I Am SO Making These

Found this idea on Pinterest (where else?) and had to share! My idea will be simpler--the kids won't draw such intricate snowflakes, so they'll get to paint whatever they would like to leave white and we'll water color the rest. We happen to have cool silvers, blues, greens, etc. in watercolors (the cheap kind), so I think it will turn out well, especially as a project for two weeks of no curriculum. The full tutorial for the project (and all the credit for the idea) comes from a blog called The Mayberry Sparrow.

The picture has an Amazon link

I have to say, preschool is MUCH more fun without a curriculum. It's like babysitting, and I can get all excited about silly things (like popsicle stick snowflakes and metallic paper coloring). Not to mention it's easier. I had all of our pre-k kids, which equaled ten. It was easy to give everyone my full attention, and listen to their stories, help with crafts, read fun snowmen books, etc. For "circle time" (more like a line with so few kids and no curriculum) I handed out parts to a snowman. There was a body (three pieces), two arms, two eyes, a nose, a hat, and a scarf, which equaled enough for each kid to have one (I also created this about five minutes before circle, so I thought it turned out well). We discussed how you build a snowman, and in what order, then each kid got to bring forward a piece of the snowman and put it together. Then we read The Biggest, Best Snowman, a book my mom used to read me when I was little. I actually brought it in from my home Christmas collection. The overall theme worked out far better than I had planned (especially for no planning whatsoever), and the kids loved it. They kept connecting ideas back to it for the rest of the day. I had a really great bunch of kids, which was incredibly lucky. They worked well together and we had no fights, no tears, no problems. The whole day was smooth as chocolate, and I even got out early.

The dramatic play area currently has a backdrop of snowflakes, snowmen, and white not-Christmas lights. I've added snow to the area, and I'll be stopping at Goodwill for cheap winter clothes for them to wear while playing in the "snow" as well. I don't have super up-to-date pictures of the area yet, so I haven't created a page, but I will soon (hopefully).

I can't wait for some of the other cool crafts I have planned! I'll update as we complete them (if I remember to take pictures).

I'm a Teacher, I'm an Artist, I'm a Writer, I'm a...Plumber?

The list goes on and on. The things I do for my job that are not related to teaching, that is. (Discontinue reading if you have a weak stomach). Yesterday I cleaned up one of my students' puke in his cereal bowl. Poor guy had been sick all day, but without actual symptoms (such as throwing up what little lunch he managed to eat) we couldn't send him home, though we did call dad to let him know. Every day, I'm cleaning--I clean more at school than I ever have at home. My parents would be amazed. This job is also how I became an artist. Some of the stuff I draw--freehand, by the way--is pretty cool. I'm impressed with myself. I clean things, all the time. I'm an acting mechanic for Things That Don't Work, or Things That Accidentally Fell Apart But I Have No Idea Why, despite the fact that what I went to school for--psychology--has nothing to do with the mechanics of things other than the brain. Also, did I mention that I clean?

Speaking of cleaning, I now bring you to the point of this post. In our classroom, the kids have their own sink which they use to wash hands after bathroom, recess, before snack and lunch, etc. Their towels are extra biodegradable because we can't recycle them for sanitary reasons. So, if we're going to fill up landfills, it might as well be with cheap, easily-mushed up towels.

Do you get where I'm going with this? Easily-mushed up towels is key here.

Their sink has been clogging quite a bit the past few weeks, which I'd noticed before. Not really my job to clean it, so I figured we'd let someone higher up know and it'd get taken care of. Not so. Instead, I found myself hunting down a screw driver when one of my students told me that there were paper towels in the drain. Which, of course, were stuck underneath. Which brings us to the screwdriver.

Which brings us to the most disgusting sight I've ever seen.

Seriously, I almost threw up like my poor flu-victim. It was nasty! I wish I'd taken a picture, just so I could prove how gross this drain was. It was COMPLETELY plugged up with dissolved paper towels, mold, slime, sludge, or whatever you want to call it. No matter what it was, it was disgusting. And I spent half an hour cleaning it out, making our drain good-as-knew. Sort of. It still needs some work, but that requires a real plumber. Someone who actually has experience with that kind of thing. For now, it makes a good story. I'm considering cleaning out someone else's drain just so I can add a photo to this post. If I can brave the grossness.

Thank goodness for gloves.

More Leaking Frustration About My Turkey

My mom heard my entire rant about having to take down my Turkey. That really wasn't my best moment, and I'm still pretty bitter about it. Anyway, she forwarded this email to me. I would like to state that these are not my opinions, nor did I write the following. I am copying it directly from an email. I just find it worth sharing.

Subject: Lighting of the Christmas Tree!

Dear Friends, On Monday, I hosted the lighting of the Christmas Tree that is inside our Capitol building...and yes, I do call it a Christmas Tree! In my first year as Governor, I issued an Executive Order that encourages the celebration of Christmas and Hanukkah and prohibits any censorship of these religious holidays. I encourage you to read and share the executive order with your family and friends by clicking here. As you may know, in the past, state and local officials in Arizona (and elsewhere) have attempted to strip Christmas of its meaning, including establishment of policies forbidding state employees from placing religious items of celebration at their desks, and re-naming Christmas trees as “holiday” trees. Under my administration, I call things what they are and will gladly allow Christmas be celebrated at the State Capitol. Please click here to go to my Facebook page and comment if you agree! I encourage my colleagues and fellow elected officials across the nation to do the same. Yes, Merry Christmas everyone! Sincerely, Jan Brewer Governor of Arizona      ©2012 JAN PAC. Paid for by Jan PAC and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. www.janpac.com