Kids Clothes Week: Day Two - Pink Shorts

When I was looking for fabric recently, I found this bag:

It was full of cut out projects from who knows who!  Among the things in the bag, I found this:

Which was a bright pink striped pair of shorts:

An hour later, I had this:

Then back to Day 1's "Sunny Faces Sun dresses"

I cut out the linings for the bodices and then proceeded to sew one set of back bodice pieces on sideways!  Then one set of straps for each dress was too long. So I needed to wait for the girls to get home from school to try them on and figure the right length.  Here is what I had at the end of Day 2:

Kids Clothes Week: Day One - Sunny Faces Sun Dresses

This past week was "Kids Clothes Week".  The goal/challenge was to sew for an hour a day on kids clothes.   Overachiever that I am, I decided to make a project a day instead!   I had many projects "on the back burner" for "whenever I got around to it" that I decided to finally sew during this week.

Project #1:  Sunny Faces Sun dress

I had gotten the 2 fabric panels a long time ago.  Maybe 8 years?

I bought 1½ yards of fabric for the skirts in February 2012.
Emi needed 17" and Sarah 21".  The fabric was 38" wide!
I refolded the fabric at those measurements and cut it
& each girl got the entire 54" for fullness

This is as far as I got on day one!  All cut out and ready to sew.
I realized that I was going to need to line the bodices after all.

Review: "Spanish For You!"

I had the opportunity to review an all digital version of "Estaciones"/Seasons from Spanish for You! .  It was an easy download which didn't take much time at all. 

The Spanish for You! packages come with: 

• soft cover book or e-book (currently only our trial pkgs.)
• 24-30 week lesson guide for the grades you need (24 weeks for G5-6 & 7-8, 30 weeks for G3-4) (PDF download)
• self-checking worksheets (PDF download)
• audio files of entire book (includes bonus audio of native speaker of entire book) (MP3 download)
• flashcard/activity pictures (PDF download)

Spanish for You! is available for grades 3-8. You can buy 2 grade packages for $39.95, or the whole 6 grade package for $64.95.  The teacher lesson plans for each 2 grade package are $12.95 ($14.95 for Grade 3-4).  These packages give you enough content for an entire school year.

Each lesson has:

• Vocab & commands
• Verbs
• Grammar concepts (Learning and using)
• Putting it all together

These aspects help the student(s) to improve reading, writing, and speaking knowledge. 

I used my program primarily with my girls (grades 1 and 3) but let my sons hang around (preschool & K) during the lessons as I figured they may pick up some of the language as well.  I printed up the current lesson's book page and had my daughters look at it while I played the audio for the lesson.  I would pause the audio after each word to give them time to repeat it before moving on to the next word (I found it moved too quickly for my kids).  They enjoyed doing the worksheets for each lesson and I think it really helped to reinforce the language concepts worked on during the lesson.  I did find it a bit confusing to find which worksheet was meant for each day but Debbie Annett from Spanish for You! has altered the worksheet download, so they are more organized and easier to find ☺.  Debbie has been great to work with and is quick to lend a hand or resend things when needed. 

I thought it was great how you can use the same lesson material with multiple grades by just teaching it at their level.  It is also nice how it is flexible and allows you to go at your own pace.  You can slow down and do one lesson over a couple of days or do two lessons in one day depending on your student(s).  Mine need to go a bit slower in order to catch it all  (I think because they are at the young end-or younger!)

Spanish for You! also offers quite a few freebies on their website, too, which is awesome!

• Mini Lessons
• Worksheets
• Curriculum Activities

 All of the Spanish for You! packages have been used in classrooms before they are offered for sale, so they are field tested and ready to go! 

I think that Spanish for You! is a great program and my girls are excited to be learning Spanish.

I received this curriculum in exchange for my honest review.  I was not given any other compensation.  Your usage and opinion may vary from mine.

5th Annual K-12 Spring Art Exhibit

One of Sarah's art projects was selected to be in the "5th Annual K-12 Spring Art Exhibit" being displayed in the high school lobby.  There was an "Artist's Opening Reception" on Monday.   I have no idea how they pick which pieces are put on display, but many of them had more than one of the same style.  Sarah's was the only one like hers.

Sarah standing next to her "Year of the Snake" art and calligraphy project

 

Gemini Brothers Concert

All of the 2nd graders in our school district were invited to sing as part of a concert featuring the Gemini Brothers.  And although Emi is in 1st grade, she is in a 1st/2nd grade multi-age room, so she was invited, also, and she had a lot of fun.

At the beginning of the concert, the "children's choir" sat in the audience and it was just the Gemini Brothers on stage (but the kids still sang along ☺)

Time for the children's choir to join them on stage:

Emily was the 2nd to last one on stage

 

Here are a few videos from the night also:

 

This video shows the children's choir's participation from the audience:

 

 

 

 

Introducing Joy Marie

I started sculpting Joy at the REAL doll get together so I named her after our hostess!  I hand sculpted Joy with no molds and sewed her body, made her clothes, toy sock monkey, and even made her diaper!  She has a polymer clay head and limbs with a soft doe suede body making her poseable.   Joy is about 5½" tall with poly-pellets in her bottom and soft stuffing for the rest of her body. Joy's neck is signed with my initials and the year.  Joy is currently on eBay (until April 16, 2013)