Sewing : Leather Laptop Sleeve

Its my brothers' birthday!
Meet Joe.
He is a Yuppie.
For real.
I'm homemade.
He's mass made.
Love him.
He owns and Ad agency.
So therefore always carrying his Mac.
(yes I'm from way back then. I say Mac and I say 'apple key' which is now known as the 'cmd key... I think)

So I decided to sew him a Brown Leather Sleeve, with red stitching and a Star...he loves red and he loves stars.
I attempted leather with no walking foot?!?!
The material did slip a lot.
Somehow, it added to the rough look and I feel I was going for.
No.
No mistakes here.
Seriously it IS what I was going for...
Haven't convinced myself yet.

I will definitely invest in a walking foot for my machine.
Leather is an awesome material to work with.
Would love to mix linen with it.

Happy Birthday Joe.

Love and Light

Homeschool : A new approach

So.
Two boys.
Two years apart.
Two love languages.
Two personalities.
Two learning styles.

One is an extrovert, by the book, colour in the lines, play with regular toys kinda child.
Meet Joshua.

In walks Elijah, an introvert, out of the box, out of the lines...in fact hates coloring in or drawing (sees it as punishment I tell ya!), looks in the recycling bin for toys kinda child.

We have had to be incredibly creative with this little man.
Patient.
Real patient.
Bless Joshy's little heart, I think he has the most interaction with Elijah.
Therefore the most patience.
(Lijie speaks in pages not words.)
(For real!)

I also think the ease of having Joshua be so...easy?!?
His mind works within boundaries.

Elijah, well he learns best when he is all over the place.
Using his hands and being tactile is his way of saying "I'm getting mind working here."

Joshy works in words and numbers.
Elijah works in colours, songs, lego, play dough, scissors string, styrofoam, PET bottles, sand, mud, old screws, wood, pretty much everything unrelated to traditional school.
Yes I'm a terrible mommy.
For real, no pity party here!
It took me 8 months to figure out how this child works.
In the mean time, telling him to sit still, colour in NICELY....
I really was being unsupportive, in his mind punishment.

Now.
No pens, crayons, paper, unless its for cutting, no worksheets.
He is doing super fine now.
We started from the beginning...third way though our year,
his way!

By the way.
I have started alternating the boys schooling by week instead of throughout the day;
one week Josh, the next week Lijie.
This is possible if you have 2 kids...
not sure what's going to happen if we grow.

What's your schooling like?


Love and Light

Joshy with his cursive and Lijie on his letters.

Still at it, and its still fun...

Rummikub for number recognition

Sewing | I Heart Burlap

I do!
Not sure why though?!?
It's incredibly dusty.
Falls apart if you stitch too close to the edge.
Eish.

But it is Pretty.
This bag was based on two patterns:
I love Novita's style.
Between the lines is a simple style blog that I do enjoy.
I would make this bag again with a few changes: longer straps and longer bag.
I still love it though.
Even though it does itch me.
Love and Light,

Homeschool: Compassion

South Africa.
As much as there is Joy in our country there is sadness and heartache.
While we have beautiful animals.
Lions are at risk for the belief that their bones may bring some miraculous power...for men.
Our Rhinos, beautiful, but close to extinction.

Our people, have scars.
Xenophobia, apartheid, discrimination, fraud.
Prostitution, AIDS, poverty, and way more to add to that list.

And yet you can find happiness at a traffic light.
Young men selling art, mandarines, pecan nuts and sunglasses.
With smiles on their hearts trying to make an honest living.

Our primary decision in homeschooling our Boys,
was to teach them compassion.
Teach them that 99% of the world lives this way.

The Lighthouse Baby Shelter,  is a place for abandoned babies.
(unfortunately I cannot link their website, you can find them on Facebook)
The concept is based on the Door of Hope Ministries also known as Hole in the Wall,
here in South Africa.

A little Moses Basket is cut into the wall,
where if you are a Mommy who cannot look after her baby,
can leave him or her in there safely.
Once the baby is in, the door locks an alarm sounds,
this is all surveyed, and a caregiver gets the baby.

Elenor, the woman who runs The Lighthouse, is awesome.
She is strong, beautiful and blessed.
A heart like Jesus!

Every Tuesday, the Boys, Kim, her mom Anne, Sue, Michelle (my Sister in Law), Luke and Hannah
go to the Lighthouse. Here we teach, play and share our lives with these beautiful children.

I believe it is conditioning their heart to love.
I hope it grows.
Compassion.

Its not easy for a 6 and 4 year old to pour out their hearts.
Joshy and Lijie you are the most amazing boys.
Your hearts truly belong to Jesus.
Your Mommy loves you boys!

Atini: Caregiver

Kim Kohler: Teacher and Friend

Whole World in His Hands

All Kinds of Fun

Fun

Love and Light
>i<

In this Crazy Life, I am not alone.

So much is happening right now.
As my family grows every day,
we take on new responsibilities,
new ventures, new tithings.
We open our hearts and we close it.
We show compassion and sometimes
we become selfish.

Its just the way this crazy life works.
Or rather how I allow God to work in this crazy life.

Our future and our faith lies in God.

Whether it's us exploring Catholicism,
trying to live a minimalist life,
trying to be earth conscience,
exploring monasticism,
being compassionate,
finding new ways to school my boys or
understanding that I have two different children.
(I can add many more to this list)

God holds me, as long as I walk with Him
in this Garden of my Crazy life, as long as I take his hand.
I find that not only God walks with me;
Jacques is with me,
on the same path,
in this same
Crazy Life.
And my Boys
follow.