It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

This is the tale of two summers. Because my summer really felt that way, with three intense graduate courses on one hand, and three fabulous vacations on the other!

First, there was Nantucket...

It was cold.

The greatest family photo in history? Yes.

In Pennsylvania, teachers must complete 24 graduate-level courses within 6 years of active service. For me, that deadline was up at the end of this summer. But I completed all of my credits before we were married nearly 2 years ago, so I was in the clear... or so I thought. In May, I received word from the Department of Ed that instead of 24 credits, my records revealed just 16. Um, what? To summarize, the university through which I completed my 24 credits--paying per credit for 24, showing up on all grade records as 24--has this 'slash it by 2/3' policy, which they assured me is common practice at ivy league universities. So instead of 24 credits, I had 16. AWESOME. After an afternoon spent remaining calm crying in my administrators' offices (all of whom were just as baffled as I), I was instructed that I had the summer to successfully complete 8 additional credits. So that's what I did.

During the July 4th holiday, needing a respite from reading and writing about educational theory, my husband and I traveled to Niagara Falls, New York, where my best friend's family lives. We had a great time touring the falls and picnicking. And writing discussion board posts.

My final class, an iPad training course, was over mid-July. We decided to celebrate by taking yet another trip! Because we teachers couldn't get the time off to take a real one when we married in December 2011, we designated this adventure as our belated honeymoon. So off we went...

EUROPE! For 16 days! Holy canoli. Obviously, I can't summarize 16 days (or 10 ports, 7 countries, and 2 continents) in a single post. If I get my act together, I'll do a port-by-port synopsis in the coming weeks. Granted, that's already been done (and been done so beautifully!), but really, can you get enough Europe? I think not.

Mondrian Animals, Fingerpainting, and Edible Color Wheels

In second grade, we study the primary and secondary colors. Here's a trifecta of colorful projects to introduce the little ones to that wonderful wheel o' colors!

This Mondrian project is all over blogs and Pinterest (yet I originally found it in an old Arts & Activities, pre-Pinterest, if you can remember back that far, ha).

This is a porcupine--hehe! I love its expression!

The Mondrian project takes two 45-minute classes, as I give kiddos a day to sketch animals, really focusing on the basic shapes that comprise the animal's form. (Recently, when our sculptor friend visited, he shared the same strategy for drawing. Boom--validation!)

Next up, I whip out some fingerpaint so the kids can see the way the primaries mix. We watch this awesome video. On repeat. Again and again and again!

The icing on the cake cookies is our Edible Color Wheel project! Kiddos mix primary-colored frosting to make secondary colors, frost a few vanilla wafers, and assemble their own color wheel. It's the most delicious project of the year! As one kid put it, "this project is like a present to us." You and your dentist, buddy.

I wish I could show you all the frosting-covered faces that resulted from this last project. It's my favorite part!

Happy weekend, all!

Welcome to Pennsylvania

I can't say for certain, but I do believe that everyone else is having the same back-to-school shell shock that I am; I believe that my nearly-empty blogger feed is proof of it, though. Like you, we're jumping right back into projects, but there isn't much to share at this moment.

I do have some unique sculptures to show you, though. Ready for this?

May I present to you... what happens in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania on December 31st:

Photo courtesy of The Sentinel

While my husband and I opted for a quiet evening in for this year's NYE, I have attended the Pickle Drop and can attest to its splendor. It's serious business in Dillsburg--a few years ago, Mr. Pickle (crafted by Girl Scouts in the 90s) married Mrs. Pickle, and later on they gave the world Baby Gherkin. Oh, Dillsburg.

As if that's not reason enough to visit Central PA, here's another:

This, my friends, is the Pennsylvania Farm Show, the largest indoor agricultural event in America. When it opened on Saturday, there were more than 11,000 cars parked! When my husband and I went on Sunday, we were two of thousands of attendees, all smashed together in the big arena to watch the horse hitch competitions, shuffling through the halls to see the livestock, and waiting in lines for the farm fresh foods. It was fabulous.

My grandfather was a farmer (he attended the Farm Show for decades) and I grew up in the middle of a cornfield, so I'm no stranger to this stuff. My husband grew up less animal-friendly in a small city and therefore is completely enamored with the hilarious-looking chickens, sheared sheep, and massive bulls. He has proclaimed that we shall attend the Farm Show every year. I'm up for that, even if it's just to see the infamous butter sculpture, a new-each-year work of art sculpted from 1,000 pounds of butter. Yup.

I <3 Pennsylvania.

Art projects (not made of dairy products) to come in the next few days!

I'm posting today to say Happy New Year! Also, I need to ease myself back into the school routine, and since I blog about school, I figured this was the easiest way to ease. I hope everyone had a healthy, fun, and relaxing break! Truth be told, I am looking forward to seeing and creating with the kiddos again.

We were supposed to have off until Thursday but will be returning a day earlier to make up a day missed due to Hurricane Sandy. Boo, hiss! Ah, well. It was a fabulous break here. I ate, slept, and celebrated my way through 11 days of goodness. And we had snow!

New Year's Eve was especially exciting, as my husband and I celebrated our first anniversary! Insert obligatory wedding day picture here!

How about another? This was taken after the bouquet toss, which of course was won by my sister-in-law Maria.

It's hard to believe that it's been a year since we danced our way into 2012. What a blessing this past year has been! Yesterday, we celebrated our anniversary with brunch, professional massages, a movie, a fancy dinner, and champagne at midnight (in pajamas!).

Rewinding to Christmas Day, I must share one of the highlights, when I received this beautifully matted and framed reproduction of Picasso's "The Dog."

Please forgive the reflection of that hideous it-was-here-when-we-moved-in ceiling light.

Picasso had a dachshund named Lump (pronounced 'Loomp')--hit up Google for some great black and white photographs of the two of them together. While Cubism isn't my all-time fave, I love Picasso's series of simple animal gesture drawings, and since my husband and I have a little weenie dog of our own, this was the perfect gift. Rudy approves--or he would, I think, if he weren't too busy with all of his Christmas loot.

Happy 2013, friends!

I am thankful to be back with the kids (at least that's what I tell 'em)

I hope everyone had a very happy Thanksgiving and a wonderfully relaxing break! My family sojourned to our family cabin, which was built by my grandfather, and where my mom and her five siblings learned to fish, swim, and row a boat.

There was food, family (my husband's family joined us, which was so great), food, ooo-ing and ahh-ing over wedding and baby photos, more food, hiking, four-wheeling, and lots of food, too. Mostly carbs. Amen baby.

This was our first Thanksgiving as a married couple and it was fabulous. My husband's older sister, who has Down Syndrome, is the most popular person wherever she goes, and Thanksgiving was no exception. She wrote a poem (as she does for every special occasion), which she read for all of us as we sat in our pumpkin pie comas.

 

My aunt, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law blazin' a trail!

Today is our first day back and it is snowing for the first time this year in our part of Pennsylvania. It's quite beautiful--though an early dismissal would make it much more so!

28 years ago, an art teacher was born (hehe)

Earlier this week, I celebrated my 28th birthday. I know that some people don't like working on their birthday, but I really enjoy it. Hanging out with a few hundred kiddos on one's special day is pretty special in itself.

Last weekend, as a little pre-bday getaway, my husband took me to Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland, about 1.5 hours away. We stayed in a nice hotel where we ordered some great Chinese food, vegged out, and slept in--no puppy wake-up call at 6:30 (!!!), 'cause he stayed with a friend.

Starbucks and cold Chinese--breakfast of champions!

The day was spent wandering and shopping the Harbor, and enjoying a great seafood meal by the water. Then we went to IKEA! 'Twas a good day!

One of the highlights of my actual birthday came when I first arrived at school, where two of my fifth graders (twin girls) presented me with a painting that one of them had done and framed:

I don't think I can put into words how touched I was. The little sweetie said, "I used the watercolor techniques that you taught us." LOVE

Later, my best friend, who teaches second grade, brought some coffee and a pumpkin muffin for me for breakfast--super yum! And it just so happened that the PTO had organized a thank-you luncheon for teachers on that very day--excellent timing! That evening, my husband and I joined our best friends and their precious infant son to go out to a really nice dinner. It was a wonderful meal (I had lobster, mmmm), and thanks to a restaurant contest I won last year, we had enough gift card credit to pay for everything! Nothing says happy birthday like a day of free meals!

The next day I was at my other building, where a fourth grader had left me a stuffed dachshund puppy and a homemade card. A fourth grade boy. Precious.

Twenty-seven was a good year. I married my best bud, adopted a sweet puppy, and bought a house. And of course, I started this blog. ;-)

Any good birthday memories to share?

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from the Connells!

(Vanity disclaimer: in this photo, my hips do lie, as I am not actually shaped like a mustard bottle.)

Hurricane Sandy: Part II

It's Wednesday and already it's been a wild week. With a family wedding last weekend, the big ol' storm, and two days out of school, I'm so out of whack. Please forgive the inundation of non-lesson posts these past few days. I promise to get an actual lesson up today or tomorrow. Until then...

We've weathered (pun!) the storm here in our part of PA. At the Connell house, we had a few small branches come down, but considering our house is surrounded by old, tall trees, we were quite happy with a couple of manageable limbs. Half of the lattice wall on the back porch flew off, too--not a big deal at all. The basement is dry, we have power, our home is in tact. Amen!

There were many who didn't fare so well, including some neighbors. I cannot believe some of the images I'm seeing from New Jersey and New York City. Our prayers are with those who were affected.

On a lighter note, here are some of the ways we got through the howling wind and crashing rain earlier this week:

Contemplated life...

Watched TV...

Snuggled with a slipper...

Took a nap (or two or three)...

Looked around suspiciously...

Hid under a pillow...

Back at school today. On Halloween. After a four-day weekend. NEAT! Should be an interesting day!

Hurricane Sandy

For those of you living and teaching on the East Coast like I am, my thoughts and prayers are with you as you endure these next few days. Here in PA, we're off school today and tomorrow as we wait out Hurricane Sandy, a.k.a. Frankenstorm.

We're somewhere under that dark green scariness..

Right now, we're experiencing pretty high winds and lots of rain, though the worst is supposed to hit tonight. Power outages are predicted, as is flooding. My husband and I just bought our home in August--we closed on the first day of school, in fact--and haven't experienced any poor weather thus far, lending to my Nervous Nellie attitude over here. Not sure what to expect. Thankfully, both of us can be home to monitor things, as Mr. Connell is a teacher as well.

As long as the power stays on, I'm hoping to work on a little art project of my own over here, an old typeset drawer converted to a jewelry organizer. That, and reading art blogs! And maybe pinning on Pinterest. And snuggling with my storm buddy:

Rudy, the world's most wonderful weiner dog!

Be safe, friends!

Another art blog is born

Oh my goodness, I did it. After far too many hours a few months almost a year some time spent thinking about starting an art ed blog, I've hit the "Publish" button. And I intend to keep it published. Hot diggity dog!

I imagine it'll take me awhile to find my voice, to get the hang of this, to be faithful to blogging. I so appreciate any and all others who may join in on this great experiment.

I had some major trouble coming up with a name for this blog, which sadly is the first step via blogger (thanks a lot, blogger, for all that brain racking).

Then, today, during another in-service day (for which I again was given zero direction, but that's a post for another day), a teacher asked me if I had any meetings to attend today. Ha! With only two elementary art teachers in our little district, and the other chick about to go out on maternity leave, no, I did not have any meetings to attend today. "I am an island," I told him.

And then, instead of cutting paper or hanging displays or writing lesson plans like I should have, I began to think. I doubt I'm the only specialist in a small district who feels so isolated, like her own tiny island.

For awhile now, I've been following art teachers' blogs as a way of staying sane--connecting myself to other people in my (paint-stained) shoes, sharing ideas and frustrations and all that jazz.

Here we are, a bunch of islands, connected. Like an archipelago--a chain of islands.

And ARTipelago was born (cue happy music!).

:-)

Ooooo, archipelagos are neat (just like art teachers!)