Saturday, April 24, 2010

Fauquier County Arts Festival

The Fauquier County Arts Festival was April 16th and 17th this year. The week before the 4th grade music performance and the same weekend as the VA Sports Complex Frozen Ropes Baseball tournament in Ruthgers Glen, VA - outside of Richmond. Needless to say I was a little stressed and very busy!

I had a parent helper create my invitations that tell the students which of their artwork was selected. This is a big step for me - I usually do everything myself and I am proud to have made this small step in delegating and asking for help. So the rest - selecting the work, mounting the work, labeling the work, displaying the work - was all that was left for me :-) It was a great success and I wish I had gotten more pics of the display! Here is the poster that was created by a Kettle Run High school design student. Loved it! The theme this year was Art & Soul.
I had a lot of students, parents and fellow teachers come to visit. This is a great time to get some validation for all the hard work the art teachers do throughout the year. We get a chance to show off and share what we love! Helping students create great work and learn about great artists! It was very exciting this year as one of my fifth graders won best of show - from ALL THE ELEMENTARY art that was there.

His work will go on to be displayed at the Virginia School Board Office in Charlottesville as well as at the Virginia Assembly in Richmond. Here is his piece - contour line drawing with different black pens then painted with liquid watercolor - choosing warm and cool colors to set off the plants from the background. Here is the work and his cool certificate:
There is a bit of a battle going on between the art teachers about keeping the school's work together. I am one who believes it is easier for me and easier for my parents to find their child's as well as their neighbors and child's friends work if it is together as a school. The way the other teachers do it is bring all the work and then hang it all willy nilly so nobody even the art teacher knows where it is hung because HS volunteers hang it. Then you get angry parents, damaged and lost work. Their theory is that people will look at more work if they have to hunt for their child's work among all the work hung. I like to know who comes and I want to see the student's face when they describe the lesson and show off the work to their family. If people have time they will stay and look at everything else, but if their child's work is there - they want to find it take pics and then browse if they don't have to rush off to the next child's event. Enough about that here are some pics of my display - all together - easy to find and easy to put up and take down - and easy to display once I get back to school - as I have had it in the hallway outside my door.
 Luckily my principal was attending and helped me deliver my display back to our school, which happens to be right behind the high school where the art show was. The I rushed home to let the dogs out and hopped in the car and got to the last few innings of the first game of the baseball tournament!

I still do...

Haven't seen me here in a long while - time to catch up! First I had an anniversary. My husband and I celebrated being married for 15 years on April 8th, 2010.

He sent the most beautiful flower arrangement to my school. Here is a pic of it in my very messy corner of the art room - yes that is my desk under there somewhere.
They were delivered on Thursday so I left them at school to enjoy them all day on Friday too. I took them home for the weekend where they have brightened the counter ever since. I will be tossing them out today! I think it is the most gorgeous longest lasting bouquet I have ever received. Each day new lilies would open with a bright red and a strong fragrance. I did one day where I took everything out and rearranged it and it looked like a brand new purchase!



These stargazer lilies are the same as the ones in my weeding flowers. These close ups where taken 9 days later! This bouquet lasted a solid 2 weeks! Amazing...

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Spring Break... is over

Creative Every Day Challenge for April is the 5 Senses. I think my Spring Break recap can cover them all.

Today was my first day back to work after being on Spring Break for 10 days. It started out slow then picked up steam as the week went on. We relaxed the first few days and put out some calls for play dates for Bailey. Since I didn't want to sit around doing nothing waiting for the phone to ring I decided we would go to the Zoo on Tuesday. The weather had not quite turned yet there was a threat of rain and it was very windy. So I put on three shirts packed a towel and an umbrella and set the GPS (even though I didn't follow it). I enjoyed driving through DC showing Bailey where I went to school at The Corcoran School of Art(sight), where the monuments are and how my friends used to ride the metro out to the zoo when we were in High School. A lot of things were still closed but we had a good time and I had fun photographing all the textures (sight). Bailey said he liked the Prairie Dogs best - it was fun because they were so close. Throughout the zoo they were mulching (smell) the landscaping so the animals didn't smell too bad!

I enjoyed the lions! The big boy lion was out and pransing - I swear he was posing for everyone. He reminded me of Alex from Madagascar. He also gave us a little roar (hearing)- more like a hello.


I also enjoyed the Reptile House, especially all the little reptile gargoyles on the building:
The turtle pond was so fun to watch - there were sooooo many of them!




I have a picture of all my High School friends on this froggy - will have to dig it out...

The rest of our week involved a lot of baseball - as does our springs and summers. We watched a high school team play - I helped out coaching the rec ball team (touch) and we went to see the Red Sox play the Nationals in DC. The park has games for the kids - Bailey struck out Ryan Howard and Bobby Abreau at the digital pitching booths. He is throwing about 45 MPH. (HE ROCKS!)

It was an exhibition game because the Sox usually don't play the Nationals in the regular season. The Red Sox beat them with ease! Bailey and I enjoyed our baseball favorite - sunflower seeds, as well as hot dogs and cracker jacks (taste) to make it a true all american day we were just missing the apple pie! We also watched the Red Sox opening game against the Yankees. It was an awesome game and the Red Sox won! Great way to start off the season, I hope they can keep it up and shut up all the Yankee fans this season!

We enjoyed a car trip to see the land my father-in-law just purchased in Cumberland County Virginia. It was interesting setting out on this two hour trip and to not really end up anywhere. It was Easter Sunday so I felt like we should have been going to Grandma's house. And it was a little upsetting to finally 'arrive' and not be able to go tot he bathroom! The only thing on the land was a mailbox, a rusty can, pricker bushes (touch) and a dead dear (smell). There was a small stream (hearing) and a few abandoned sheds, too. Most of the property we couldn't get to using the four wheelers. My husband is already plotting the large equipment he wants to bring back next time!






We had fun and it was a beautiful day!!
 Our last day of break was Monday so we slept late and took it easy. We went and met Dad for lunch. Then made sure we were in bed at a decent hour. Can't wait for summer - only about 10 more weeks!

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Zoo-y TEXTURES!

Going to the zoo definately uses all your senses! My son and I went to the National Zoo in Washignton, DC during our Spring Break. It was still a little chilly - and a lot windy but at least it didn't rain like they were calling for. I figured it would be better if we went when the weather was a little off instead of when it warmed up and then everyone would be there! It was a nice walk and I enjoyed taking pictures of all the wonderful textures! Here is a little collage I put together...

Today I am taking my son and two if his friends to the indoor pool. I will be taking  good book! Enjoy being an April Fool today!