Happy Holidays

Back to school

We are back in school!  Both of us.  Arjun and I are happy to be back on a regular schedule, though it is sad for me that we won't be spending as much time together.  We''ll just have to make our evenings and weekends even better.  We've done well at that so far.  We go to sleep wiped out nearly every night.  There is so much fun stuff to do...
I was so happy to see the students again! Or, as Arjun calls them, "the big kids."  He thinks they are the coolest.  They are, really.  Though they are not all so big.
The first finished project of the year is the Kindergarten shapes game project.  Kindergartners spend most of the year in Art looking at the work of abstract expressionists.  We start off by looking at and talking about simple shapes.  I read them this book:

Then we look at some simple cards I made so that we can a establish a sort of common language.  Using really basic materials - sometimes markers, sometimes crayons, sometimes paint - we take turns calling out shapes.  Everyone makes the same shape on their paper, but everyone's composition is entirely their own.  After we make shapes, students color and decorate as they wish.  This time we used crayons and worked on watercolor paper.  We dipped our paper in a watercolor bath when we were finished.

I love this project.  I love it even more every time I see the results.  They are so different every single time!

Maybe an angel?

At dinner, Arjun says, "Mmm.  What did you put in here?"

I say, "Ummmmm...broccoli, olive oil... then I cooked it in the cast iron pan."

Arjun:  "Yummmaah!"

Me:  "How come you're so great?"

Arjun:  "Because I have my Mom!"

It's my birthday!

Here's my present!

Probably.....I am the luckiest person ever.