Book Nook

Today was library day, oh exciting day! It was made even more exciting by a certain 2-year-old running off a few times . . .

After she got that out of her system, though, we settled in to search for books. I randomly chose an aisle, and we started looking.  A book caught my eye, because we have the first book in that series.  In fact, I had no idea there were more books in the series until today.  What I did know is that our children have greatly enjoyed Melanie Watt's Chester, and so I figured they would also enjoy Chester's Back by the same author.  I may even like this one more than the original. Chester, the silly cat who is determined he can make a better story than the author, is back in this book with more of his own ideas, which inevitably backfire.  It's another fun read.

Sunday Snippets - a Catholic Carnival

Be sure to check out RAnn's for the full carnival!

This week I looked some at how education is perceived, the problem of trying to give solutions without identifying the problem, and I have more crafts to show. Have a blessed week!

Crafty Thursday

 The diaper I made tested well on an adorable little girl I know, so I went ahead and cut out two more.  The only suggestion I was given was to change the snap layout on the tabs a little, and I agree, so I did change it on the one I made today.  I am going to be switching to KAM snaps after this diaper, though, as I'm having problems with these snaps not working well with the PUL.  I love this print and could easily make more like it.  Now that I'm used to the pattern, the sewing itself went faster, and even the leg elastic went fast.  I have hope that the other snaps will go faster, too, since I expect them to work a bit better. 

I'm still working on the playmat, too.  I'm very happy to be past the red part of the barn, as the red was annoying me some with its penchant for tangling.  I still have plenty of green and so I can make it as long as I wish after the barn, really.  

I can't take credit for this last one, but I want to show off my mother's handiwork.  She saw this pattern some time ago and got the yarn just because she wanted to try it out.  Charlotte decided that it's a fairy dress (she gets rather offended if you call it a skirt, in fact).  The skirt turned out well, as you can see (and yes, she takes orders).

Giving a Solution Without Identifying the Problem

It seems to me that, when it comes to certain things, people (including some medical professionals) are quick to give a "solution" without first identifying the problem.  Here are just some examples that come to mind:

- Baby isn't gaining weight? Supplement! Yet the cause of the problem, be it tongue tie, lip tie, poor latch, insufficient glandular tissue, etc, isn't always identified before giving the "solution" of artificial milk. Yes, artificial baby milk has a place and can be necessary, but surely the underlying problem should be identified first, if possible, so the mum and baby can get the help and support needed.

- Baby isn't sleeping well? Sleep train, which usually involves cry-it-out (CIO) or controlled crying.  But why is the baby not sleeping? Are the parents' expectations of infant sleep appropriate, does the baby have reflux, night terrors, is the child too warm or cold, etc? Those who know me know I'm absolutely against CIO/controlled crying at all times and think there is always an alternative.  I do know there are times when we have to help our children learn proper sleep behaviors, but there are other resources available, such as The No-Cry Sleep Solution or Dr Jay Gordon's site.  Even then, though, the underlying problem needs to be identified.

- Have irregular/painful/wonky cycles? Go on the pill! Nevermind that this doesn't fix the problem if the problem itself isn't hormonal and doesn't require that specific combination/dosage of hormones.  There are problems which require hormonal treatment, but it seems to me that using bioidentical hormones at the specific levels needed would be better, but of course I'm not a doctor, so this is just my opinion as a laywoman. There are other underlying causes of cycle issues, though, that aren't hormonal.  For some, diet and exercise can help. Red raspberry leaf tea is supposed to help with cramps, and nettle tea with bleeding, but these aren't given as ideas to help.

What other examples do you see of this? I know there are medical professionals who do seek to find the underlying causes before treating, and that is wonderful. I also know that a doctor' time with a patient is limited, and therefore finding the underlying cause can be more difficult in these circumstances. Nevertheless, I wish all did, and I think we should expect this.

A Narrow View of Education

When most people think of education, an image of rows of children sitting in desks, listening to the teacher is conjured.  For this reason, many are thrown off when a parent says he is home educating.  This is reflected in the requirements many states have for those who are home educating.  For example, a state may require standardised testing or submission of a portfolio.  Such requirements, though, presuppose that the home school will follow the same model as the average public school, with a set curriculum, set hours, and set lessons.

In my opinion, such requirements reflect a narrow view of what constitutes education.  I follow the unschooling model, for example, which clearly isn't what is in mind with the state requirements.  Instead of having a set curriculum or set lessons, I seek to make the most of the educational opportunities that present themselves and to expose my children to various things.  This is the approach we took with the Monarch butterflies, where we learned what we could about them by observing and by seeking out resources to learn more.  And yet there was never a formal lesson, just our life.  Or there's the fact that, without formal instruction but with constant exposure, Kieran can read some - considering he's not yet 5, I find that to be of significance.

If people ask if he's in school, though, I'm hesitant to answer in the affirmative, because I know the usual image people have is of formal schooling, be that in a school or at home.  At the same time, I could very easily answer in the affirmative, because my children are constantly learning through our everyday activities.  If they help me cook, they learn math and science; whenever we read, which is multiple times a day, they learn more about language, as well as the subject matter; when we go to the zoo, they learn science; when they build with Lego or Brio, they learn engineering and develop their imaginations.  Those are just some examples of how my children are learning, and of why education shouldn't be confined to formal lessons.  Perhaps one day the state will not cling to just that one narrow definition of education, and will recognise that education can and does take many forms.

Sunday Snippets - a Catholic Carnival

Happy Sunday! (and happy feast day for my Kieran!) make sure you check out RAnn's blog for the full carnival. This week I've looked at a book, mused about the spiritual significance of the length of pregnancy, updated our Monarch caterpillar watch, and done a lot of crafting. I hope everyone has a wonderful week.

Crafty Thursday

 My apologies for missing last week.  The day just got away from me.  I have lots to show off this week, though.  First up, my sweater.  It's finished!  I regret that I can't model it, as it doesn't quite fit over the bump, but I'm pleased with how it looks.  Can't wait to wear it!

Speaking of clothes not fitting over the bump, even my maternity clothes aren't covering the bump these days, and I still have approximately 9 weeks to go!  So my mother and I went to Jo-Ann Fabrics to see if we could find any patterns.  Unfortunately, the selection is rather slim, but I finally found a Butterick pattern that claimed to be easy (I dispute that claim.  Granted, this is the first time I've sewn from a pattern like this, so maybe my definition of "easy" is different).  We found a nice ribbed knit, and I like the colour, so we went ahead and got it, not paying attention to the fact that it wasn't a 60" width like the pattern required.  This meant that I couldn't do the pattern I planned, but was able to do a different pattern in the pack.  Overall I like the shirt, though I think it could be a little wider/more flared, and I think the armholes are a bit large.  I wore a camisole under it, though, and it was fine.  Now to try making more maternity shirts!

When we were getting the materials for the shirt, I spotted a pattern book for cloth diapers and was intrigued.  I remembered that someone I know had made some diapers, so I decided to ask if she used the Babyville Boutique patterns or not. It turns out that she had used those patterns and had a good experience with it, so I decided I'd go back and try it out. After all, my bumGenius 2.0 diapers are wearing out pretty fast, and I'll need something else for the baby once he outgrows the Lollipop diapers I have (I have to say that we're pleased with the bumGenius overall, as they've lasted through potty-training two children; some are still fine, but the velcro, elastic, and PUL are starting to wear out on others).  Making my own diapers would also be a lot less expensive than buying a new stash.  So I returned to Jo-Ann's and picked up the pattern book and a pack of their PUL.  I saw their snaps, but thought they looked less durable than I'd like, though they're really cute, so I got some metal snaps and snap pliers from the notions section.  And then I found some soft flannel for the inner part.  Since I'm used to pocket diapers, I decided to try that.  The PUL pack I got came with two prints and one solid, but I decided to start with the solid one for my first try.  I really like the way it looks.  I used the medium template, and it looks to be the same size as my Fuzzibunz medium.  Since Charlotte's no longer wearing diapers during the day, I asked a friend to try it out before I make more, so I'll have to update once I hear back from her.  

Last for this week is a cute playmat I'm making for a Christmas present for the baby.  I found the pattern when browsing through my mother's Knitting Today magazines (now called Your Knitting Life, I think).  I figured it couldn't hurt to see if I could find the yarn for a good price, and I found a steal of a deal at Herrschner's.  While the yarn is thinner than what the pattern requires, I figured that even with double-stranding it, it would still be less expensive to get their chenille yarn than to buy the bulky chenille elsewhere.  While it can be annoying working with double the balls of yarn, especially when I'm using multiple colours, it's worth it.  It's also interesting how different colours of the same yarn feel and act differently.  For example, the blue is noticeably thinner than the green; the red is the only one that sheds, and it also tangles the worst of the three colours I've used thus far.  In case you've noticed the gap with the red, this is because the pattern calls for binding off stitches then casting on the same number the next row to make the barn door.  So right now I'm working the two sides separately, at the same time, and then I'll rejoin for the top of the barn.  This way, once the playmat has been lined with fabric, the barn door will be able to open and close to store the farm animal toys that will go with the mat.  Ingenious!