Scrap Happy Saturday

Hope you are all enjoying your last red Saturday.  Post pictures below of your project wrap ups and start thinking about what March may bring.......

Finally, Some Sewing!

 I just got back from taking Anna to her ice skating recital.  She was on for about 4 minutes out of a 2.5 hour show, so I sat in the snack bar and watched through the window while getting some reading done for school.  I paid very close attention during her part of the show though, and I'm sure she didn't notice that I wasn't freezing my tushie off in the bleachers all that time.  She was snoozing hard on the way home, but woke up just as I opened the door to snap a photo. 

I also stopped on the way home to get a quick shot of these baby sandhill cranes.  The little chicks are so sweet that I couldn't resist.  

Finally though, the long awaited red scrappy nine patches are starting to come together!  I am going to turn these into a small quilt for the entryway. I haven't had lots of extra time recently, and may not for a while, but as long as I can steal away a few minutes every now and again I will be a happy quilter.  Now, I'm back to work.  Monday is a teacher workday, and Tuesday if my first day at my new job, I'd better make sure I'm ready!

Scrap Happy Saturday

It's the third red Saturday, just one more remains.  How are your red scraps looking?

Good-byes

When I saw my friend good friend at Girl Scout pickup yesterday she said she knew that I had been busy because I hadn't updated my blog lately. Today was my last day at work, which explains a lot of the hecticness. Leaving in the middle a school year is awkward of course, so people were peering over one shoulder before congratulating me on the new job and saying good-bye. My student wanted to have a party, so the morning was full of cakes and farewells.
Wednesday there was a weird schedule because of career day, so I took the opportunity to  visit the new school and meet my new students before the old teacher goes away.  It went very well.  The students all seem very polite and motivated and the facilities are amazing.  The teachers were also welcoming, though I'm sure they are concerned about the transition. 
I'm still trying to make sure all the paperwork gets done in time, even though I worked for the same school district 8 years ago, they want everything again so I've been spending afternoons working on all of that.  You'll all be relieved to know that I passed my drug testing and fingerprinting and that my teaching certificate has been accepted.  That just leaves government forms and official letters and lots of other tedious details that I won't bore you with.  I'll be sure to get it all sorted out ASAP though, as it's always nice to get paid. 
Then Anna decided to get sick and she shared with me.  Thankfully the urgent care clinic set me up with an antibiotic and something for my lungs and I'm feeling almost normal again.  The bug caught up with Sydney today and Kurt was able to stay home with her so that I didn't miss my last day at work.  Then this afternoon was my last day to teach hands on science for Anna's class.  The kids all made cards for me to read and chipped in to buy a cookie cake.  I promised them that I would hang all their cards up in my new classroom. 
I've slept the afternoon away already, so I'm thinking that I'll be awake for a while and might play with my red scraps for a bit.  I'm promising myself that I'll take some time out to sew a tiny bit this weekend. 
Monday is a student holiday and teacher workday for the public schools here.  Since Tuesday is my first official day of work I thought I would take the kids over and let them help me decorate my new room.  I've got some quilts to hang and a few books and supplies to settle in.  I'm sure I can find a bulletin board somewhere and let them hang up all my cards. 
I'm sorry for being out of touch recently.  Thank you all for your good wishes and congratulations.  I'm a bit behind on e-mail of course, but hoping to catch up as soon as things settle down a bit.  I'm not sure when that will be, but I'm just going to take things one day at a time for a while. 

My Day Today

I'm teaching two new advanced placement classes starting in 9 days.  I've been buried in books all day today.  It is fun and exciting, but I am starting to feel a little cross eyed.  We got a redbox movie though, and I'm going to sort some scraps while we watch. 

Scrap Happy Saturday

Use the links below to share your red (or other) scrap creations.  Just two more red Saturdays remain!

Craziest Week Ever

So, finally the big news that I haven't been able to share.  I have a new job!  I have been under strict instructions not to discuss it until a replacement could be found, but there is really no such thing as a secret in the age of facebook, and the secret is out. 
About a month ago I got a call from an old friend at the school where I used to work.  A teacher was leaving in the middle of the year and they needed a replacement.  I said no, of course.  I have a job, a good one.  Then she started to tell me about the position.  One double period of Advanced Placement Biology along with three sections of  Advanced Placement Environmental Science (APES).  All college level classes, all great students.  I agonized, and considered, and eventually decided to give it a try.  The interview was last Friday and it went REALLY well.  By that evening I had accepted a job offer.  All that remained was giving two weeks notice that I was going to be leaving my current job.  Even that went very well, though I was extremely apprehensive.  The best part is that even though it is a school of choice with a lottery for admission, as a teacher, my kids will get in automatically.  So now I know where they will go to junior high and high school.  I've basically been working two jobs during the transition.  Teaching my own classes as usual in the morning and then trying to get things ready for the new job in the afternoons.  Evenings are full of reading and planning and organizing. I'm trying to neatly tie up loose ends and prep two new courses while ensuring smooth transitions on either end.  I guess it is fair to say that it's been a bit busy around here. 
Tonight Kurt and the girls are off at a Father daughter dance.  The theme is pirates and princesses.  Ryan and I got a movie and some snacks and practiced being vegetables.  Actually, he vegetated while I worked on collecting and collating and organizing lessons and plans and ideas. 

Busy Times

It is hard to describe how busy things have been this week.  Frantic and good and terrifying and exciting.  There are just not enough hours in the day to fit it all in.  I'm hoping to be able to explain it all soon enough, but for now, well, its just to busy to take the time for that.  I am so hopeful that I will find a few minutes on the weekend to turn some fabric into something, but until then, back to work it is.

Playing with Scraps

I'm spending some time tonight playing with my red scraps while the Superbowl is going on.  I have a red heart die for the sizzix machine that I bought back when I used to do scrap booking.  I ironed some steam a seam onto the back of a some red strips and ironed them onto a set of the strips that I was using for nine patches.  It is going to turn into a mug rug.  I've also got a nice little stack of nine patches going along with lots more in the pipeline.  Mainly I'm trying to distract myself from goings on at work, and it is working for the most part.  Kurt is trying not to pass out on the couch from jet lag.  It is so nice to have him home again.  The Packers are still ahead in the third.  I think I'll make it all the way to the end.

Out of Breath and Likely to Stay That Way

It has been a doozy of a week. When you hear that coming from me, queen of over-scheduling, you have to believe that it is true. Today was kind of the cherry on top of all of the activity

It started innocently enough, Sydney asked if she could go swimming.  Never thinking anyone else would agree, I said, sure, just have everyone else ask their moms if it is OK.  I guess it was OK, because they all started showing up with towels and swimsuits.  At one point in time a strange little boy showed up all ready for swimming, telling me his mom was fine with it.  That is when I drew the line, telling him that I would need to actually meet his mom first and have her give permission for him to swim.  He never came back after that, so maybe she didn't know after all.  The kids said they knew him and he lives around the corner, but he was a stranger to me. 

I did manage to shoo everyone out of the pool and down from the clubhouse long enough to do a little bit of power sewing.  They may not look like it yet, but these are the strip sets for some highly adorable nine patches.  I see some ironing and sub cutting in my immediate future. 
As for the rest of the week, there is big news coming up, but I'm not quite ready to share yet.  Hopefully I'll be able to tie up the last few details on Monday and spill the beans then.  I did get to check up on most of the scrap happy list while the kids were frolicking.  I am really loving my i-pad for keeping up with blogs.  I'll hope to zoom through the rest after bed time for the kids.  Kurt is due home at some point in the night and things should be calmer then.    

Scrap Happy Saturday

Welcome to the first red Saturday.  Use the linky tool below to share your creations and plans for the new month.

Scrap Happy Saturday

 I'm working hard to finish off my green scraps.  It is a good thing, because today is the first Scrappy Saturday of April. 

Red

In case you missed my subtle hints, the color for February will be red.  I put away all my blue this afternoon and scrounged around for new scraps.  I was surprised at how much I came up with.  I thought red was a light color for me.  Ideas are percolating, but I'm seeing some little nine patches with the 1.5 inch strips and maybe a nice checkerboard with the 2 inch strips.  I don't think red has quite the same range as blue since I've pulled all the pink for another month.  I wonder why light blue is still blue but light red is considered to be another color?  I'll need an new idea for the 2.5 inch strips, but I'm thinking that the 3.5 inch strips want to be kaleidoscope blocks.  There will be some crumb hearts if I can make it work -- maybe raw edge or maybe reverse applique?
Anna came home from school sick today, so I'm getting some sub plans ready just in case she hasn't perked up by morning.  The kids all have a special talent for getting sick only when Dad is out of town.  I wonder how they manage that?