Welcome to Wednesday’s Yarn Along where all participating blogs talk about what they are knitting and reading. I love both, so I participate. I’ve met some incredible women in the process. If you’d like to meet them, you see their blogs listed at the central hub: Ginny’s blog.
The fingerless mitts are done and this morning I’ll be dropping them off at the fair. I’m a little nervous for a few reasons. 1: While I don’t care if I don’t win the grand prize $2 prize money (although I have a serious chocolate bar picked out if it comes to that) I’m worried that I’ll do poorly. 2: We haven’t been getting the paper for some strange reason, even though I called, and so I don’t know which code for the category it is in that I need to use in filling out my form. I looked online and I’m able to download the form, but the guide to the form is a broken link.
The form says to bring the entry to the fair on the 20th. I’m bringing the kids this morning with a blank form and I’m hoping there will be someone there to help me put the proper codes on it, and the kids will all behave well as I do that. I’m also hoping there’s no time frame that I’m not making. I’ll probably be there around 9am and I have visions of showing up then and someone saying “Sorry…all entries are closed. You missed it by 1 hour.” I know I’m a little ridiculous but this whole concept of turning something in to the county fair for judging is so completely foreign to me (like 4-H) that I have questions that don’t even make sense to people. Will there be someone there to help me? Do I just show up and set it on the table?
I’m already planning on looking back and laughing at my ignorance. I’m sure it is much more simple than I have it played up in my head.
I keep telling myself that worst case scenario: I foul up entering it and am stuck with enjoying the fingerless mittens all to myself this fall. That’s not so scary.
I’m reading More Stories From Grandma’s Attic which is part of Silje’s 2nd grade curriculum this next year. It’s just delightful. I think she’ll enjoy it a lot, and I think it will be one that she pulls off the bookshelf throughout the school year to read again and again just for fun.
I’ve been spending a little bit of time each day preparing for the upcoming school year. I think I’m going to have to pick a start date soon, but haven’t settled into that yet. I was thinking of starting in August again like last year but then I realized that’s just 2 weeks or so away. Ahhhhh! Then I rationalized that I started early last year to make up for an extended time off when Solveig was born. Since there is no new baby this winter, I think I can push off school for a few more weeks yet.
I’m finding too many fun things to do for school next year. There is so many free resources online for what we will be studying this next year: Vikings, Reformation, Renaissance, Medieval times, etc. I’m finding so many fun, free things that isn’t even a part of our regular curriculum that it’s coming out my ears. I’m going to have to resign myself that we simply cannot do it all. My plan so far is to keep a list of these activities and if the kids need something to do and are bored one day, I’ll print some of it off and let them have at it. I keep reminding myself that these are just supplements and they don’t need any of them.
So I’m just organizing my lists of resources, and reading through Silje’s readers. The read aloud books I plan on reading for the first time with her just like last year. However the school year gets so hectic that I can’t keep up with her independent reading along with my other jobs, so it’s nice to have her readers under my belt so we can discuss them easily without me doing last-minute-night-before-cramming of what she is supposed to read.
I’m actually getting a bit giddy about school starting soon. David will be starting kindergarten, and like Ginny, I asked him what he would like to study this next year. He said he want’s to learn how to fly on a trapeze. That makes me a little nervous that he’s going to be bitterly disappointed with kindergarten this next year, but we’ll just have to make the most of it.
karen says
July 20, 2011 at 8:36 amwhat pretty fingerless gloves
J and K Smith says
July 20, 2011 at 10:59 amI know where David can work on his trapeze… and I would get a visit too! I like it. 🙂
FlauschiOhren says
July 20, 2011 at 12:47 pmNow those are splendid fingerless gloves, very well done and the colour is gorgeous!
Ellen says
July 20, 2011 at 12:53 pmLove the frilly cuffs of the gloves. And the color – what is the name? I’m sure you’ll do fine at the fair registration. We miss our yearly trek to our local fair since we’ve moved to another state.
melicity says
July 20, 2011 at 12:54 pmI love the Grandma’s Attic series and read (and re-read) them a million times when I was in school…and after. I would love to find them again to have in my classroom. 🙂
Brooke says
July 20, 2011 at 1:38 pmThey are great Gretchen!
You should call the Extention Service. They are linked with 4-H and might be able to help. There should be a booth to go to where someone will direct you where to go. This is all coming from a former 4-Her!
Jen {Wife, "Mom", Knitter} says
July 20, 2011 at 2:14 pmI think you’ll be just fine once you get to the fairground. I’m certainly sure there will be people available to help you out.
Good luck!!! I’m crosing my fingers, toes, and eyes for you. 🙂
no spring chicken says
July 20, 2011 at 2:38 pmI LOVE these! And it looks like you did a beautiful job… if I were the judge, you’d be in the chocolate!!
Blessings, Debbie
*kate says
July 20, 2011 at 5:05 pmGood luck with your mitts and your school plans! Both are very exciting and I’m sure will be great 🙂
Erin says
July 20, 2011 at 7:15 pmYour mitts are lovely! I hope they do well in the judging- they certainly look beautiful.
Good luck with school plans as well- sometimes there is so much to choose from that it makes it difficult to really narrow down what is most helpful to our kids.
Stacy says
July 20, 2011 at 8:13 pmGood luck at the fair! I’m planning school here too and can’t believe I thought we’d start in August. How is that so close already?
Swanski says
July 20, 2011 at 9:10 pmI think you can go get that chocolate NOW! You did a wonderful job 🙂
Amy Caroline says
July 20, 2011 at 9:32 pmYou did a lovely job! The color is gorgeous. I have used that pattern before and LOVE it. Good luck with the fair you will do great!
Kathy says
July 21, 2011 at 1:20 amGorgeous gloves! I hope that the fair entry went smoothly, and I agree with Swanski above — you deserve the chocolate now.
I’m doing much the same in preparation for the homeschool year — reading ahead, thinking, planning. Best wishes to you and your family for a wonderful school year! (Stopping by from Ginny’s Yarn Along)
Anonymous says
July 21, 2011 at 8:23 amThe Grandma’s Attic books have always been some of my favorites. I hope Silje enjoys them. I know there was help for you when you entered your knitting today! I could have alleviated some of your fears as I have had an entry in the bast. I hope it went smoothly!
Linda