Christmas Handmade 2009

The summer season is the perfect time to get handmade Christmas gifts made. Especially the smaller ones. It's too hot to crochet a large blanket when temperatures are in the 80's. Here is a photo of crocheted slippers the girls will get in their stockings. I do have to measure their feet for accuracy, and they know they are getting them, but they still have to wait for them. I found the pattern in a farm magazine from the tractor supply store. I happen to see the magazine when I bought the chickens a new feeder, and had no idea that crochet and knit patterns were in the magazine. I believe it was about Mary Jane's Farm magazine. If I locate the pattern on-line I will be sure to post the link. There was both crocheting and knitting patterns for this easy slipper.

I found the buttons at a craft store in clearance. Shop around and watch for great deals before buying to keep your costs low.


CROCHETED LIP BALM HOLDERS

* Pattern #1
* Pattern #2
* Pattern #3


Update: I just made my first crocheted lip balm holder. They are so easy and cute to make. I'm using leftover slipper yarn and making a matching lip balm holder for each of the girls. I'll have to get really creative for homemade gifts for a 17 year old boy.

Encouraging Writing to a soon-to-be Fifth Grader

Here is where I slap myself on the forehead for even trying. Having failed to get a complete communication with her reading teacher last year, I am striving to help her through teaching and encouragement at home.

Today I gave her a prompted paper regarding a snow story on a single lined paper. Immediately the tears poured and, "bam" her hand slams the kitchen table. To humor her I dropped a Christmas CD into the CD player, hoping the music would inspire a "winter" story regarding snow.

..........so far it's not working. We've touched on simile's and metaphor's and use of adjectives, but still her "fountain" of writing is not even dripping out. Even though I have researched and written an article on helping a struggling fourth grader, we continue to have trouble. Could it be that once a child misses the "blooming" process and teachers just let them pass from grade to grade (even if they cannot spell the word "because" at age ten), that there is no recovery possible? If there is, I'm going to find the path to it. Christmas music or not.