work and stuffies

so where have i been lately? work. work has now effectively taken up just about all my weekly hours. basically i get to school around 7:30am and don't leave until about 6:30 everyday. usually i get home around 7 or 7:30 because i've been trying to take the bus home. by that time i'm hungry and so tired, so i eat dinner and am in bed by 9:30... repeat, repeat, repeat. i'm pretty exhausted.

but, the good news is that i really like it. the kids are cool (for the most part), and the teachers are excellent. i was nervous before about how much i would actually be able to teach, but i have already done some large group lessons as well as a lot of small group and 1:1 work. i'm very impressed with how the school is really able to challenge each student, at all levels, in particular in math. those math vitamins are really great!

now, of course the downside to all of this challenge for the students is that it takes a lot of time for the teachers to think of an idea, plan, write, edit, try out, create a brainstretcher, type up, then write on the board... almost one per day. needless to say, there are a ton of planning meetings. every week we have: a resident meeting, a first floor meeting, a tower (which is the first and second floors) meeting, a whole school meeting, at least two 2/3 planning meetings, and of course daily informal meetings during lunch. we literally have one planning period during the entire week... for one hour on thursday. there are tons of specials that the kids go to, but we only send half the class at a time, which leaves the other half to work with in small groups. i think that will be really neat, and give a lot of valuable instruction time, but it means "up time" all day long.

so that's where i've been....
that, and making stuffies!!!

so i bought a book that has all sorts of really cute patterns for sewing small Japanese "mascot dolls". i bought it for mary. so like any gift, you really should try it out to be sure, absolutely sure, the other person will like it. and that's what i've done.


this is my first attempt... before i had a sufficient felt supply. (trust me, now i have a sufficient stock!) his body is made of wool roving and needle felted into a rough body shape. he's a little more homely in real life than the picture lets on...
here is bunny, my third creation. he's pretty cute, i think. they are only about 2-3 inches tall. i just noticed his little pot belly!

here's panda, the really adorable one. his legs are stuffed into the keyboard, and his ears blend into the background, but isn't he a cutie?!

mary, i'll have to do a few more just to be sure you'll like it.... :)