Frigid temperatures (-35ºF/-37ºC) and arctic winds have prompted officials to delay classes twice this week and even cancel school today.
As a result, our Tuesday/Thursday preschool class has had a whole week of unscheduled vacation. The children are restless at their homes. On Wednesday, one mom sent me this email.
"Since there is no preschool tomorrow, (my daughter) has declared that we are playing pretend preschool tomorrow with all her dolls... I get to be LeeAnn and she is going to be Wendy......"
Lucky Mom – gets to play preschool teacher while her daughter acts the teaching assistant. While I can't speak for LeeAnn, I sure am enjoying my time off.
I've made treats for special people – ones I didn't get to before Christmas.I've worked on email and postal correspondence. And I've posted more blog entries here and on Norway Bound – describing the 12-day Nordic tour I led last August.
A combination – of editing the Norway post called Tora's Gallery as well as missing our creative moment at preschool – inspired today's activity with my three boys. Between breakfast and their literal (dining room) table tennis matches, we hauled out the brushes, paper and paints.
Like our Norwegian relative Tora, the boys enjoy painting and taking lessons. Recently, they've discovered PBS reruns of "The Joy of Painting" and taken tips from the late artist Bob Ross, known for his silly yet inspirational quotes.
Here's how Bob Ross inspired Isaac:
"We love the little reflections in the water."
And our fisherman Aaron:
"This little bush will be our little secret."
Finally our sailor Noah:
"Let's build us
a happy, little cloud
that floats
around the sky."
"Now.
This little cloud
needs a friend."
But their favorite quote of all:
"We don't make mistakes, we just have happy little accidents."
After an hour of brushing water colors and acrylics, the boys all agreed, "Bob Ross is awesome! Painting is SO fun."
Here's to the Joy of Painting during Minnesota's Deep-Freeze Days.
4 comments:
That is so AWESOME!! I remember watching that painting show and thinking this man is CRAZY the way he talks about his painting. But, I really enjoyed watching him and his comments too!! Cool blog today. Tell the boys they made my day (and you too - as a given- for the creative story!)
B.
You are correct, B!
Bob Ross was crazy about painting. Remember: Experts argue there's just a fine line between insanity and genius!
When the boys tell me, "People say we're weird. Are we weird, Mom?
I smile: "YES! That's the beauty of having fun, using your talents, being yourself."
Artist Bob Ross seemed to emulate all this in his inspiring work to help others realize their creative potential too.
PLEASE CAN THERE BE PRESCHOOL NEXT WEEK?????
No, really, we've had fun.....
Baking cookies, making crafts which you know is not my strong suit, washing dishes, making valentine's early.... And singing preschool songs to dollies for HOURS ON END!
-37C??? No! -8C is as cold as we've been here and that's cold enough for me!
I remember Bob Ross's show on PBS. I would tune in for a cooking show and sometimes catch his by mistake but end up completely swept up in his passion not just for painting but for feeling free to express yourself with paint. Totally cool guy.
Love the paintings your boys came up with. As for being weird, I say we're all weird---some of us just don't hide it as well as others. :-)
Post a Comment