~Yarnalong:
Something I've learned in all the years of juggling it all, is that sometimes, you just have to let things be. Somedays, you don't get all the boxes checked, and all the items crossed off, and other days, you do. The more there is to juggle the more tends to get dropped. I've taken a more "less is more" approach to things so far this year, and it is really working out alot better for all of us! Instead of checking the boxes and reading the books just because some guide tells me to, I'm reading the ones that are begging to be read, the ones that children throw into the pile on their own, and the ones that the grab off the shelf and ask, "Do we have time for this today?" and you know what? It works! I made a bit of adjustments to the curriculum because I want to make sure that I keep the interest, attention, and hearts of my littles for the limited time that I have with them. I want to make sure that no matter what, learning, and a desire to understand, love and give is never far from their hearts or lives.
We are LOVING Frindle! It is definitely becoming a Read-Aloud favorite around here, and I'm so thankful that I made the time for it during our Morning Basket, even though it isn't on the curriculum guide for the year (I also made a book substitute this week, and we are using it during lunchtime because I happened to have it on audible!). Because I've learned to not schedule every single second of our days, it has opened the door to finding treasures like this P is for Passport. We've started to slowly savor it and I can see it hopping into my Amazon cart here soon because it is already becoming a favorite. I'm approaching my weeks and my lesson plans with a "is there a picture book I can use for this?" type of approach and it's really making a difference so far. Slow, small changes that I've wanted to make for awhile, and I'm already blown away by the difference they are making now that I've just started doing them!
Of course that means that my own reading time has been limited this week, again, but that's ok (shhh, don't tell my children but I just picked up The Green Ember, which I have them listening to during lunch and I've started reading ahead! So so so good, so I'm sure I'll have something of my "own" to share next week, unless of course I devour it over the next few days like I want to right now!).
My how this knitting is growing! It's the children's version of a project I'm working on with Twisted Owl Fiber Studio that will hopefully launch in September. This is the third variation of this project I've worked on and I love them all! I already have ideas for the next two that I want to do, and I can't wait to get started. And it won't be long until I do because children's knits work up so much faster than the adult sized versions!
What are you knitting and reading this week?
~Jessica