25 July 2007

A Little Bag & A Lot of Life

Okay, so I finally made my tote/bag. I like the end result, and it was really easy to make. I used a pattern from the JoAnn web site. The pattern is missing a key step - sewing up the sides and bottom of the bag! I think if a beginner tried this pattern, they would quit in utter frustration. I also did not use very efficient cutting on the fabric because I wanted the same large pattern on the front and back of the bag, but I am going to use the rest of the fabric for small projects like a zippered pouch, since there are no pockets or anything in the bag because it is reversible. Anyway, here it is - finally.

The main reason it has taken me this long to get this bag done is that I have been doing lesson plans! We had "box day" a couple weeks ago and got all of our school stuff for this year. Aaron was SOOOO excited and he is asking me every day how long it is until we can start school. I cleared off the shelf that I had all my cookbooks on, got rid of a ton of cookbooks, and am now using that shelf for our school stuff. Doesn't it look nice??



It is taking me a while to get the plans done because I am the type of person who has to see the whole thing layed out to even begin. Also, I am taking the core curriculum (science, social studies, Bible, and read aloud books) for one year and stretching it into 1 1/2 years. I am doing that for the first two cores so that we will do two in three years so that after that, I will be able to have Aaron and Ethan do the same core and just add grade level appropriate language arts and math. Anyway, that means that I have to take the plans that came with it for 36 weeks and fit them into a 54 week schedule. Then I have to add the reading, language arts, and math into the first 36 weeks, since I am not stretching these things. And of course, I have to add other stuff like German and crafts because I like to complicate things. Confussed yet?? I think I finally have it figured out and now all I have to do is plug it all into my schedule template in MS Excell so I can print it and see it all each week.

Another cool thing is that I am reading three 19th century American novels for a lady in my church. She is using them for her daughter's 8th grade literature this year and asked me to read them and come up with writing prompts for her - and she is paying me to do it. It is fun to do something that I used to do all the time when I was teaching and something on a more advanced level than I've dealt with since staying home. It is also great to get paid to read!! With this, planning, and finishing up the house projects list I started working on a few weeks ago, I have kept really busy. Sorry it has kept me away from here. Hopefully I have things balanced now and can do it all!

6 comments:

Joanna said...

WOW!!! the fabric is fantastic and the bag is bag-ulous!!!! great job all around!

Joanna said...

by the way, where did you get the globe and how expensive was it?

Joanna said...

oh and i got your message yesterday. i'll call you later today or you can call me again if you want.

Johanna said...

I got the globe at Costco for $25 last weekend. It is a really nice globe too, so for the price, I snatched it up. Of course that only helps you if you have a Costco membership or know someone who does.

I used my bag yesterday as my purse and got some compliments. I had decided that if anyone complimented me on it, I would just say thank you and not try to promote that I made it, but wouldn't you know the first person to tell me they liked it got a blurted out response, "I made it!!" I think humility is not yet a virtue for me...

Johanna said...

Oh, and I thought about getting Galloping the Globe to use with the globe. Ever looked at it? Seems kind of expensive, but I have heard a lot of people say they like it. I have enough for this year, so it would be next year anyway. But we have a world history focus for the first several years, so it would work well for quite a while.

Joanna said...

i looked at the galloping globe. the style of teaching i have opted for focuses a lot on world history and i didn't think it would go well with the books i've picked out. they are to be used for three years, 1st grade, 5th grade and 12th grade, etc. i'm using most of the wise's stuff which you can see if you want at peacehillpress.com. i do need a globe though. i found a couple of wall maps, laminated and everything at staples yesterday so i think i'm going to buy those and then mom has a costco membership so i'm going to see if she can hook me up.