Thursday, August 01, 2013

Striped Triangle shawl started

We have Esme's Kindergarten orientation tonight, in about an hour... have had a day at home as I switched with someone so we could be there.  After I finished Esme's blanket I started on this triangle shawl, which is a very simple pattern.  I cast stitches onto the circular needle as far as I thought it could go - then at every second row I would decrease one at the beginning (the secnod and third stitches) and at the end of the row (same reversed).  I started striping the shawl by changing color at the finish of that second row, carrying the white yarn over as each color goes across one row, across (decreasing) the second row, and then holds in waiting for the white to do the same.  Just pick up the other color at the end of the row and clip and change colors as needed.  It looks very pretty from the front or back (front only shown).

Esme asked if it would be her next pretty blanket for her bed... but I told her what a shawl was - a blanket for your shoulders to go outside in, and that ladies in the past used to feed their chickens or milk their cows while wearing warm shawls, or walk in the woods, or look at the sunset.  She liked that idea.

A few things to remember for her - she is reading more, things on TV, in the store -and she is writing more, as well.  She copied the words 'No Party' in her room to make a sign for when she is not using her boombox.  It says 'Esme's Party with the Beastie Boys' on the front side, which I wrote for her on request.  I was surprised to find her addition to the sign later, but giggled :)  She is also using the word 'future' more.. She's still confused about the word 'graduation', she thinks the American flag is graduation, and we are all living in the graduation place... close, but not quite on the mark.  She said my shawl colors were 'graduation', too.. so we talked about the flag some and what it meant, and that graduations were just a ceremony - a time for the school students - that tells us that the students are going from one class to another, and that yes - they have an American Flag shown at the graduation because we live in the United States.  She still thought I was just misunderstanding her.. and didn't want to talk more about it.  She gets so stubborn!

As the shawl decreases every other row, it shouldn't take too long to finish.  
The longer it gets, the fewer stitches in a row!

Her school supplies list was at the store tonight - and we will round up the items for it this weekend.

We got back from the school orientation a few hours ago... we feel like hipsters among a crowd of jocks.  And Esme is going to be so bored until/if they get some differentation going I think... the first week they focus on reading 'I' and the most common three letter words.  As the teacher said this to the parents she looked at me and said 'I run.. I can read that.  She said I run?'  Yes, child.. she did.. sit and don't squirm so much (play dead on table, pretend to fall asleep).  Well... well... I'm with you kid but I can't help much on that one.  The teacher did say they will find out what level they are at and push to get them higher... they tested her in June as not knowing the letter Q and Y.. which I was quite sure she did know (and can write as well as tell me words they are used in).  So, how well are they 'going to get to know her level' if she decides they have nothing to offer her and decides to play dumb until they give her something easy to finish and go play?

Tonight I decided to get her to start to go to bed earlier, since her bus times will be just after or before sunrise around here...  Even tonight (30-45 minutes earlier) was tough.  She was so mad.. I tucked her into bed with her arms crossed and a wrinkled up nose.  I set her alarm clock.  She told me I was making her madder with all the fun when I tried to cheer her up.  Tenacity.  Do they have any idea what we have on our hands here?  Do we?  Not really even now...

I wish someone had clued me into the school spirit color days during her preschool years.  Every Friday she 'should' wear the school colors.  If I had known that three months ago I would have done my school sewing a bit different maybe... probably have to add a few new things to the wardrobe to account for it, or try to convince her it isn't as important as they said it was going to be.  

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