Wordless Wednesday

My art project from subbing yesterday.

Stuck in a Rut

It's VERY obvious. I am stuck in a teaching rut. I've hit that point in the year (as I KNOW all teachers have) that it is time for a break. I truly did not want to work today. In fact I had convinced myself that I was not going to work...but then the phone rang. But not just once 3 times...then my mom called. Then I got a text. When schools are desperate for subs, they call...a lot. So luckily I got to teach art today. Soooo easy. Seriously. Had a blast. Even started my own art project. Maybe when it's done I'll post a picture.

Anyway, I still believe that if I had known my love & interest for art, just 1 or 2 years sooner I would probably be an art teacher today. Wow how my life would be different. I walk into an art room and feel at home. It never used to be that way, but now if I'm in one...I don't want to leave (unless it is to actually go home of course). It is such a comforting place.

So today, I thought of 10 reasons why I should be/should have become an art teacher: 
(in not particular order may I add, plus I know there are more but 10 seemed like a good number)

1. It is most definitely more relaxing.
2. The kids enjoy it..no usually they LOVE it.
   
3. You can pick what you teach....or at least HOW you teach it.
4. I could do projects forever and ever and ever.
5. I'm that 'adventurous' or 'crazy' teacher that painted frequently with my 5 year olds and did other messy but FUN and engaging activities.
6. Classroom teaching doesn't require very much creativity.
7. I love all things that are colorful...
8. ...have sharpie written on them...AND
9. ...lets me use my hands to create something.
10. It combines teaching with something else I love...what could be more perfect?

So in honor of #7...all things colorful...I leave you with this. [it's 2 loves in one: color & tissue paper]

 

Case of the Mondays

I'm pretty sure everyone at some point or another suffers from this chronic and debilitating disease. Okay maybe it isn't that serious..but when you are having one of them it sure feels like it whether its a Monday or not. For me, it seems like every day that I'm subbing it feels like a Monday. I don't wake up when my alarm goes off, my shower just isn't the right temperature...it's either too hot or too cold, my hair doesn't cooperate, not thrilled with what I'm wearing but I have to deal with it, and my lunch making choices sound awful. Of course nothing is really as bad as it seems...just in the moment when everything is piling up.


However not all those things happened thankfully. I mean some...yes. I didn't wake up to my alarm even though I was asleep before 10:00. The shower wasn't perfect (probably because it wasn't my bed) but it could have been ohhh so much worse. The hair definitely didn't cooperate, but that could have been because I didn't have too much time.

However, I am happy to say that this is what I woke up to...after all, when my alarm went off I was coherent enough to take a picture. just not get out of bed

**My day was certainly ended quickly because there was an assembly. Praise the Lord because I was EXHAUSTED at 10:00am and the kids had more than enough energy to fidget and make noises [somehow that energy didn't translate very well to work...AMAZING how that happens]. :)

A Zelinske Tradition

Ever since I can remember, my grandfather, Bum as we called him [maybe more on that name later] always made cut out cookies. Since they were soo tasty, my parents got the recipe and it was the one cookie that we made and ate EVERY year. Well, Bum passed away September of 2008 and I the cookies took on a whole knew meaning. Now they aren't just a cookie but they remind me of him.

So in honor of him, I took my first crack at it. My directions more or less were to cream butter & sugar, add the egg, vanilla, baking powder, and flour. Roll out, cut out, bake for 6 minutes (depending on your oven). GREAT this should be a piece of cake.

But no...then came the exceptions. 

"Well," my mom said, "I'm never sure how thick to roll them. 

If you roll them too thick they won't cook (aka raw egg), 

and if you roll them too thin they will burn." 

My response....

"How on earth am I supposed to know how thick or thin to roll them."

My mom's response...

"Roll one set and bake them. If they come out okay, you did it right.

If they burn or don't cook, you did it wrong."

Ohhh of course! Why didn't I think of that. Without a real clear answer (and by the way I left out the conversation about whether it should be butter or shortening) off I went with the recipe with no intention to make them this weekend due to other plans. We tried going to church this morning, but we have to use a windy and hilly road to get there. We got about 85% there when we hit a stoppage of cars on a hill that we classified as a "sheet of ice". So no church today, we turned around and came back home. 

Which leads me to my cookies. The first batch was thick--they were in the oven for quite awhile, and although they were checked frequently they got a little brown...really only a little. So I rolled the next 2 batches better (at least in my opinion). And here they are in all their sprinkled glory (next time I will be using colored sugar...sooo much better than sprinkles). They are a little crunchy..not burnt...crunchy. They look pretty, but someday I'll have to try again to do them justice.

 

 

**Now for my grandfather's name, Bum. The story is that he would always tell the first Zelinske grandchild (not me, I'm the 3rd) "You're a bum." and eventually my cousin responded..."No, your a bum". So the name was born, Bum...or Bum-Bum because we repeated cool names like that.