eagle Scout, which, in my hurry to get it to it's owner, I took absolutely no pictures of (isn't that always the way?). Hopefully I'll be able to snap some at his upcoming Eagle ceremony.
This quilt will make it to the shop, eventually (thankfully, it's a very patient quilt).
Looking for a searchable feed reader (more similar to Google Reader)? Read on ...
I was with the majority who sadly mourned the passing of Google Reader.
Unfortunately, my favorite thing about Google Reader was that it had a search option, to search through the posts on my reader and I that option wasn't available on Feedly or any other similar program that I could find.
I used the search feature to get my shopping organized. When I was going to CVS I'd search through all the money saving blogs I follow for the best CVS deals, which coupons go with what sale, what's free this week and how to get it, etc. Same for Publix, Target, and anywhere else I was going or anything else I was looking for - this week we ran out of toothpaste, with Google Reader I'd have searched toothpaste, found the best deal, and headed out to buy it. If I were going to a store I never go to I'd run a search on my Google Reader for it and see if anything came up. That was my #1 money saving tool. Seriously. When Google Reader went bye-bye I was at a loss. I couldn't find a good alternative to the system I was using. Yes, I could google the store and deals and see what came up, but I'd be getting deals that weren't all current. Yes, I could go to just following one blog for this information, but I wouldn't be getting all the deals. Being a creature of habit, I was a bit lost. Beyond that, I'd use it to find a quilt or craft that caught my eye. I couldn't always remember exactly what it was that I liked but I'd remember enough key words to search and find it. Very helpful.
I tried a few readers and finally settled on Feedly, with no search feature. The layout was different which initially threw me for a loop, but now I've grown to like that part of it, but no search feature. The other day I noticed a new button on Feedly, a "Search Articles" option. It might be a slight exaggeration to say I did a cartwheel, but maybe in my mind I did one. I searched for "toothpaste" and one article came up, along with an option to upgrade to more services for $5 a month or $45 a year. The reality is that I'd probably save $45 a year by being able to search the way I used to BUT I didn't know how well this upgraded program would work for me so I was hesitant and did some google searching on it (plus I hate spending money if I can avoid doing so).
After reading plenty of articles I started reading the comments below the articles. Often, that's where you find the users of the products and what they really think of it, sometimes it's a better place to go than the actual articles themselves. And often the comments lead into discussions of other similar products.
Somewhere, in one of those comments, someone mentioned InoReader, and that it has a FREE search feature. I'd never heard of it before, but I checked it out. Sure enough, it has a search feature and it's free. Inoreader looks much more like Google Reader did and functions similarly. And it does search through the posts of the blogs I follow easily. It's slow; it loads slowly and it's a bit slow to refresh but I only check in once every day or two so that's fine with me. So far I've been thrilled with it and it's functionality (lots of mental cartwheels).
I'm not sure if InoReader is new to the market, or just a quiet addition, but it's worth checking out if you haven't found a Google Reader replacement that meets all your needs yet.
**No, this is not a review ... I was just too excited to have found this to not share it.
Have you found a great way to keep up on blogs and news feeds?
Completely irrelevant picture of Lucy, but she's cute and posts need pictures |
Unfortunately, my favorite thing about Google Reader was that it had a search option, to search through the posts on my reader and I that option wasn't available on Feedly or any other similar program that I could find.
I used the search feature to get my shopping organized. When I was going to CVS I'd search through all the money saving blogs I follow for the best CVS deals, which coupons go with what sale, what's free this week and how to get it, etc. Same for Publix, Target, and anywhere else I was going or anything else I was looking for - this week we ran out of toothpaste, with Google Reader I'd have searched toothpaste, found the best deal, and headed out to buy it. If I were going to a store I never go to I'd run a search on my Google Reader for it and see if anything came up. That was my #1 money saving tool. Seriously. When Google Reader went bye-bye I was at a loss. I couldn't find a good alternative to the system I was using. Yes, I could google the store and deals and see what came up, but I'd be getting deals that weren't all current. Yes, I could go to just following one blog for this information, but I wouldn't be getting all the deals. Being a creature of habit, I was a bit lost. Beyond that, I'd use it to find a quilt or craft that caught my eye. I couldn't always remember exactly what it was that I liked but I'd remember enough key words to search and find it. Very helpful.
I tried a few readers and finally settled on Feedly, with no search feature. The layout was different which initially threw me for a loop, but now I've grown to like that part of it, but no search feature. The other day I noticed a new button on Feedly, a "Search Articles" option. It might be a slight exaggeration to say I did a cartwheel, but maybe in my mind I did one. I searched for "toothpaste" and one article came up, along with an option to upgrade to more services for $5 a month or $45 a year. The reality is that I'd probably save $45 a year by being able to search the way I used to BUT I didn't know how well this upgraded program would work for me so I was hesitant and did some google searching on it (plus I hate spending money if I can avoid doing so).
After reading plenty of articles I started reading the comments below the articles. Often, that's where you find the users of the products and what they really think of it, sometimes it's a better place to go than the actual articles themselves. And often the comments lead into discussions of other similar products.
my homepage |
searching for toothpaste |
**No, this is not a review ... I was just too excited to have found this to not share it.
Have you found a great way to keep up on blogs and news feeds?
Our Little Miss Lucy.
Obviously, she's still with us. She was supposed to be a temporary visitor, but (as expected) she stole our hearts, every time she's picked up she immediately starts purring and settles right in ... who wouldn't fall in love with that?
She's a mess of a thing .. splotches of random mismatched color everywhere, even on the pads of her paws. Most of the time she's tearing through the house like a nutcase on a catnip overdose. She attacks Hippo at every turn, and then runs and hides when he looks at her (thankfully, he's a patient big brother), only to attack again a few seconds later.
She loves to chase the cursor on the monitor and she is confident that every piece of fabric in my hands is really just a toy for her. She has oodles of toys but is usually happiest with whatever scrap paper she finds on the ground.
And she snuggles. And loves. And gets lots of love in return. She's a keeper.
Obviously, she's still with us. She was supposed to be a temporary visitor, but (as expected) she stole our hearts, every time she's picked up she immediately starts purring and settles right in ... who wouldn't fall in love with that?
She's a mess of a thing .. splotches of random mismatched color everywhere, even on the pads of her paws. Most of the time she's tearing through the house like a nutcase on a catnip overdose. She attacks Hippo at every turn, and then runs and hides when he looks at her (thankfully, he's a patient big brother), only to attack again a few seconds later.
She loves to chase the cursor on the monitor and she is confident that every piece of fabric in my hands is really just a toy for her. She has oodles of toys but is usually happiest with whatever scrap paper she finds on the ground.
And she snuggles. And loves. And gets lots of love in return. She's a keeper.
I passed by this fabric many times, thinking the print was just too big for a bow tie. I always came back to it though, those sailboats just stole my heart.
Turns out, I was wrong about the size of the print. It looks great as a tie and I'm so glad I went with it. In fact, it's the tie at least one of my boys will be wearing for Christmas this year.
This tie coordinates very well with both the Christmas plaid tie and the Christmas tree tie (picking up the blue in the Christmas lights going up the sails).
Just for kicks, an update on my sailing adventure:
The kids and I got the boat to the sailing center on a very windy Wednesday. Ian and I rigged it and got it ready to go, all the while wondering if a really windy day was the best day for me to learn to sail. We got the boat into the water where it immediately capsized. Ian and I discussed it a little, while standing in the water righting the boat, and decided he'd take it out by himself to make sure it's in good shape with no leaks or anything, and then I'd go out in it the next day if the wind had subsided some. That worked for me.
Ian set off in the boat. Within 2 minutes the boat appeared to have capsized. A few minutes later a coach boat was towing him in. Turns out one of the steel rope "stays" had snapped (there are three steel rope lines that form a triangle to hold the mast in place, they are called stays). I didn't know they could break, but apparently with enough wear and age they can (and do). The boat had not capsized, instead the sail and mast had fallen to one side and into the water when the stay broke. Of course, without an upright mast and sail my little boat is out of the water for the time being. Ian said it was a nice boat for the first minute, no leaks, no other problems at all, he does think it'll be a good boat for me and River.
I just ordered the broken parts from a company in Wisconsin. I told the kids I wasn't sure they'd be open now, since it's not boating season up there (the kids thought that was really weird on both counts ... seasonal business and not sailing year round). Sure enough, the phone was answered "hello" only, it's a home phone as well and they don't get much business in the winter. I ordered my part, gave my address, and was told it'd arrive in a few days, and that was it. "Wait a minute ... don't you want my credit card number?" "No, we'll send you an invoice and you can just send us a check". That's the Wisconsin I remember growing up in and love.
The ties are available for men and boys in the shop.
I always love a good re-use and re-purpose, and this one was so easy and practical I had to share it.
Rather than toss a ripped pair of shorts I thought I'd try to make them into something for one of the kids. The rip (near the back center seam) was too damaged to fix, but the rest of the shorts were in great condition, practically new, and the blue and white striped fabric is so comfy I knew I couldn't just toss them without at least trying to save them.
Immediately I thought to make River some shorts. He's outgrowing, quickly, the ones I made him a few years ago so a new pair really made sense. Plus, he's young and not yet fussy about what he wears, making him a good guinea pig for my sewing experiments.
I wish I'd taken pictures of this project while it was happening, but I didn't so bear with me and I'll do my best to explain this simple upgrade.
To make River's shorts I laid a paid of his shorts, folded in half, on top of the damaged shorts, lining up the outside seams. I didn't want to cut along the outside side seams, they were well made and I didn't want to disturb the front pockets at all ... and there's no point in resewing a perfectly good seam that would work just fine. I matched the waistband of my shorts to the waistband of his shorts, because I could easily reuse the waistband that was already there. I opted to keep the hem on my shorts as the new hem for his shorts. When all was said and done all I cut was the inside crotch and leg.
I first sewed the inside leg seams, matching the hemed bottom of the shorts and trimming the crotch end of
the seam. Because these were women's shorts they were cut to fit a woman, so a little adjusting was needed to make these just right for a young boy.
I then pulled the stitches out of the waistband butting up to the newly cut raw edges of the crotch seam with a seam ripper, about two inches on each side so I could open the waistband up fully to resew it. I needed an elastic casing, so sewing directly the waistband wasn't an option (plus it would have looked awkward and might have been uncomfortable). I sewed the crotch seam, from the front top of the opened waistband to the back top of the open waistband.
All that's left at this point is the waistband. I folded down and restitched the front of the waistband closed. I didn't stitch the back waistband closed yet, leaving it open to thread the elastic. I threaded elastic through the waistband and stitched the two ends together (make sure there isn't a twist anywhere!). Second to last step was to sew the back casing closed.
Last step: add a tag to the back somewhere, if you haven't already added one when you sew the back waistband closed. I chose the back pocket, just for fun. Without a tag River really won't pay the least big of attention to whether his shorts are on backwards or frontwards, so that tag comes in very handy.
For the older boys I would sew these from mens shorts. Women's shorts really don't give the length they need - not a problem with a "still has lots of growing to do" five year old, but not cool at all for almost teenagers bordering on 5 feet tall.
Next time I'd pay more attention to the back pocket. These were really wide and after cutting and sewing they've become a sort of modified "unipocket". It doesn't look unintentional, so it's no big deal.
In total this project took less than 15 minutes. 15 minutes well spent if you ask me (and River).
Time to hit the closet and the donate pile and see what you've got ready to turn into a pair of "new" shorts.
I'd love to hear about your re-purposing projects.
Rather than toss a ripped pair of shorts I thought I'd try to make them into something for one of the kids. The rip (near the back center seam) was too damaged to fix, but the rest of the shorts were in great condition, practically new, and the blue and white striped fabric is so comfy I knew I couldn't just toss them without at least trying to save them.
Immediately I thought to make River some shorts. He's outgrowing, quickly, the ones I made him a few years ago so a new pair really made sense. Plus, he's young and not yet fussy about what he wears, making him a good guinea pig for my sewing experiments.
I wish I'd taken pictures of this project while it was happening, but I didn't so bear with me and I'll do my best to explain this simple upgrade.
To make River's shorts I laid a paid of his shorts, folded in half, on top of the damaged shorts, lining up the outside seams. I didn't want to cut along the outside side seams, they were well made and I didn't want to disturb the front pockets at all ... and there's no point in resewing a perfectly good seam that would work just fine. I matched the waistband of my shorts to the waistband of his shorts, because I could easily reuse the waistband that was already there. I opted to keep the hem on my shorts as the new hem for his shorts. When all was said and done all I cut was the inside crotch and leg.
I first sewed the inside leg seams, matching the hemed bottom of the shorts and trimming the crotch end of
the seam. Because these were women's shorts they were cut to fit a woman, so a little adjusting was needed to make these just right for a young boy.
I then pulled the stitches out of the waistband butting up to the newly cut raw edges of the crotch seam with a seam ripper, about two inches on each side so I could open the waistband up fully to resew it. I needed an elastic casing, so sewing directly the waistband wasn't an option (plus it would have looked awkward and might have been uncomfortable). I sewed the crotch seam, from the front top of the opened waistband to the back top of the open waistband.
All that's left at this point is the waistband. I folded down and restitched the front of the waistband closed. I didn't stitch the back waistband closed yet, leaving it open to thread the elastic. I threaded elastic through the waistband and stitched the two ends together (make sure there isn't a twist anywhere!). Second to last step was to sew the back casing closed.
Last step: add a tag to the back somewhere, if you haven't already added one when you sew the back waistband closed. I chose the back pocket, just for fun. Without a tag River really won't pay the least big of attention to whether his shorts are on backwards or frontwards, so that tag comes in very handy.
For the older boys I would sew these from mens shorts. Women's shorts really don't give the length they need - not a problem with a "still has lots of growing to do" five year old, but not cool at all for almost teenagers bordering on 5 feet tall.
Next time I'd pay more attention to the back pocket. These were really wide and after cutting and sewing they've become a sort of modified "unipocket". It doesn't look unintentional, so it's no big deal.
In total this project took less than 15 minutes. 15 minutes well spent if you ask me (and River).
Time to hit the closet and the donate pile and see what you've got ready to turn into a pair of "new" shorts.
I'd love to hear about your re-purposing projects.
Life on a farm. With pigs, goats, chickens, land, room for the grown kids to start their own families, room for the kids to run and play and learn responsibility. Fresh air, dirt, space. Pretty much a dream of mine (one of them anyway, traveling the Americas full-time with the kids and a camper is another huge one).
At Home in Dogwood Mudhole, Volume 1: Nothing That Eats tells the story of Franklin Sanders moving his family to such a farm pre-Y2K and sounded like a book that could have me happily daydreaming for a very long time. This softcover book is 379 pages of personal letters, written chronologically, from Franklin Sanders to the readers of his newsletter, the Moneychanger.
Those personal letters were collected and edited to create At Home in Dogwood Mudhole, a 3-volume set of books (this review is the first volume) about life from a smaller home, to having a few chickens on a small rented plot of land, to a full-fledged farm.
The book covers the successes and failures of learning to farm (there is quite a learning curve with chickens in the first half of the book!), while also showcasing family life with a patient wife and seven children, American history, small town life, Y2K concerns, and his faith and tenacity. This is not a romanticized account of a bucolic life in the country (though some of his visits to other small towns created an instant desire to toss the kids in the car and go, we've added a few places to our "must see" list), this man and his family, and even the animals, struggle to make it to their land, and then on their land. They never give up, however, and seem to find the beauty, or at least the lesson, in everything they experience. The book also discusses Franklin Sanders' view on the government as he deals with tax issues; while I didn't necessarily agree with his point of view I appreciated hearing it.
In particular, I enjoyed his stories about his wife. His admiration and respect for her shines through in his writing and I found that to be very refreshing and enjoyable. Even when he relays something she does that's less than terrific he finds the positive in it and admires, rather than criticizes, her.
I did enjoy the overall context of the book and did find it very heartwarming. For some reason, though, this wasn't an easy book for me to read. I expected to be drawn in and fall in love, but the book never totally hooked me. I can't exactly put my finger on what it was that didn't "click" for me. I don't put a lot of time into reading for pleasure. I'd like to, but I just don't have the time, so perhaps I'm just out of practice. There was plenty of description in the book, and I could certainly picture the scene, so it wasn't that. Franklin Sanders writes as if he's speaking to you, which is generally my favorite writing style, and I think I might have been more drawn in to the book if I'd googled and found a video of him speaking, maybe putting a voice to the words would have made it click? Fortunately, while the book fostered my desire to find a farm in the middle of nowhere and move the kids and cats I wasn't hooked enough to actually go do it today!
Kaden, age 10, read about half the book as well and found it to be a good, laid back, easy read. The book is geared more towards adults, but there is nothing in it's wholesome content that isn't appropriate for kids.
At Home in Dogwood Mudhole, Volume 1: Nothing That Eats is available for $22.95 for the paperback version or $16.95 for the Kindle version. Volume 2 is also available.
If you have the chance to read the book I'd love to hear what you think of it.
Click to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew.
At Home in Dogwood Mudhole, Volume 1: Nothing That Eats tells the story of Franklin Sanders moving his family to such a farm pre-Y2K and sounded like a book that could have me happily daydreaming for a very long time. This softcover book is 379 pages of personal letters, written chronologically, from Franklin Sanders to the readers of his newsletter, the Moneychanger.
Those personal letters were collected and edited to create At Home in Dogwood Mudhole, a 3-volume set of books (this review is the first volume) about life from a smaller home, to having a few chickens on a small rented plot of land, to a full-fledged farm.
Franklin Sanders |
In particular, I enjoyed his stories about his wife. His admiration and respect for her shines through in his writing and I found that to be very refreshing and enjoyable. Even when he relays something she does that's less than terrific he finds the positive in it and admires, rather than criticizes, her.
I did enjoy the overall context of the book and did find it very heartwarming. For some reason, though, this wasn't an easy book for me to read. I expected to be drawn in and fall in love, but the book never totally hooked me. I can't exactly put my finger on what it was that didn't "click" for me. I don't put a lot of time into reading for pleasure. I'd like to, but I just don't have the time, so perhaps I'm just out of practice. There was plenty of description in the book, and I could certainly picture the scene, so it wasn't that. Franklin Sanders writes as if he's speaking to you, which is generally my favorite writing style, and I think I might have been more drawn in to the book if I'd googled and found a video of him speaking, maybe putting a voice to the words would have made it click? Fortunately, while the book fostered my desire to find a farm in the middle of nowhere and move the kids and cats I wasn't hooked enough to actually go do it today!
Kaden, age 10, read about half the book as well and found it to be a good, laid back, easy read. The book is geared more towards adults, but there is nothing in it's wholesome content that isn't appropriate for kids.
At Home in Dogwood Mudhole, Volume 1: Nothing That Eats is available for $22.95 for the paperback version or $16.95 for the Kindle version. Volume 2 is also available.
If you have the chance to read the book I'd love to hear what you think of it.
Click to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas on my work table ... and I love it. Admiring all the cheery, merry, colorful fabrics is doing wonders for getting me into the holiday spirit.
This woven cotton holiday plaid is just terrific. It's an easy match for so much, as it has quite a few shades of red in it, as well as a few lovely greens. The tie would, of course, also work after the holidays, as plaid is stylish throughout the year.
Four additional new Christmas/winter/holiday ties featuring snowmen, sailboats, gingerbread men, and snowflakes will be in the shop by Monday night, to round out the this years holiday collection.
Christmas Plaid bow and neck ties can be found here.
After our summer travels River, and all of us, have taken an even greater interest in our country and our world. We spend a good amount of time looking at maps, atlases, and our globe both planning our next vacation and dreaming about places we'd love to visit someday.
River (age 4) and I were recently given a chance to review a series called If You Were Me and Lived In ... By Carole P. Roman. We received four books:
Each soft-cover full-color book is about 24 pages long and measures about 8.5" square. The books use a nice big print with simple works, making them very easy to read. The illustrations combine solids with bits of print pattern for a very eye-catching, appealing, unique look.
River and I sat down and immediately read all four books.
The books are written from the viewpoint of a child in that country. Each book begins with a map of the country with the capital highlighted. At the end of each book is a pronunciation guide for the native words used throughout the book.
While each book is unique because it is discussing a very unique location, the books follow a common theme and each tells a bit about what life as a child in another country would be like, highlighting common first names, typical foods, tourist attractions, monetary systems, activities and holidays, and basic word definitions. Each book talks about differences of that particular country, while also casually pointing out the similarities between the children in these other countries and the child reading the book, for example the children in the other countries go to school and play with toys, all similar to children in the United States.
As we read each book we got out our big globe and found each place on it, comparing each place to where we live in Florida and then to each other. River found South Korea to be the most interesting on the globe, Mexico is close to home and he's been there, and France and Norway are near each other, but South Korea was really far away and, really, almost on the other side of the world.
After we finished the book on France I was able to get out pictures from my trip to France, about 10 or so years ago, and show River the photos I have of the Eiffel Tower, which is mentioned in the book, and other photos of Paris and France.
The Kirkenes Snowhotel, from the Norway book, had River and his brothers ready to pack and go. (Me, not so much ... I live in Florida for a reason!).
In the Mexico book we learned a bit about the Mayan temple, Chichen Itza.
Seoul is discussed in the South Korea book, providing an opportunity to talk about the Olympics, as they were held there in the summer of 1988.
River has had these books read to him over and over (and over and over) and really likes them. He talks a lot about going to Norway to see the Ice Hotel and the Northern Lights, both of which we googled and talked about after reading the books.
When we first read the series I wasn't sure if they were a little over River's head but he really understood the material and they were definitely age appropriate for him. Kaden (age 10) and Adam (12) thought the books were great and had fun reading them to River.
The If You Were Me and Lived in ... Mexico, France, South Korea, and Norway series is appropriate for kids in Pre-K through age 8, and are available from Away We Go Media for $8.99 each, or $.99 for a Kindle version.
Click to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew.
River (age 4) and I were recently given a chance to review a series called If You Were Me and Lived In ... By Carole P. Roman. We received four books:
- If You Were Me and Lived in France, A Child's Introduction to Cultures Around the World
- If You Were Me and Lived in Norway, An Introduction to Learning About Other Cultures
- If You Were Me and Lived in Mexico, A Child's Introduction to Cultures Around the World
- If You Were Me and Lived in South Korea, An Introduction to Learning About Other Cultures
Each soft-cover full-color book is about 24 pages long and measures about 8.5" square. The books use a nice big print with simple works, making them very easy to read. The illustrations combine solids with bits of print pattern for a very eye-catching, appealing, unique look.
River and I sat down and immediately read all four books.
The books are written from the viewpoint of a child in that country. Each book begins with a map of the country with the capital highlighted. At the end of each book is a pronunciation guide for the native words used throughout the book.
While each book is unique because it is discussing a very unique location, the books follow a common theme and each tells a bit about what life as a child in another country would be like, highlighting common first names, typical foods, tourist attractions, monetary systems, activities and holidays, and basic word definitions. Each book talks about differences of that particular country, while also casually pointing out the similarities between the children in these other countries and the child reading the book, for example the children in the other countries go to school and play with toys, all similar to children in the United States.
As we read each book we got out our big globe and found each place on it, comparing each place to where we live in Florida and then to each other. River found South Korea to be the most interesting on the globe, Mexico is close to home and he's been there, and France and Norway are near each other, but South Korea was really far away and, really, almost on the other side of the world.
After we finished the book on France I was able to get out pictures from my trip to France, about 10 or so years ago, and show River the photos I have of the Eiffel Tower, which is mentioned in the book, and other photos of Paris and France.
The Kirkenes Snowhotel, from the Norway book, had River and his brothers ready to pack and go. (Me, not so much ... I live in Florida for a reason!).
In the Mexico book we learned a bit about the Mayan temple, Chichen Itza.
Seoul is discussed in the South Korea book, providing an opportunity to talk about the Olympics, as they were held there in the summer of 1988.
River has had these books read to him over and over (and over and over) and really likes them. He talks a lot about going to Norway to see the Ice Hotel and the Northern Lights, both of which we googled and talked about after reading the books.
When we first read the series I wasn't sure if they were a little over River's head but he really understood the material and they were definitely age appropriate for him. Kaden (age 10) and Adam (12) thought the books were great and had fun reading them to River.
The If You Were Me and Lived in ... Mexico, France, South Korea, and Norway series is appropriate for kids in Pre-K through age 8, and are available from Away We Go Media for $8.99 each, or $.99 for a Kindle version.
Click to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew.
My kids have been involved in sailing since 2003, making this our 11th season at our sailing center.
From the beginning I've had a very simple plan: I'll learn to sail when my youngest child takes summer camp. Sadly, for me, that's still three years away and I'm tired of waiting.
I can tell you most of the parts of the sailboat and how to rig a really simple boat. However, I cannot sail. I cannot tell you how to sail with the wind, when to tack, when to let your sail in or out. I'm pretty sure if I were put on the water in a sailboat by myself I'd both capsize (repeatedly) and go nowhere.
But ... I decided it was time to learn. I've got four kids in the house, and one in college, who can teach me to sail.
I looked for a Sunfish first, but realized there just wouldn't be enough room for River to hang out with me so that wouldn't work. He's with me when the other kids sail so he'll have to be in the boat with me. I then remembered the Butterfly, which we use at the cottage we visit in Wisconsin, which has plenty of room for both of us, and even a third person if they aren't too big. A quick CraigsList search found one Butterfly about 2 hours away, in a town we happened to be visiting last weekend. It was meant to be.
The boat is older but is in really nice condition. Nothing fancy, but I don't need fancy.
The kids have decided that my first lesson is tomorrow. If I never blog again you can assume that things didn't go well, or I had so much fun I never got off the water. My guess is that the latter is more likely.
If you need me, I'll be on a boat.