end of year teacher gift

Today was my daughters last day of Kindergarten.  

She had a fabulous teacher and about a week ago she came home requesting to make her teacher a gift for the end of the year.  Well LAST NIGHT we finally did it. {I am the worlds worst procrastinator!}  Last year we made a sign for her preschool teacher’s lake house so this year she wanted to make another sign.  In pink of course because that is her teachers favorite color!!!! 

I just cut up a piece of wood flooring to size and let her paint it {pink}. Of course the little one wanted to make a sign too.  So she made one for her daycare lady {in red}.  I was shocked at how well Rae{3 year old} painted.  I love letting the girls actually do the projects.  I can clean them up later if needed but they love to do them and they are so proud to give a gift they made themselves.

Since I am an art teacher people ask me often if my girls are talented artists.  I am always honest and say, “They do well, BUT most of it is due to exposure not natural talent at this age”.   Here is a short video where you can see my 3 year old and 6 year old paint names on the boards. 

We finished them with some dots, a light sanding with my radial sander, and I cut up a bandanna to tie it up with.

The girls were super excited to deliver them this morning.

Thank you to all  teachers out there and have a great summer!!!

WE ARE BUILDING!!!

Follow along on Instagram to see progress!

@chores_chandeliers

#Campbellsarebuilding 

I'll be posing some info on my blog but I don't want it to take over my blog so but if you want to follow along with the progress be sure to follow along on Instagram!  Here are some of the photos I've posted so far....

SHE picked it all out!  She has great taste!

Main living space wall colors

Dirt work is starting

I've already began buying pillows!

Our view from the front porch.

Teacher Appreciation Day

There is no doubt that teachers hold a very important role in our children’s lives.  Teachers spend more time with our children a day then we do.  I have been SO BLESSED to have had amazing teachers thus far for my daughter.  I asked my Kindergarten Cowgirl what she wanted to give her teacher as a gift. I had some creative ideas but I let her decide on her own (without prompting from me, which is sometimes hard for me).   I could not have agreed with her decision more!!!!! 

She chose to make homemade card and flowers.

She wrote the card her self. It says,

I like the activities you make me. 

Thank you for being nice to me. 

I like you teaching me. 

Thanks for everything you do.

I asked if she wanted to buy a card and she insisted to make one herself.  She said, “ No way. Mrs. Williams would rather see my art then have me buy art on a card”.  Sometimes I am so shocked by her wisdom....of course her teacher would rather a handmade card!!!!  AND she loves to create!  She had a fun evening tonight creating, cutting, gluing, drawing, and writing. 

As a teacher myself I have to say that I LOVE a thank you card.  It is so simple and means so MUCH!  I am guilty of over thinking my gifts and doing elaborate things but the truth is sometimes simple is best.  Teacher appreciation is definitely one of those times!!!!

Need a last minute gift for the teacher in your life???  Write a card.  I promise it will be well received!!!!

STEP MOM

I think most of my readers know I have a step son.  Friday night he had his first High School Athletics Banquet.  We of course were glad to make the 2 hour drive to go support him and the Athletic department at his school!  Before hand we met at Shayne's house to take photos.  His mom set up this photo with Shayne and his parents.  

Today she posted the picture on Facebook and stated…

"I'd like to say something about this photo...It is a TRUE Testament to what life with divorced parents can truly be and SHOULD be. I am so THANKFUL that Dan and I can stand in the same photo and share the same table at an event where Shayne is involved. The thing is it's not about Dan and I...it's about Shayne. The fact that I truly like his wife and enjoy visiting with her is a BONUS!!!"

She really hit the nail on the head.  People ask me often how I get along with "Dan's ex" and I am always honest and say just fine because we put Shayne first!!! If we didn't get along Shayne would be the one who would suffer.

Being a step parent is a HUGE BLESSING to me!!!  I once had a close friend tell me that she heard a speaker on a Christian radio station say that you should not use the term “step”.  Like in step mom, step parent, step son, etc. It supposedly singles them out and divides them from the rest of the family.   I thought about it for a while and I can see the point.  By no means do I ever want him to feel like he is an extra part to the family.  We want him to just feel like he is part of the family.   BUT I also respect his mom enough I never want to step on her toes as “mom”.  She is a great mom and I am a great step mom.  The same goes for his dad and step dad.  We each have a role as parents.  We don’t really focus on who is what. We NEVER keep score on who does what. We just make it happen for Shayne.  If we ever started to keep score on who visits more, drives farther, pays more, gets more time, holidays, weekends, events, etc we would go crazy, become bitter, and Shayne would suffer.  None if that matters. What matters is that Shayne knows he has a family (although it may not be traditional) that is there for him to love, support, teach, punish, and provide for him. 

On another note check out this ring he got Friday night.  His wrestling team is State Champs!!!!! 

Art is...

I asked my High School students "WHAT IS ART?"

It's definitely a loaded question.  

After our discussion they each wrote their own "art is..." statement.  

I posted them out in the hall.  

Here are some of my favorites...

• Art is everything, good, bad, happy, and sad around you.  You can't always see or hear it, but you always feel it.
• Art is a masterpiece of your imagination.
• Art is anything you want it to be.
• Art is creating something that sparks others imagination.
• Art is where I take references from all the information I have gathered and put it all together.
• Art is something expressed using your imagination.  It shows who you are without speaking a word.
• Art is expressing your emotions with a media.
• Art is the one way I can express what I see and feel in and about this world and my own life without worrying what others think of it because they see what I want them to not what.  
• Art is the hot sauce on the chimichanga of the world.

I am trying to get my students to look at art deeper. 

We are talking about the process not just the product.  

In my opinion sometimes the process is more important then the final project!  

So what is my "Art is..." statement?

Art is the journey on the way to the final product.

~Suzi Campbell

Have a fabulous week!  

a few random {art teacher} thoughts

I LOVE MY JOB!!!!!  I honestly do.  Being an art teacher is exactly what I am meant to do.  I LOVE coming to work every day!!!!  That being said I look forward to every weekend, snow day, late start, break, and vacation.  {I also currently have a summer countdown going in my classroom}

Here are a few of my random {art teacher} thoughts…..

I don’t just teach art.

I also teach history, vocabulary, manors, discipline, integrity, work ethic, respect, compassion, responsibly {and the list goes on and on}.

I haven’t made art since I became a teacher.

How’s this possible with all this art being created around me daily?  Well I just never have enough time to think of an idea, and execute it.  Unless you count the 3 minute Jellyfish I made yesterday when showing water color techniques?!?!

I spend a lot of my own money. A lot.

I don’t think a week goes by when I’m not at a store picking something up for my classroom. I don’t think a week goes by when I’m not scrounging through my personal supplies for materials to use in my classroom. 

I hate the question, “What are we doing today?”

It honestly makes me cringe.  Please don’t ask it because I have yet to forget to tell you what we are doing when you to came class. 

I love the naughty kids!

Yes they cause problems, act up, distract others, and say things that shouldn't be said; but they are also the ones who bring a lot of joy to my job. I love a kid with spunk!!! 

I have a name!

Please don’t call me “Teacher”.  I don’t call you “Student”.

I like a clean classroom!!!!

Pick up after yourself.  I know you know where the glue gun goes; you just got it out 40 minutes ago. 

I don’t like teaching every medium.

I have my favorites and I focus on what I like best.  Sorry all art teachers do it….Okay, maybe it has a little to do with the mess some mediums make. 

Sometimes I wish I taught a different subject area. 

It sure would be nice to have a set lesson plan and book to follow.  Then reality hits and I remember who I am and realize I would go crazy on a set schedule like that (but it is appealing some days).

I hate to grade!

I put it off as long as I can.  So my grade book is always behind.  I get not satisfaction out of grading work.  I wish I could have a TA do it but that’s not really an option in art. 

Art is not an easy A.

Please don’t take Art for an easy A.  Take art because you want to be creative, try hard, and do something different from your other academic areas.  Try and I promise you WILL pass….but I wont promise an A.

I show up for the students.

I’m not in it for the fame and fortune (because we all know that’s never going to happen).  I show up for the elementary students who hug me. I show up for the students who tell me they love art class. I show up for the students who express excitement and pride.  I show up for the High School students who use the art room as their safe place.  And yeah, I show up for the students who can’t sit still in their seats, can’t refrain from blurting out, don’t like art, ignore me, and who would rather be anywhere else but art class. I show up for the students.  All of them.

~Suzi

Egg, Sausage, Mushroom, and Cheese Muffins

Breakfast has to be quick or else I won't eat it.  There is NEVER enough time in the morning!  So tonight I tried out making some of the egg muffins that you see all over Pinterest and Instagram. I made my own version with things I had in the house.  They turned out delicious and the best part is they are only 130 calories per muffin!

12 eggs

6 oz Sausage

2/3 cup Mozzarella Cheese

Mushrooms

Seasonings of your choice

Crack the eggs into a bowl add your seasonings of choice (I used Salt, Pepper, and Chili powder). Set aside.  Brown sausage. Spray muffin tin heavily with non stick spray. Divide sausage evenly into 12 muffins tins.  Top with mushrooms and cheese. Pour eggs on top.  Cover in tin foil and let set for at least 6 hours (this make them taste better, I promise!!!!).  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  

If we don't teach our children to...

Something to think about today...

Have a great week! 

~Suzi 

Christmas in the Country

I am just finally getting around to post about a really for gift exchange I did over the holidays.

It was a Christmas in the Country exchange.

Elizabeth from Circle The Wagons had me and she sent me some really fun gifts!!!

I got a Coffee mug which I LOVE!!!  

{and it is perfect with my new Keurig that I got for Christmas from the Hubs}

Some turquoise earrings, an ornament, and a variety of hot chocolate mixes were also added into my gift! 

She also sent me some really fun Milkinis chocolates that I had never heard of but BOY WERE THEY GOOD!

They come individually wrapped so they were the perfect little snack  

I even snuck some into my Kindergarten Cowgirls lunch box.  SHE LOVED THEM!!!

I really lucked out being paired up with such a giving young lady!  THANK YOU!!!!

You can also see what I see what I gave HERE.

You can also check out all the other gifts given HERE.

The best Christmas gift I ever received was a sore throat

The honest truth is…I am a yeller.  I am not proud of it but it is the truth.  I easily raise my voice.  I have a sharp tongue and I use it too often on my loved ones.  I am easily triggered.  I come unglued and I YELL.  I know this about myself and I try to not be this way and I fail daily. 

I have been dealing with a cold for over a week.  The morning of Christmas Eve I woke up with a horrible sore throat.  I was miserable!!!!  I could hardly speak at all.  Within minutes of waking my youngest came up to me with blue marker on her face.  I did not yet know if it was washable or permanent but I did know that we had to go to church that evening and I would be scrubbing her face to get it off one way or another. I QUIETLY whispered, “Don’t write on your face hun”.  Then minutes later I walked by and say her coloring on her stuffed puppies face with the same blue marker.  I gently took the marker from her hand and put it up out of her reach.  That is when it hit him…My point was made and no voice was raised.  I did not have to belittle my children for making a poor choice.  I did not have to yell and then feel like a failure for flipping out on my children that I love so much. I simple asked them to stop.  I stopped in my tracks and prayed, “Thank you Lord, I hear you”.  The Lord speaks to me but I don’t always listen.  To get his point across to me he has to be LOUD, in my face, and sometimes even painful (as in my horrible sore throat) for me to hear him.  As the day went on I had time and again where I would typically raise my voice.  And I every time I resisted the urge and every time I did this it was as if my throat got better and better.  By the time we went to church {Christmas Eve service} my pain was pretty much gone.  We got ready for church with no yelling or barking orders.  It was amazing!!!! 

My family and I received the best blessing ever today. My sore throat!!!

As I sit here waiting for my family to wake up to see to what gifts Santa has brought them as they slept I know the true Christmas gift came yesterday.  A great lesson was taught to me, a lesson that will be carried on into the days to come.  I will fail some days but I will rejoice in the good days and learn for the bad ones. 

Thank you Lord for my sore throat!  

It was the best Christmas gift you could have given me!