Lollipop, Lollipop!

So last nights post was too lengthy, so I share this story today.

This is e and his special lollipop treat.

Potty training e was actually rather easy. I've written about this before. I was more nervous about it than he was, worrying about when I would find the time. I didn't have to reward him with special these and that's, for him it was more about the games we'd play on the potty.

What I did start doing though is giving him a special treat if he came home in the same underwear as he went to school in. I thought it would be a nice reward for an accident free school day. I bought these lollipops at Trader Joes. They are colored with natural ingredients like turmeric for the yellow and beet juice for the red. No yellow #4 crappies!

Anyway, he loves them... We also sing the song together... You know the song where at the end of it you make the pop noise in your cheek?

This photo is of him having his lollipop while watching The Bee Movie while I cook dinner. When I asked him if it was watermelon flavored he just looked at me and said... e: "Noooooo! It's not a watermelon Mommy!"

So What Do You Think About That?

Tonight has been full of fun. So much so that this post will be a collage of it all.

First, I will start with the end of the evening. I'm doing this so that I can properly script our evenings prayers. When e and I say prayers we always start with giving thanks and end with blessing family, friends, pets or even perhaps his toys around the room. The routine is such that I say the thank you part and he names the names. Well tonight was different, e asked to say the thank you part and I say the names. It went a little something like this...
e: thank you Jesus for I like that I'm better, I feel better. And I took a nap at Daddy's house. And I saw a dinosaur. /saying to me/ your prayers? yeah? Okay.
me: Daddy
e: Good, okay
me: Mommy /his same response/Elliott.../and on and on/

See, last night was a Daddy night and when I give thanks I always say for a nice time at Daddy's house. So his version was remembering that he slept there and then taking it further to remembering (giving thanks for) the weekend at the Science Center and making a dinosaur at Build-A-Bear. And the "okay" part, he's been saying this a lot lately as to give confirmation that it was a good thought, suggestion, comment etc. And I always say "good" after he names a name so that's where he got that part.

It's just so sweet to hear him and then to know that he's caught on to giving thanks before we launch into our needs and wants. I'll have to record him sometime, narrating it just doesn't give it justice.

Earlier this evening was the first time I heard him ask me "so, what do you think about that?". It was to a line-up of the evening; when we were to play, eat dinner and so forth. He placed it all nice and neatly into his own order of favorites and then asked me my thoughts. Pretty cute.

After dinner he decided he wanted to take pictures. Not the kind on the computer but with my camera. It was sitting out, grabbed his attention and so I decided to coach him on proper handling and shooting. Here are a few he took...


Lastly, I had to catch on camera his maternal instincts. You would think I have another baby in my belly and I've been preparing him for a sibling. He's been taking to his animals and now a baby doll so much and caring for them so intently. I can't help but watch him and get a little melancholy that I can not give him a brother or sister now. I would truly love to e.

We can pray to Jesus, "what do you think about that" ? ; )

Art Camp Installation

I believe the camp was a success. I am very thankful to all the OneBlazers who helped and all those behind the scenes!

This is a photograph of the installation (that is currently up for the rest of the week) along with the entire team of helpers and my students.

Once the installation is down, I will salvage some pieces to make a permanent piece. I will also complete the (ever-so-late) piece from last year. My hope is that every year we create a work of art that will forever hang on the walls of Jubilee.

Enjoy!

2008 Jubilee Art Camp

I have had the fortunate opportunity to work the Jubilee Art Camp again this year. The camp started on Wednesday and will end on Friday. My days have been; work, teach and Mommy.

It's been a rather hectic week, e was sick at the beginning of it. I prayed I wouldn't catch what he had because I had no back up and 33 children on my roster. I've survived day two and am ready for tomorrow.

Here are some pictures I took today. The children seem to be truly enjoying themselves. Day one we worked on a large watercolor mural (which you will see in the background of some of the pictures). Today was a day of sculpture. Tomorrow will start with a sand sculpture project and end with an installation. We will take all of our creations and install them, leaving them up for two weeks. The children will participate in this event so that they understand the importance of presentation.

We not only create Art in my classroom but speak to the pieces and exhibit them. To be a true Artist you must be able to speak about the work you've created and present it well. I look forward to the pictures I will take tomorrow and meeting the parents. We've invited family and friends. The installation will be up for several weeks in hopes many will return to see it.

This camp was free but the work generated out of it....priceless! It's amazing to watch such talent in these children. I was even blessed with some children with special needs. Their approach to their crafts was truly amazing to watch. I continue to learn from the students I teach, thank you!

e Hunt Tooted

(Click on the title...it will take you to the audio)

Ok, this was too silly to pass up.

e was home sick today and we were getting a little stir crazy. This is what we did for fun.

Enjoy!

P.S. I repeated it twice at the end if you missed it.

Fun Photos To Share

This photo is of e after we set up Ewan Fish's tank. I asked him if he was happy he had a pet fish.


This photo is the first one e has ever took with my camera. I took a picture of him so he wanted to take a picture of me. He held it well and this is what he took.


Then e decided he wanted to take another photo so this is one he took of his horse.


This is our new armoire I found off of Craigslist. An amazing deal from a very sweet family I met who are moving overseas. I'm so happy to hide the television away now.

A New Addition To Our Family...

...meet Ewan Fish.

Although e's Birthday isn't for several months, I have managed to finish his Birthday shopping and gave him one of the two presents yesterday. Ewan Fish is an early Birthday present. Because of my continued guilt of e not having a pet at Mommy's house (e has Lola at his Daddy's house, a miniature Dotson) I bought him a Beta fish.

Yesterday I had to go see my printer and next door is a pet store. I got in my car, thought about it, drove away discouraging myself and then backed up the car to go in and make the purchase. Yes, that pet store was going nowhere but I felt the need to buy him a fish.

I was able to pick up e from school early. Excited, I showed him his surprise in the car after he was unsuccessful at guessing. First it was "a special treat?" then "a shirt?" so wa-la I pulled out his new fish. After discouraging him to hold the bag of water in the car, I put it back in the front seat safely with me and asked him to think of a name for his new pet.

After awhile I asked him if he had decided on a name, he said:
"Probably I name him Ewan Fish."
Me: "Your new fish's name is Ewan Fish?"
e: "Yes, that's a very nice name."

So welcome Ewan Fish to our family.