It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

This post has two stories to it, but both having to do with presents...

Story 1:
I'm back tracking a bit, but I don't believe that I ever wrote about the Christmas presents that my students made for their parents. Now, I typically love doing crafts with my kids, so I usually take every opportunity I can get to do art with them. Well, let's just say I could have passed up on this art project last week. I have done this project now for 3 years. The first 2 years had their challenges, but never once did an ornament break.
This year- 4! Yes, 4! Now, to be fair I broke the first one, just trying to move it. The second one was broken when a boy decided to stab a sharp feather through his. The third happened when we were painting sparkles on them. "Mine broke." "What were doing with it?" "Nothing." "Really?" "Really, I was just spinning it on my desk." "Hmmm, that would do it." And the fourth one happened when we were gluing beads on them. "It just broke." "What do you mean it just broke?" "I was just putting beads on it and it broke." "I'm not upset. I'm just wondering if it really just broke or if you did something to it." "Oh, well, I dropped it."
Don't worry. I had extras. But you see, since none of mine broke in the last 2 years, I didn't buy that many extras. So when the fourth one broke, I knew I was in trouble. That night I ventured out to Hobby Lobby. Completely Out. Then to Michaels. Completely Out. It appeared that the entire town was out of glass ornaments. Great. Just great.

Here are the beautiful ornaments: I didn't get a chance to take a picture of them in all their glory with the beads all over them, but you get the idea. Also, about the beads- I was picturing them gluing on a bead here and there on the ornament, but this years class decided they were most beautiful with beads ALL over their ornaments. So goes.
We stuffed them with different color feathers. Then, we painted sparkles on them. Finally, we glued beads on them, picked out a ribbon and wrapped them up. I have never been so glad to see an art project go home.




Story 2:
I personally like this present story better! :)

Dan and I had our Christmas this afternoon. We are going to my parents tonight and then taking off for Canada to see his parents in the morning.

First, we opened stockings. (Yes, that is one of our new Pottery Barn stockings!)



Then, I opened my present!
I could not believe it! A new digital camera- the Canon EOS 400D! I have so been wanting one of these. I really want to take a photography class this summer at our art institute. But, I really never imagined that one of these would be in my hands on Christmas (espeically since we set a dollar limit, which he didn't abide by)! I don't have a lense for it yet, but as soon as I do- I'll be taking pictures like crazy!


Merry Christmas Eve!