Crochet progress and outdoor chores

Whoa! The last soaker took me a whole month to make; this one only took me a week! And it is so much better.

I was talking with my friend Julie last night about preferred methods of learning. I do not want to "practice." I never have. I want to do, make, create. Forget showing me a stitch and having me do row after row of it to learn how to get it right. I'm more likely to be motivated by a project I want to do: the pattern says double crochet? Ok, what's that? And then I need to do something on the front post? What does that mean? That's why my first attempt was such a wreck: I was trying to keep too many new things in my head at one time. But it's also why I was so satisfied at the end: I had a product I could really use. And then I was happy to make another one, trying now to get it right. Julie, on the other hand, would much rather learn one stitch perfectly before trying to use it in a project (and her projects look infinitely better than mine, no surprise!). How do you like to learn?

So now I've got a few other projects in the works. I've joined the rest of the class in making this:

There are only 2 more classes left; I'm really hoping I'll be able to finish it in that time. And I've already started a third soaker. And I'm working on some of these for Christmas presents (aren't you proud of me? I started earlier, as I'd hoped!) I started the first one today, and am trying to figure out the pattern on my own (so far, my teacher's been translating the patterns into regular English for me). I'm finding if I read it really slowly, I can do it! Yay!
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And outdoors...

We spent a few hours this afternoon at the park with friends, but naturally, I forgot the camera! I did remember to take it out when we hung one of the many loads of laundry I did today. Lucy likes helping with laundry: she takes each item out of the bag and hands it to me to hang. Later, she takes each item out of the bag again and hands it to me for folding.

(This made me think of one of my best tips for ensuring you get out every day: make sure you have some outdoor chores. I go outside several times a day, by necessity: I hang at least one load of laundry, take care of chickens at least twice a day, and get the stinky diapers and full-up compost out of the house daily. When you head out the door so many times a day, rain or shine, hot or cold, it stops seeming like a big ordeal. That got me thinking about a few other get-out-the-door-easily tips I've accumulated over 17 years of teaching and a year of mamahood. I'll share more as the month goes on.)

Play along with us during the month of April for Children and Nature Awareness Month by posting a picture of your child(ren) each day enjoying the outdoors! Get outdoors and climb a tree! Visit the other Great Outdoor Challenge players- lisa, sanders, angelina, phyllis, sarah, christie, jennifer, debbie, dong dong, denise, luisa, joy, stephanie, cori, alex, dawn, kristen, catherine, tricia, becky, christy, ruth, kari, courtney, branflakes, jessica, renee, haiku, brynn, amy, clemencia, sherry, leslie, lise, renee, anet, jenn, marina, amy, ella, marcia, karen, beth, julie, kyndale, kelly, lizzie, eileen, ag, mari-ann, cindy, robin, nicole, debbie, julia, renee, anita, lisa, jenn, montessori, marita, jeannie, hallie, mandy, kangaroo, andrea, joey, carmen, teena, stephinie, gidget, elizabeth, emma, rosina, saminda, melissa, katie, becca, atouria, barbara, ariella, missy