The Peach Parents: Art camp about killed me....

Its true...art camp about did me in. Every summer I tell myself not to sign up to teach a week long art camp. But every summer I do it....for one, it pays for our summer vacation...2, my kids get to attend....3, I have parents begging me to teach their kids pottery.

However, its a huge reminder for me that I would rathe teach older students any day of the week. Don't get me wrong, those little kids are stinkin cute and funny and some are very talented...but I don't live in "teach you how to cut with scissors" world. I live in "lets throw an 18 inch vase and then underglaze it and carve through with sgrafitto technique" world. I have a really hard time knowing how long things will take younger kids and therefore the whole week is trial and error. I sound like I am complaning but overall the kids did great, made A LOT of beautiful pieces and we all survived so theres that.

I think another factor is just life. We had 3 games (football, 2 basketballs), 4 different practices or beast camps for Goober. We had 5 days of camp for Ribbit with her friend that required specfic details daily. We had two doctors visits that are required for the start of kindergarten and 7th grade.....(side note, our doctor pointed out that we have not been in almost a year....I think the oils are working ;).The biggest contributor to my exhaustion was that I had Little Man all day every day to not only entertain but let him take all of the camps...he thinks he run the art room and so there was a lot of "FULL NAME-stop being the teacher", "FULL NAME-stop smack talking", and "FULL NAME-stop eating all of the food I packed for both of us". It was just exhausting.

Goober actually left this afternoon to spend a week at Dry Gulch with my brother and sister-in-law who are taking their youth group. Its his first time to EVER be away from us and its sooooooo long. Little Man had a hard time saying good bye...he loves his brother so stinking much and has asked several times tonight when he will be back and to count how many days on my fingers until he sees him again. Ribbit said " I have so many memories of Goober" tonight at dinner, as if she would never see him again :). I admit I had a lump in my throat as he drove away but it was all made well when I got a good night phone call from my brothers cell phone tonight. I think he will truly enjoy his time and we have been praying for very specific things to come out of this trip. My one desire is that God would show him a goal for his life and allow him to have a vision, a purpose. Goober needs goals and he needs to develop self motivation so I hope those two things will be spurred on by this week of bible study, fellowship and fun!

The hair braiding continues...

Day 1-Little Kids Art Camp (marbleizing paper with shaving cream to make Very Hungry Caterpillars)

Little Man owned this project

Some very cute campers and caterpillars!

Teaching the next class (1st-4th graders) how to make clay slab animals)

Ribbit and her bestie from AHG working hard on their slab animals.

Little Man's bestie, COLLINS, got to come to camp. She is cancer free, her oxygen levels are good and she was so excited to be at camp this week....Oh I could hug on her all day long!

Draping bowls.

Older kids pottery camp-One of Goober's best friends since first.

They loved blowing glazes mixed with soap to create bubble prints on their plates.

The bigger the better!

Oil pastels and watercolor!

Then top it with sand....they loved it!

Lillie adding texture to her slab animal!

A finished underwater painting with sand!

I asked several of my students to be helpers...they got to thrown in between classes. Gretel threw yet another vase over 12 inches...she later formed it and its BEAUTIFUL!!!!

Collins working on her rainbow fish!

OH I could eat this boy up...he loves large mouth bass and talked about them all week...he took both my art camp in the morning and my pottery camp in the afternoon!

Little Man easily threw the most pots this whole week...he loves it!

Oh I couldn't be prouder of my Goober for throwing this tall beautiful vase!

Sewing her butterfly pillow shut!

Our neighhor came to my morning art camps and made this awesome shark pillow!

Turned out great!!!

The finished project...we also realized that this would count towards some of the steps for her sewing badge!

Collins LOVED her Rainbow Fish project...I have to say it was pretty darn cute. If you haven' t read Rainbow Fishy you should. We read it on Day 1 of art camp and its about giving away what you have and sharing with others!