Student Gift Idea

This time last year, I already knew I would be back in the 3rd grade teaching. While we were down at the Mediterranean Sea, the girls and I picked up beautiful smooth stones and brought them back home with a student Christmas gift idea in mind. (The beach is not sandy, it's completely smooth rocks.) My first grade teacher gave me a smooth rock with my name painted on it. I even remember her asking us each what our favorite color was. I said red. This past week, Firstborn helped me paint a base coat on each rock and helped me with some designs.

 I made each child a different rock. I really like how they turned out. I painted a glaze over them so the paint will last longer. The kids loved them, especially because they were all different!

I got an adorable gift from some sweet fellow teachers who are roommates. They spotted these chubby garden stakes at a hardware store and thought they looked just like pencils. They simply must put them on Pinterest! And I simply must hand this giant pencil to my students when they ask me (hourly) to borrow my pencils!

What homemade gift ideas do you have this year? For teachers? Students? Friends?

Weekend Basketball Games

This past weekend our Oasis Lions had basketball games. Firstborn has faithfully attended practice three times a week and was excited about her upcoming game. She has definitely improved this year. We saw her take more shots and be more aggressive. In fact, several folks came up to me and said, "Wow, your daugther is really aggressive." Is that a compliment? I'll take it as one! She does have four siblings. To get second helpings at a table with seven people, you have to be a little aggressive.  She's blocking a big gal  here! This gal she was assigned to had a hard time hustling up the court, but once she got there, she was a formidable force!

Her coach this year is the grandson-in-law of two people I love very much, who came and served here and helped launch this amazing school in Turkey. I love full circle kind of stuff, don't you?

Sweet Cheeks (oh, it's so hard to not call her Perma-Baby) got herself ready. I noticed the side ponytail and the shirt tail which had been bound by a hairband. Someone has been looking at her older sisters!

This guy walked right in, and just like at the 5K, wanted to know right off where they sold the food.

Thankfully B kept him happy with some American coins. He got to choose a few to keep. Those nickels fool us every time. Bigger doesn't always mean more. :)

One Little Indian Boy

I'm about to get into all the Christmas "stuff" on this blog, but just before I do, I had to post this. Big Ben's class dressed as pilgrims and Indians for Thanksgiving at school. (Yes, I know they are no longer called Indians. I was born in the 70's, bear with me.) I am not sure if they got to pick which they were going to be. I am certain Big Ben would have picked Indian, though. He said he really liked his feather headband, he just didn't like the scratchy grocery bag vest. I wonder what Spiderman thought.

Twinkle Toes' First 5K

Twinkle Toes signed up for the running club and loves it. They faithfully run rain or shine. They trained hard, and this past week, ran their first 5K Fun Run.

These two Spanish-speaking boys have pretty much stolen our hearts. At the end of the race, the coach told them all the next goal was to train for a 10K. He said (think your best Speedy Gonzalez accent here), "You are not serious."

As soon as we arrived at the park and the fun run began, Big Ben asked where they were selling food. I'm wondering if that boy will ever be in a fun run! Anyway, good job, Twinkle Toes!

Here's the great Oasis running club!

Chestnuts Roasting....

on an open fire, Jack Frost nippin' at your nose. You really can get roasted chestnuts here. Vendors sell them on the streets. My friends B and L headed down to Ulus (the old town) with Firstborn and me, for some Christmas shopping. I bought us a bag of roasted chestnuts. They cut them with a big "x" then roast them. That makes them easy to peel later. This man was happy for me to take his picture.

They really are good. Really. I like them. But when L said, after trying them for the first time, "Hmmm...not bad, but funny they would write an entire song about them." I had my favorite laugh of the day.

Piano Recital

The girls had their piano concert this past week. Sweet Cheeks played Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee and a duet of Holy, Holy, Holy with her sister Twinkle Toes. She had no choice in her dress. I insisted she wear the smocked Christmas gown. I've let out the hem until there is nothing left, she is the fourth Campbell to wear it, and this may well be our last year for a little girl to don it. Firstborn wore it just before we moved to Turkey.

 Twinkle Toes played a classical waltz. She did a beautiful job and is thinking of continuing her lessons next year. (We decided to require them only through elementary school.) She and Miss Middler also played the handbells.

 I love this picture. Miss Middler played, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree." I think that song should be played at every concert!

 Here are the girls with their wonderful piano teacher, Mrs. Park.

 And here are all of our piano students. Three of these cute kids are also in my class. And that little one in the very middle (Japanese) in front of Miss Middler is a prodigy. Look for her to be famous one day!

Gettin' Those Boys!

My brother Tim has the biggest heart. He'd just about do anything (or give money!) to anyone! I think that is why he has so many stray dogs wander up to his house...he sends off some sort of signal that says, "I'll help. Come on!" Perhaps that is part of why God has laid it upon his heart to adopt twin boys from Africa. He's got a houseful of kids, but still his heart breaks for those who will have no one to call their own daddy. The adoption process has moved quickly, and they are about ready to bring them to America (we are hoping for January/February). My sister in law has worked round the clock to sew/craft things to raise money for this final payment that needs to be made to get them here. Would you consider checking out her online auction (open for 1 week) and seeing if there is something you'd like to bid on? Here's an added incentive...if you go to her blog through my blog, Campbell Clan Blog, bid on an item, and are the highest bidder for any one item, I'll mail you a Turkish rug mousepad. Just make sure you leave in the comment that you came through Campbell Clan. Thanks for checking it out! Here's the link!

http://www.findingallourfishsticks.blogspot.com/


And a big shout out to Kelly at Kelly's Korner and Laurie at Laurie's Life for mentioning this on your blogs, too!