Dolly Makeover

   Two years ago my sister-in-law started teaching preschool in a Waldorf-type classroom.  Everything in the room was expected to be made from natural materials, and homemade items were very much encouraged.  Plastic was a total no-no.  Most of the classroom items she had collected over the years were, indeed, plastic, so she was kind of starting over.  To help her build a new collection, I made these dolls for her four year olds to play with:

   As you can see, they have no facial features other than eyes, and their clothes are very plain.  The idea is to leave as much as possible to the children's imaginations.

   Fast forward two years, and my sister-in-law is no longer going to be working in the same setting.  We went to pick up her personal items, and her dolls were, shall we say, well loved.  The boy was stark naked and much of his hair was half off his head.  The girl had been hugged to the point of looking like she had a serious eating disorder.  Her dress was a crumpled mess, although she, at least, had a dress!  I wish I had taken pictures of them, but I fell down on the job there.

   Next year my niece will be teaching in a more traditional first grade classroom, which I'm helping her set up.  It occurred to me that her mother's dolls could be made over to be reading buddies for her students.  Let's just say a sewing vortex came upon me!  In one day they went from a mess to this:

   The girl got added stuffing, and both got new clothes and actual faces.  I have to admit that much as I think there's a lot to be said for Waldorf programs, I like the refurbished dollies much better.  As for the icky green dress, it's now a Christmas dress.  Just add ribbon and lace, and poof! 

The color in this pic is pretty gross, but you get the idea.

Today's Feature

Today's feature in the new bathroom is the commode, better known as the cat perch. Sometimes we get to use it. Sometimes we have to go upstairs. CATS!

The Bathroom is Almost Finished at Last!

Today's feature is the sink. Occasionally we get to use it. Mostly it's a cat bed. Who says cats hate water?

New Beginnings

I do believe I have the most neglected blog on the planet. Well, it's a new school year, and it's a good time for new beginnings, so I'm going to try to start again with this blog. I'm not making any promises, mind you, but I'm going to give it another go. Keep your paws crossed!

Speaking of new beginnings, one of my favorite things about the start of a new school year, is decorating my classroom. I was so tired of my old decorations this year, so I decided to leave most of them in the closet and start fresh. The theme I chose was "Second Grade Safari". Of course, since my cats teach my class, the cats are leading the safari. Our most fearless safari cat is DK. Here he is on my classroom door all decked out in his safari hat.

The cats are all lined up in the window ready for a new year.

l Of course Professor Fibber Mcgee has a new group of recruits for his Glasses Club. They'll have to wear their glasses in order to see all the cool animals.

Wilson Persian is helping us find continents to travel to. Needless to say, we're starting in North America. I wonder what a safari in Antartica will be like.

Here are a couple more shots of our safari room:

I think the cats are going to have a great year. I hope the kids will too!

Sponge Duncan

We (that means Don) got the bathroom floor down and grouted. Duncan has claimed the bathroom as his own, and he has decided that a grouting sponge makes a great pillow!

Hey Teach!

It's been a rough summer with the bathroom remodel going on and on and on. I'm afraid I've quite abandoned my blog. Since I've had two requests in one day, I'm going to try to get back on the job again.

This summer's big knitting project has been this "Hey Teach" sweater designed by Helene Rush. It's knit from Second Time Cotton yard, which wasn't too bad to work with for a cotton. Hopefully, I can wear it fairly early on in the school year. You have to admit that the name of the pattern is appropriate!

I Don't Understand! (Posted by Mikey)

Why does she now keep her knitting needles in this bag that I can't open? I need thumbs!