Lego Machine Easter Eggs

My kids were completely in love with a recent post from Fugal Fun For Boys and Girls.  In her recent blog post, Sarah gives great directions of how to make a simple machine with Legos and a motor.  We just happen to have plenty of those items, so away we got to work, engineering a design.  The kids took a look at the model, but then I took away the tutorial to allow them to discover and problem solvers on their own (and that wasn't easy).  That's what made it all the more satisfying when it was finished.

Art Shanty Projects- Family Day

Today I asked the family to join me on the ice.  When I said this, my husband just about jumped up and down because he thought I had finally come around and fell in love with ice fishing... WRONG!  I wanted to go to the Art Shanty Project in White Bear Lake.  It was such a perfect day for it!  My kids had a blast and a half! If you look at the website you will find a TON of sponsors, the activities for each weekend and the directions.  It's open every Saturday and Sunday in the month of February and each weekend has a little different flair to it.  If you live in MN, this was a fun afternoon and I would encourage you to check it out.  I want to share some of the Shanty's that we thought were a lot of fun.

Matisse's Vote: The Moving Polar Bear.  

This giant bear was powered by bike pedals and a dozen bikers.  It was mostly recycled materials and the drivers were half of the charm. They dressed the part and tried to chase people as well as the bike seal below.  She loved the physical of this mobile Art Shanty.

Sawyer's Vote: The Music Shanty

This shack was an instrument that you walked into.  There were strings below attached from the top to the ice.  You can strum the chords and play music.  They also had microphones that amplified the sounds from under the water.  It was an interesting concept.  This shack was all black and no light could penetrate the sides of it.  The brightness in this image is the light from the ice.  Isn't that amazing?  I have lived my whole life in MN and didn't know this concept that the ice carries so much light. 

Tim's Vote: Window into the Lake (not sure if that was the name of it)

One of the shacks was darkish and had this big spear hole in it.  The hole was covered with glass but it gave this window to the bottom of the lake.  White Bear Lake appeared to be very clear.  We were there for a few minutes and a HUGE northern swam past.  It was so casual.  I loved that the fish was just chill'n in its home as a huge party was going on above it.  

My Vote: This Turquoise Little Treat! 

If I were to make a shack... it would be this one.  It was retro, turquoise (my favorite color for decorating) and had some great craftsmanship (there's the art teacher in me). On the outside, there was these cute little hand crafted and painted fish.  For those of you who don't know, when you catch winter fish and plan to eat it, you simply place it on the ice beside.  These stacked up fish remind me of playing house (or playing ice fishing in this case). Inside there were more fish.  These were little minnow-like fish made from felt, sequence and a washer on its mouth.  You could go fishing with a magnet to 'catch' these little gems.

Other interactive parts to this shack was that you could make a commemorative pin to wear.  I love it!  I made one with a fish tail on it and will wear it on my winter jacket.

 

On the outside of the shack was a cartoon that entertained Tim as we were doing the crafts inside.  It told a story of a family going out ice fishing.  The Dad's list was quite short with tip-ups, bait, and beer.  The Mom's list was filled with snacks, games for the kids, extra mittens and so on.  The Moms list was much longer.  It continued with some good old Minnesota humor. 

Other great shacks allowed us to print potatoes. 

We got to dance.

You walked into the Dance Shanty and you had to move your body.  It was so much fun!

We were asked to share our thoughts... 

In this shanty, we shared our thoughts or drawings.  It was fun to read others comments. And my kids loved the typewriter. 

We got to pray.

In this shanty we were encouraged to send our thoughts to the wind.  The shack was manually spun while the visitors were in it. 

This was really an amazing shack.  It was an art studio.  There was a painter inside with a painting on an easel.  It was almost like being at a zoo, but instead of an animal inside, there was an Artist.

Every now and again there was a parade of Art Cars that drove around the shacks.  There was so much action and color to this day it kept a smile on my face the whole time. 

It was fun to even see some of the families that were visiting participate in the art displays.  Check out his great penguin sliding on his belly.  Clever.

#Crush, Family

I thought I would start out with my number 1 #Crush! My family. Above is my immediate family.  My husband, and two kids.  These three bring me so much joy! My kids are amazing.  They are independent, kind, hardworking, creative little people.  I often say my son is an old soul.  He has been here before for sure.  He's a talker but feels most comfortable talking to people 80 or older.  He listens and asks questions.  My daughter, on the other hand, is in her first go-round.  She is curious about EVERYTHING.  She listens, she's coachable, she's eager to learn, but let me tell you she is her own person, and what a beautiful person that is.  My family makes me laugh everyday and smile most of it. These two kids are beautiful inside and out and I'm so honored to be in their life.

I always joke that my husband is my 'fine mister' when I'm teaching a watercolor class.  See what I did there... My husband, Tim's face is on the spray bottle I use.  It was a picked up joke from a watercolor class I took years ago, but it works in my world too. 

Tim and I met in college and I knew I was in love with him way before I met him.  Some people call it stocking... I call it admiring from afar.  I was an RA in his dorm and I would see him around, it's hard to miss him being he is 6'5 but it was more than that.  His smile... awe... he was kind to everyone around him. I needed to meet him.  In fact, our first date was on Valentines Day.  I know, cliché but it worked.  He's a teacher in the same district and I admire him as an educator.  He is innovative, deep thinking, and a leader.  People know him because of his positive energy and outgoing personality.  He is a good son.  He has a connection with his Mom that is honest, raw, and real. He had/has such an appreciation for his late father.  He admired his work ethic and engineering brain.  We laugh and cry at the memory of his Dad together, and I know he does in private as well.  He is a wonderful Son-in-law.  In fact, I'm not sure if my family would choose me if something were to ever change.  He's a wonderful brother.  I love watching Tim and his brother together.  Siblings have a language that is unique to them, and it's a beautiful sound. He's a great friend.  He will go the extra mile for any of his buddies.  There is no age limit to his friends either.  He would be the first to tell you his best friends range from 8 years old to 90 years of age.  He connects with everyone he comes in contact with.  The thing that continues to make me fall in love with him every day is the fact that he is an amazing Dad.  He loves our kids with all his heart. He listens, plays and makes them know they are important. He is proud and patient.  For all of these reasons and more, I am passionately in love with this man still to this day.

This is where it started for me.  This is my family.  The Mom and Dad who showed me what love is, and the sisters who I miss with the silliest memories.  My parents showed me what it means to be hard working, to be creative, and supported me/us in all of our unique skills and dreams.  They celebrate us, brag about us, and appreciate us.  I'm the oldest of the 4 of us.  I bossed them around for many years and for some reason, they still like me.  Somewhere along the line. these girls turned into women, successful in their path, loving to those they care for, and each have qualities to admire.

Finally, in this post is my Mother-in-law and Aunt Carolyn.  These sisters have taught me how to be outspoken.  They show me every time I see them that haveing an opinion and being strong is expected.  We have had many laughs and good conversation.  These women were critical for me to be the person I am today. 

This post does not talk about my grandparents, Tim's grandma, my Aunts and Uncles, nieces and nephews and wonderful brother and sister-in-law.  All are part of my family #crush, but if I talk about them all this year, what will I talk about next year.  I am RICH in family and love and know it.  I am so very lucky in so many ways. 

A very ART FILLED New Years Resolution

First, allow my family to wish you a very Happy New Year! Video below has the story, set, costume design, and characters created by my very own Mini Matisse.  The whole family helped out with the voice over.

Did you see the awesomeness that Cassie Stephens posted recently to celebrate the upcoming New Years?  Wow does she have her goals laid out there.  I mean really... focused, clear and dreaming BIG!  I knew there was a reason I loved that girl, well that's at least one reason.

In the past I have put goals out there for my professional goals, but not today.  Today I want to share some goals that I have for my personal life rather than my professional.  If you watched the video you saw that my number one New Years Resolution this year is to collect art from friends.  I want to fill my home with art... art that I love, art from the people I love.  I have been working hard at decorating my classroom with artwork that I love, but now... it's time for my home.

I'm going to start with this wall!

This is my front room.  I never wanted a 'front room' but we have used it a bunch... playing games, chatting with friends, sometimes homework.  See the feet on the wall... they are the Hahn's feet.  I love that picture but my 8-year old's feet were newborn in this image.  I need to switch it up. 

Here's my plan.  I spent the day creating 8 X 8 boxes.  I had my husband show me how to use all the tools I needed to make these little gems... and I have a good start to my wall of art.

I plan to put out a personal invitation to create a mini work of art for my wall.  I have a budget for the artist and/or will offer to create an art exchange. I was playing with the idea of a subject requirement but I chose to go with a color request.  I want each artist to create the style, medium, the subject and the inspiration of their choice but I'm hoping that they would be able to put a little of the blue(ish) color to coordinate the front door in the same room.  I have a Southern Blue door by Behr paint.

I'll send these wooden bases out to excepting artist via mail and hope to have them all back (and on the welcome wall) by the end of 2016.  

I have two other happy goals for the new year.  The first is a continuing documentation of our Hahn life. Our family lives away from us so to communicate the happenings of our household, I will be continuing the 5th year of Project 52.  Project 52 is taking a picture (or two) every week and posting a little caption.  I print these books off every 100 pages using Blurb, which allows you to take an album on Facebook and plop it into a book.  I have quite the collection (seen below).

This is perfect for the images that I collect over the year and has taken over as a scrapbook.  Way easier!  I don't have something to document our 3D yearly moments such as movie tickets, notes, and good finds.  I saw this amazing solution on The Idea Room.  A time capsule for the year!! Great idea, right?  I'll give this a try for 2016.

So yes, I plan to do great things in the classroom... you know that. But this year I wanted to resolve to do things I'm excited for, I mean I could put on the list that I need to do a better job of flossing (New Years Resolution for the past 10 years) or collect art. YEP!! I'll choose collecting art.  Have fun picking your goals for the upcoming year!! 

Family Collaboration

Thanks to Mr. E we had ample inspiration to create this family collaboration.  I saw the post from his 2nd grade collaboration and I fell in love.  I wanted to do something kind of like it, but with my family over holiday break.  I got my husband, both kids, and even Grandma involved in the making of this work of art that is now hanging in our house.  What great fun.  Thanks Ted Edinger.

Here is where they hang.  I can never get a good picture because of the glass on these frames.  I smile everyday as I walk past this artwork.  

Slime Time

We are taking care of a couple of cousins this weekend, so that is means... experiments!  The kids and I (and Tim, my husband) made slime.  I have seen slime 'how-tos' on several different sites.  This one from Steve Spangler Science is a good one, and good site.  Here is what I had on hand for this activity... 

As you saw above, we mixed primary colors.  I got this cool laminated color mixing wheel from Art To Remember at the last AOE art conference swag box.  I think it was intended for paints but slime works well for it too :)     

I had the kids mix up the slime and then give each other high five with their slimy hands.  They then mixed the two primary colors together. 

After the color was mixed, they then place it on the color wheel where they thought it should be.  I put the mat of slime in front of my nephew.  It was fun for this two year old to touch hold, and eat... (To my sister, I did prevent him from eating the slime... well most of it.)

The kids continued playing with the slime and and mixing new colors.  As we all know, every color together is not a pretty color, but it's still fun slime.  Here is my niece putting the slime in a toy grocery basket. Fun!  

Besides trying to earn 'Aunt of the Year' award (I'm not even close to the top for that award)... I was also trying this out to see if this would be a fun way to learn about color mixing in class.  I don't think so.  It did get really messy.  I may mix the slime up ahead of time and five them each a tiny piece (OUT SIDE) and have them give high five to another friend. Then have a garbage ready for them before they went inside.  I do want to be a friend to my custodial staff.  They are amazing!