NYC Adventure

We all needed a little break from being at home this week of Christmas. With Caitlin already going to Sil's this would be a great opportunity to go into the City. I want the kids to know what it's like going into the City, going to Museums and Restaurants. It's expensive, but I think it's a great experience for them. NYC is so close, it would be a shame not to take advantage of it. I've only taken the boys in so far. Bob doesn't enjoy going except for a occasional concert or Yankee Game. Caitlin is too young yet to appreciate it plus I could never handle all three and just me. We got ready for the day same as usual, dropped Caitlin off at Sil's and made our to way to Fairfield for the 9:59. I hoped to just make it in off peek save a little money. $25 later we had 3 round trip tickets off peek. I thought that by putting the tickets into my back pocket they would be safe. Well just after lunch at Pazza Notte we started walking toward the Museum when a young lady came up to me and asked if I had dropped some tickets. OMG I was so lucky to have had such a nice person find my tickets. If I discovered no tickets later on when we where on the train going home, it would have been disastrous! I would have had no tickets, and only a credit card to pay with all my cash was gone from paying for the taxi. I'm not sure if they except credit on the train?    

Hungry and cold, Sean takes a moment to look out the Restaurant window. Plus he kept shying away from the camera. 

   It was so cold on our way walking to lunch, I had to buy hats for all of us and gloves for Sean. Thie boys were too hungry and it was too crowded to get any closer to Rockefeller Center. So this is as close as we got!The American Museum Of Natural History was so amazing.... the boys listened to me reading about each dinosaur and Aidan took a lot of pictures to save the memory. Here are some of our favorites:

Dumb Dumb want Gum Gum!

 There were hundreds of ornaments that were origami, so cool! Aidan really appreciates this because he use to create origami things all the time.

Outside the Museum standing in front of a tree in the shape of a dinosaur.

                          .

A visit with Santa,

 This past week Caitlin showed interest in meeting Santa. She said, "can I see Santa? " We went to the Mall and stood in what was a short line. She grew scared as she kept peeking at him and hugging me. I told her we could go for a shake at Johnny Rocket's after if she wanted. She got too anxious and only wanted to go to Johnny Rocket's. I wasn't going to make her meet Santa, so with only four more families to go, we got out of line and went to Johnny's. We were able to sit at the counter and we ended up ordering hamburgers and fries. While we finished up our early dinner, I looked over and saw that there was no line for Santa. Caitlin  wouldn't have to wait so she was Egor to try to meet Santa again.  We were next in line and Caitlin sat with Santa but didn't smile for the camera. In fact, you can totally tell she is holding back a smile! Santa asked her if she wanted green socks for Christmas and she said, "pink and orange". Too cute!

Weekend Crafter Project #1 Christmas Card Garland

Step #1 Dye Clothes Pins 5 minutes in boiling hot water

Step #2 Allow to dry for a couple of hours before decorating

Step #3 Decorate using different colored acrylic paint markers, don't forget white like I did!

Step #4 Hot Glue Assorted Christmas Buttons to the top of each close pin and clip to 2 inch ribbon

Shelley showing off her crafty skills

Caitlin showing off her Card Garland!

Step #5 Hang over something like front door or in the kitchen around my husband's   

home built message board

Step #6 Use 2 large Command Brand Hooks by 3M which probably was the most expensive part of my project.

Colombus Day Weekend

    This weekend we headed to Gilboa. With hopes of seeing some New York State foliage. An extension of my Birthday.  It was just as I hoped it would be. it was so beautiful !!! My favorite thing to do is go for a walk on the trails and through the woods on the peninsula or what has been referred to as Beaver Point.      

 The sun shown Saturday morning briefly but soon disappeared.  After some riding on their dirt bikes Aidan and Sean were ready to go out. Hunter Mountain was only  20 minutes away and it was still warm enough to walk around outside at Octoberfest. We had a blast...we stuffed ourselves with hot dogs and sausage, pepper and onion, and some German beer for myself! That beer was so yummy!! It also allowed my pain from my suspected TMJ disappear for a little while. I guess that could be the Advil I took before we left?

I love this picture....all the boys are smiling! 

    Anyway, just walking around and taking it all in was fun! Everyone except Caitlin's and I went onto the sky lift. The bigger of all the lifts it went all the way  to the top of Hunter Mountain. Aidan was a little nervous as they got closer to the top of the mountain. He sort of moaned and had that look of horror, pale in the face. Grandpa said he felt the same way when he went on his first sky left ride! After downing some ice cream, we walked our way over to the kiddy tent to watch a puppet show. it starting raining enough to need to take shelter. The boys not wanting to hangout in the rain, made a B line for the bathrooms, then back to the car. Grandma, me and Caitlin caught up with them and we all returned to the cabin.

My Hubby

     Yep, It's been a while since I have had the chance to write and post pictures! Lets see, My days are jammed packed full! Since Bob has been working late, (between 7:00- 7:30. the last couple of months,
( because his #1 man hurt him self and had to go for surgery! ) He's out for several months! This makes all the housework on me. I do have someone clean every other week, so I shouldn't complain!

     Bob is really good at what he does, too good in fact! He has that perfectionistic personality...."it must get done right and look perfect!" This is a good thing for what he does Garage Door Installations. There isn't enough of him to go around to all the facets of his job! Installing, sales, and now a new workshop in a the buliding across the way from his shop, office, and showroom, which by the way is totally awesome! So you can image what a hard worker he is!!
     He is a great dad too! When the boys are getting bored at home, because I won't allow them to play video games all day, then he will take them to the shop. They love it! Even if they are with dad and toss around the football it's great!!! Unfortunately, our time together is very limited! Caitlin misses her dad too sometimes when she isn't glued to me.  As soon as the kids are in bed, so is Bob! I wish some how I could have more time away with him so there isn't any stress from work or the kids! :)

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!  #41

What a great day!!! Aidan wanted a little something for me and he took on the hostess role of invited my in laws and mom over Sunday night for a wonderful chocolate delight! YUM! 

Add caption

The #9 Candle from Aidan's last year's party was the only candle in the house! And it wouldn't stay lite so Bob held a flame for me to blow out. 

                                                                                                     

Other things the kids did was Aidan and Bob drew a card for me and Aidan said I was the best mom in the universe. Caitlin finally took her medicine after tapping close the refrigerator. The last five days giving her meds for her sinus infection was a dreaded deed because we had to hold her back from knocking the syringe out of our hands or spit it out after forcing it into her mouth! Aidan had a big brother talk with her explaining how it would be a nice B-day gift if she took her medicine like a BIG girl. Well it worked! She held the cup and drank it all up! Sean felt like he needed to do something for me so he grabbed a banana and wrapped in up in cellophane and then newspaper handing it me me with a giggle.
Thank you everyone for a wonderful day!!!

A Color of His Own-Kindergarten Collage

This year I have two extra classes I teach besides the regular classes that are all Kindergarten and First Grade. One of the Extra classes needs to be taught in the regular Kindergarten classroom because there is an other class that Peggy teachers down in the art room at the same time. With this extra class I don't need to "follow" the curriculum per say, I could go in different directions, try new things, even do experiments! However, after working with this class for three class times I realized they there are some special needs children that may need extra time learning the basic skills like cutting, hand washing, general direction following. etc. The only hard part is doing projects that aren't as messy as those we do in the art room.   Here are a few of their resent pieces.    

I can't figure out why when I tried to turn around the photos in the photo wizard program they cam up right side up. Then when I go to place them here they turn around again! Anyway, as you can see their are variations project out comes! As you can see here most would cut out the entire chameleon but, some ran out of time or had trouble with the smaller fine motor skills of cutting the triangles out for the toes! One even kept cutting even though he had cut enough, he discovered that tape would do the job of fixing some over cuts. I let him continue to tape even though he didn't need too. Using the tape dispenser isn't an easy skill for a Kindergarten, I was impressed! Next I will definitely have this student STOP before he does too much  to his project! He doesn't know when to stop!    

Class or no Class?

     I keep trying to decide if I should do a class on Saturday mornings during the fall. As soon as Thanksgiving hits there is no time to have class as all my extra time is devoted to everything Holiday. I absolutely LOVE Fall and can think of a million projects I would like to do with the kiddos! From Autumn trees to Halloween Monster Paintings to something decorative at Thanksgiving.   
  *Autumn Tree Paintings
  *Real Leaf Rubbings
  *Miro goes Spooky Pastel and Tempera Paintings 
  *Itsy Bitsy Spiders Painting and Collage 
  *Monster Paintings
  *3-D Tom the Turkey for Thanksgiving       

Some Changes in the Art room and the First Weeks of Art Lessons

    Here it is after 2 weeks I've got my art teacher grove on!! It was a slow start with only teaching one class a day. Not too challenging, but I was able to get some other things done as you will see at the bottom of this post.

I'm back into my routine and enjoying my classes so far. Both grades have completed their Self Portraits and the second project of the school year is underway....... 

    After Reading Mouse Paint by                       Each grade did a lesson involving Primary and Secondary Colors. Kindergarten mixed using watercolors. This isn't as simple as you may think because of their short attention span and the clean up which is an entire lesson in it self. 

My example of Watercolor Mix.

First Grade started Color Wheels using Tempera Paints. Week #1 they painted in the Primary Colors and Week #2 they
used the Primary Colors to mix in the Secondary Colors and added in a mouse they draw themselves.  Pictures to Follow.

 Supply Area:

 Before

 After

Wall as you enter art room:

Before

I don't feel like its complete!! Maybe words?

After

Marker and Color Pencils:

Before

 After

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AIDAN!!!

I can't believe my Aidan is 10 today!!! He is not a little boy anymore, but a blossoming young man.

Not to compare him to flowers, but he is really maturing!! 

New School Year, New Art Projects

I've had these wonderful eye dropper thing-a-ma-jigs that I haven't found a use for until now... GREAT FOR KINDERGARTEN and First Grade COLOR EXPERIMENTING! I would allow them to only use the Primary Colors Paints to create the SECONDARY COLORS at first then have them make something like a germ design with the second half of class. Allow to dry then use sharpie markers for mouth and googgly eyes !

Link that explains project in detail:

http://raisingsparks.com/craft-activities/blow-painting/

Art Room Make Over

Help: I 'm hoping to have the time to make over the art room and make it visually appealing especially to my students which are Kindergartners and First Grades. As my goal for the school year I'm working with students, teachers, parents, (hopefully my husband the woodworker) and anyone else who can help me make the room appealing for students with Autism. This is what the room looks like right now. In the middle there are several nice black tables to accommodate a class of 20-25 children. 

Help!! Got any ideas for me?