Wednesday, March 04, 2015

Yarn Along... (and more)

 Good news!  I have knit back up to the point where I had to rip last week on Rosie's Sibella Babe Pullover.  Just a lot of stockinette happening here this week and now I'm onto knitting up the sleeves.  I haven't read too far ahead in the pattern but I assume I will add them to the body by knitting them in.  Time will tell, I prefer to simply trust the pattern because it helps me not over-think and second-guess my interpretation of the directions.  

Closing in on the end of The MagiciansI almost decided to put it away for good but Jesse suggested I finish it out.  It slowed way down for a couple chapters and frankly, there is only one actually likable character at this point in the book - everyone else has pretty much degenerated into post-college wealthy hedonists BUT about two pages after I decided to carry on last night, the plot picked up again fast and I am intrigued, as well as hopeful, about where the story and the main character are headed. 

In great contrast is my other reading, the third of the Penderwicks series - The Penderwicks at Point Mouette.  I love these charming little books and the little Penderwick girls make me think of my girls; sweet, caring, squabbly, busy, bubbly little munchkins. Lyddie and I also finished reading Lady Lollipop by Dick King-Smith and I have decided to go back to picture books for awhile, or maybe repeat the Winnie-the-Pooh books.  My theme for life right now is - slow. down.  To stay with a book, a stage, a thought, a project, a recipe, and let it seep and fill and sift and filter. I am applying this to my children as well, with at least three hours of play outside in practically any weather. I can see a difference in their attitudes, their play, their creativity.   Outdoors in the big yard and garden has become in my mind, simply an extension of indoors -for myself as well.  Now the children sometimes beg to stay outside, especially when they are in the thick of a complex make-believe. 






I saw in passing a link to an article recommending that you stop bathing your children daily for their health (though I didn't read the article) and found myself somewhat surprised at the fact that there are people that article would apply to, even though I myself used to bathe Lyddie and even Millie for a short while, daily.  My children don't have time to bathe everyday - to do that would mean less outdoor time, earlier dinner (impossible because of daddy's work schedule), or later bedtime (ruled out by mommy!).  It made smile to realize I sometimes can't quite remember: was it yesterday or the day before or even the day before that the children had a bath?  Certainly a couple times a week, but otherwise it's just a good wash up in the sink and wipe down of the faces.  Do you bathe your children every day or night?  Not that this applies in any way to the Yarn Along but I love to clump all the areas of my life into Wednesday posts still.   

 We have been back to watching Gilmore Girls in the evenings while I knit and also a show called "Brain Games" where each episode features a different topic related to the brain - fear, attention, memory, etc.  It's really interesting.  We also got a new picture book that I am eager to share for its beauty but will have to do it next week because I couldn't find it to add to my photo and heaven forbid I discuss a book not pictured!

11 comments:

  1. Glad your knitting is going well this week. I love The Penderwicks - fantastic. Have you read the Saturday series by Elizabeth Enright? My girls loved them too.
    Can't wait to see the new picture book as we seem to have the same taste in childrens' books and I love to see more!
    And glad to hear that we are not 'dirty', as I have had some people say! Every second day at most here. It just isn't necessary unless they get really mucky or sweaty.

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    1. I agree about muck and sweat! We actually probably bathe more in the summer for that, but maybe not because we spend a lot of each day in the pool once we set it up!
      You know, I have The Saturdays and a collection of Enright' s books on the shelf but haven't yet read them... think it might be time!! I have read one of hers long ago and yes, it has the same feeling. I love the Penderwicks feeling old-fashioned but set in the present.

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  2. love that pink. and i read that article too! really interesting, all the new info we are learning about health. how we sort of need to stay a bit dirtier. lol

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    1. Haha! Yes, my kids should have great immune systemsbwith the amount of dirt and stuff they encounter!

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  3. Hooray on your knitting! And Hooray for all the outdoor play! There is just something to being outdoors for kids...so many of my fondest memories of childhood are those of time spent in the woods lost in my imagination. :)

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  4. Lovely how well your knitting is going!
    We usually only bath our 4 year old once or twice a week in winter but more often in summer when bathing is the easiest and most fun way to get rid of all those outdoor dirt and dust.
    Our baby - now almost 8 months old - baths even less often. Here in Germany that seems pretty normal and people are very conscious about the cons of bathing (like drying out skin, interfering with the skins delicate balance, loosing body temperature).
    Interesting how different this is being handled!

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    1. Oh how interesting! I think as a culture, mi is uptight amy part of the US is uptight about... hm, everything related to children? Haha! No, I don't know, but we are uptight about germs, mess, perfection, discomfort... it would be really interesting to look at different cultures' views on bathing and washing! The cons of bathing you mentioned are, I think, becoming more widely held or at least recognized.

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  5. Thanks for the comment you left on our blog. I'm glad you love the drape (that's the word I would use ;-))) of the pullover, I like it too. I guess it turned out that way because i used quite large needles.
    I really want to check out the Penderwick series one day, they look delightful, I just added one of the books to my wishlist just to remember.
    As for bathing, our children just bathe once or twice a week in winter. In summer, they take showers more often in the evenings if they got all sweaty. Most people comment on how good my kids smell and it's always funny to remember it was days since their last bath... LOL!

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  6. glad you are back to where you were with the knit! I bathed my kids more in the summer than in the winter and when they hit around third grade daily showers were necessary, ahem.

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  7. my hair dresser herself would be quick to say don't wash your hair daily, it will dry out. I think you are right in that daily bathing can imbalance things and that the US is super germ-a-phobic which can backfire... yay for outdoor play; it's HUGE to get kids OUT and MOVING... actually for us adults too... all the best with the knitting; love that pink :)

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  8. Ahem that must be why my boys are so healthy! My little one loves to eat dirt too!

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