Category: Caitlyn

Caitlyn, homeschooling

Cover Girl

 

Sometime last year I received an email from Capstone Press inquiring about a photograph on my site. I’d completely forgotten about the whole exchange. Last week, a box appeared on our porch. You can’t tell that’s my girl standing in for the actual Sarah Gillespie, but there she is, wearing the “olden times” Halloween outfit I made 3 years ago. Can I gloat just a little? The book is part of a new First-Person Histories series that uses diaries of real kids (approximately ages 10 to 16 or so) to make American history more than endless names and dates. In …

Caitlyn, quilts, sewing

One Crazy Pillow

 

When Caitlyn was younger and invited to birthday parties, shopping for a gift was pretty straightforward. I’d set a budget, we’d talk a little about a theme and then go to the book store. She didn’t always choose a book for her friends but Barnes & Noble does have a ever changing collection of activity books and small toys; it was a system that kept things fairly simple and contained. No popping indecisively in and out of stores, minimal distraction from other items that maybe weren’t right for the birthday person but just perfect for Caitlyn. Not to say that …

Caitlyn, homeschooling, Seasons

Costume Evolution

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Used to be, I wouldn’t ask Caitlyn what she wanted to be for Halloween, I just put bunny ears on her. In more recent years, we’d have conversations, usually in late summer, about costume options (although I’m fairly certain she didn’t request the fairy princess costume, I just wanted to make it), settling on a tiger or a pioneer girl. Last year’s FireCat was a collaboration. This year, it was all Caitlyn. She started planning back in early September. Her dragon costume went through a lot of mental permutations before taking shape, with big black wings (from her dress up …

Caitlyn, homeschooling

The Next Big Thing

Growing up, I didn’t like school much. Which is too bad, I suppose, since I was so good at it. The academic part, I mean. (When I received a “B” in college, I believe the general response was, “Thank the Lord! She’s human!”) It was dull and slow most of the time; I read novels during spelling tests, I invented extra layers to projects to make them interesting and challenging, I demanded extreme levels of perfection of myself (a habit that’s not serving me so well in the rest of life). I spent a lot of time hanging around my …

Caitlyn

Dinnertime Inventions

Tonight at dinner, Caitlyn announced that’s she half dragon. “And 1/4 and 3/4 cat.” After some back and forth (“You don’t understand what I’m saying!” “That’s right, maybe you could say it differently?”), she finally got a sticky note and drew a pie chart. We talked it through and when we were done, she said, “I’m one-half dragon, seven-sixteenth cats, and one-sixteenth human. Because otherwise, how would I be talking and eating with you?” Of course. She then decided that such a being was properly called a “drat.” This felt weird to me – although I opted not to explain …

Caitlyn

Summer Journal: Trapeze Lesson

 

At the beginning of the summer, Caitlyn decided she was ready to check out the flying trapeze at circus class. She took three swings and declared herself ready for a full lesson. Unfortunately, it took all summer for all the right pieces to fall into place for that lesson. And by the time it arrived, she’d gotten herself worked into a state of simultaneous fear and excitement: wanting so badly to fly and terrified to take that first step off the platform. (Not that I can blame her. As much fun as flying looks, I know I’d be scared silly …