Gutzon Borglum Art History Project

Second Grade Art History:  It's intense!

We knew this monthly project was coming up, because I like to look ahead at the school curriculum like that. And back in December I said to Gracie, "What artist do you want to study?"  She said, "Who made Mount Rushmore?" Gutzon Borglum.  Done.

Smart kid, right?  I'm a proud mama!

The assignment is:  Choose a famous artist or musician, research that person's life as an artist and replicate a work from that person's portfolio. This can be a big project or a small one, depending on how much work the child wants to put into it. Like all of their monthly projects, the effort and the lesson is up to the family and the interest of the child.  My kid happens to like art and history.

She also likes South Dakota and knows Mount Rushmore is gem of the state. I'm proud that she recognized it as a work of art, not just a thing.  It's not a painting, and when I was a kid I'm pretty sure my limited little head only thought of art as drawings and paintings rather than sculptures or monuments.

Luckily, there was a documentary on TV about Gutzon Borglum and I recorded it. This sure came in handy, as it was the main source of her research. I'm pretty sure we could have found all of the pertinent information online or in some of our South Dakota books, but it was easy to just watch the program and pause it as the narrator said interesting things. Gracie wrote notes as we watched. She noted his birth and death dates, places, where he studied, other works he did and some other information about his life. I didn't have her write about his lack of finances because that seemed a bit out of the scope of her project at a second grade level anyway.

The replica was the hard part of the project.  I'm sure Gutzon didn't have it easy when he was sculpting Mount Rushmore neither, but he was older and wiser. He wasn't eight.

I did have the forsight to think ahead and have her build her mountain over a ceramic bowl though. Then we wouldn't have a 50 pound lump of dried sculputre to lug around, but a hollow one that would dry nicely and evenly. Score one for mommy thinking!

I cannot stand Playdough. Gross. That stuff stinks! I'm not having her build a Playdough mountain.  We will make our own non-smelly stuff. I used pinterest and found lots of recipes for salt dough.  According to a thousand web sites, it's easy, doesn't smell, dries nicely, and lasts forever. Perfect.

So, not perfect!  It is easy to mix, but a mess and a half!  And it doesn't dry nicely. You have to bake it. You have to bake it flat!  It's great for rolled out flat Christmas ornaments and the like, not for mounds of mountainous granite with heads.  Salt dough was a complete no-go!

Look what happened when we baked it!  Those poor Great Faces!

I bought some modeling clay.  It said on the package that it would air dry nicely. Great. Just right for us!

Wrong again.  It dries all right.  But it crumbled into bits! How is that drying nicely? It's drying and cracking and completely falling apart!  We piled more clay onto it to make it thicker, but that just made more pieces to break off.  Failure number two.  Ugh.

Gracie was disappointed and the deadline was looming. We'd been working on this project for a long time thinking we had plenty of time and suddenly, it's almost due. And it's a catastrophe!

Replica numero tres:  Or, number three since it's not Spanish or anything....

This time, we decided not to let it dry!  That should solve the drying problems!  Take it to school freshly molded! It doesn't need to be dry like a rock, it just needs to look like Mount Rushmore.  Sort of. Her details were less and less pronounced with each version of the heads. They lack noses now.

She made her third and final (it was due in the morning) replica and we covered it with saran wrap.  This must work! She put her report in a binder to make a booklet out of it and added some photos of Borglum's other works. She put in a couple of photos of sculptures and one of a painting that he did.  No explanation about them, just printed pictures and put them in her binder.  I'm sure her teacher will guess that they are examples of his other works.

At school, they set up a little art museum. I wish I could have gone to see it, but I hear it was fantastic. Each kid presented their project and all of them were set out for display.  I'm glad she put her report in a binder because a poster or just a piece of paper would not have displayed as well. And her sculpture was just fine!  Another girl did a sculpture too, The Statue of Liberty. I'll have to ask her mom about it and see what they used for their sculpting medium.

Next year, I hope she chooses a painting!

Wigs

For fun and for reason - I went wig shopping again!  I'm so glad my sister took me wig shopping when she did. We didn't buy anything that day, but we found a shop and we found where some listed shops weren't, saving me time now that the time has come.

My hair has mostly fallen out by now, and it's been a strain to adjust, but it isn't the worst thing in the world. Scarves and hats are fine, but awkward.It is hard to feel normal in something that never has been normal to you. And I need to look normal once in a while - like a school function!  So, I took my little buddy Charlie and we went to a wig shop.  I went to one that I didn't go to before, but it has good reviews. Charlie and I found it ok, so we went in. It was kind of a classy joint, might be good!

First thing Charlie saw was a small dish of peppermint candies by the cash register. Next thing you know he had peppermint drool all over his face and neck, his hands were covered in sticky drips all the way up to his elbows!  We had to leave the store and go to the car to wash him off with baby wipes.  No more candies.

Back in we went.  He wanted his shoes off; he was actually wearing Libby's flip flops and they were hurting his toes.  I tried on a couple of wigs. They were nice, but highly priced. The lady helping me was a complainer too!  She said "oh, a chemo patient. I have to clean the wigs after you try them on because you are a chemo patient. I have to spray them and shake them off."  Well, do what you have to do. I don't mind.

Then Charlie had to go potty. He told the lady, "When I hold my weenie like dis, it means I haffta go potty right now!"  She offered to take him and I told her he can do it by himself he just needs to know where the bathroom is.  He did just fine on his own. Whew!  He's so funny! I really liked one wig that I had tried on. She had already sprayed and  shaken it and put it back and I asked her to bring it out again and she was a little annoyed, but I ignored that. I'm bothering her with my chemo head and my little grandson, but this is wig shopping and this is her job to help me.

I loved one wig!  It was $279 though.  That's a lot of money and it was synthetic hair, like a Barbie doll, so I don't think that's a good price. Maybe it is, but that's a lot of money!  I told her I love it and I'll think about it. She wasn't too happy that I left without making a purchase but she let me know that she wouldn't hold it for me unless I put down a deposit.  No thanks, no deposit. Thank you.

 Then I needed to take Charlie back and get the girls instead. Time to swap kids. The girls had a ride home from school, so I went home to make sure all was well and swap kids. Pretty sure Charlie had enough of my wig shopping anyway.

The girls and I went to the same shop where Pat took me. Easy to find and it had several wigs, that really weren't all that different in style than the expensive shop. I don't remember this shop being over $200 per wig neither. Seems they were more reasonable. And, they were. I tried on lots of wigs here! The lady was so nice and very helpful. She just said not to put the wigs back by myself because I'm a chemo patient, so she has to spray the wig before she puts it back.  Ah, ok.  At least she wasn't a jerk about it.

I tried on the wig that I liked when I went in with my sister. It looked much better on the manikin! I tried on a bunch of wigs. Gracie really wanted me to get a clown wig, but I nixed that idea pretty fast.  Libby wanted hair clips for herself, she didn't care about wigs at all. I finally narrowed it down to a natural looking one that was similar to the $279 wig in the other shop and a blondish one that looked light and summery, but was a nice length.  The brown one was a wee bit shorter than I really liked.  So, length won over color and I purchased the blondy wig for $52. Pictured in the lower right. That's a lot better than the other shop and now I have hair!

I was loving it!  The girls thought it was great too!  Lexie thought it looked really good on me.  And then Keith got home and immediately snubbed it.  He didn't like it at all! He said it looked funny and fake and really not me. Now normally, I wouldn't care too much what he thinks, but he's an honest guy and if he thinks it looks fake and funny, then I'm pretty sure others will too.  Lexie thought it looked great, but I don't know. Now I was confused and upset.

Hair loss is a lot more emotional than I anticipated.  I really didn't think it would bother me so very much!  I already purchased it so it's mine. Maybe I'll go back and get the brown wig too, not the expensive one but the one from this same shop.  It was $135.  I decided that's what I will do.  Then I could be happy wearing my blond hair to the park and the beach and wear the brown one when Keith takes me out to dinner. That will work. Two sets of hair.  Yes!

The next day I took the girls to school wearing my blond wig and it all went well.  They had a school function in the afternoon that I needed to attend, so I wore the wig to that. I think it went well. A couple of people noticed my new cut and color. I don't know if they really knew it was a wig or not, but that's ok. I felt normal enough. Although, I felt very self conscious about it too. At least I could walk around and visit with people without feeling like a banner for chemo.  It's this or a slippery scarf or a hat, very obvious!

After the school party, I took the girls and we went to Michelle's Place for a wig.  I didn't think I would be able to do that this week since I was told to only go on Thursday afternoons for a wig and I wasn't going to have time. Luckily, we had time and so we went.

Wouldn't  you know it, I could go anytime to get a wig there!  And the lady was very helpful! She didn't shake and spray off the wigs, just had me wear a wig cap before putting any on and I kept the little cap. It's just a nylon, like a ankle sock that I squeezed onto my head instead of wearing on my foot. No biggie. I'm not contagious. Then I tried on wigs!

The girls went to the kids' room to play with toys and I went into the salon room to try on wigs. They have scads of them, all folded up in drawers though, so it's hard to see what's what. You just have to pull them out and look at them.  They are sorted by color and I had already decided no blond wigs, but I wanted to try on a white one just to send Keith a photo and scare him a bit.  I did.  It was hilarious! And I looked a lot like my mother. Whoa!

I did try on one blonde one because it was a nice longer length and I wanted to feel how that would be. While I tried that one on, the lady helping me tried to find a brown one like it.  I didn't like it and she didn't find one except in jet black, so that was out.

She had me try on a cute short one with a couple of red streaks down the side. It was really cute and  young looking but I really felt like I'd have to learn to play guitar in a rock band if I wore it much longer. It's the one pictured on the lower left.  The middle left, that was supposed to look pretty good according to the tag on it, but I just look like a drunk!  I could wear it out and about, but I'd look like I'd been out and about a lot!

And then we found the one pictured in the lower right.  Perfect! The color is great, the length is perfect and I loved it! Even better than the $279 wig at the other shop!  I went to show the girls and Gracie said, "Mom, you look like you!"  Done.  That's the wig for me!  I walked out  wearing it and feeling great!

Since the girls were so good, I took them to the park to run off some energy and I could sit and feel my new wig on my head.  The park was crazy crowded though, and by chance, my friend sent me a text and said she was at a different park. I grabbed up the girls and met her there. I wanted to show her my new hair.  We got to the park and I immediately felt weird about it. Mostly because my friend knows me very well and she'll surely see that it's a wig, but that's good because I trust her and she'll be wonderfully honest, but she was hanging out with someone I didn't really know and so we wouldn't be able to talk about it openly. I told Gracie and Libby not to say anything, because wearing a wig is a secret. Of course, they did! Little stinkers! I don't think the other lady noticed that it was a wig, but I'm sure my good friend did. I was holding it down like a hat and adjusting it like a tight cap, of course she noticed!  It felt like it might pop off if I made facial expressions that wrinkled up my forehead. Eeek!  Guess I should tape it down like the lady in the wig shop offered to do yesterday. The park was a good first try out in the new hair. I'll get better at this, I'm sure.

When I walked in the house, Lexie didn't look twice at me. And then it dawned on her, and she said "Wow. I forgot when you first walked in."  That's the best!

When Keith got home, he didn't even notice. After a few minutes, he looked at me and said, "What are you wearing on your head?"  And I said "A wig" and he said, "I just noticed. And not because of how it looks, I just remembered that you don't have hair. You look exactly like you."  Highest compliment!  He forgot and had to remember that I shouldn't have hair! This thing looks good!  He didn't even mind when he thought it was the $279 wig, but he loved that it was a free one! Awesome!

I think I'm gonna be just fine with the hair loss now that I have two wigs and several scarves and hats for those times when I just want to be more comfortable. I can be inconspicuous, or fashionable. This might be fun!  Or anonymous, my choice now.  But I'm comfortable and that's really all that matters.

Kindergarten Graduation

She graduated!  Yay!  Kindergarten is officially done!  (Sort of, there are still two weeks left of school)

Libby finished the kindergarten curriculum back in November, but had a few skills to master rather than just sit on them as proficient. Her teacher put her on the first grade track of materials in class, but she stayed in Kindergarten. Honestly, I didn't notice a difference.  We just hoped to keep her from being bored. She spent most of the year bored, but who knows, that's just what she told me. She was probably having a great time in school every day!

This is her graduating class. Aren't they all adorable!

I'm so mushy over all the little boys in their little tiny ties! Adorable! As you can see, my year-long worries over my little girl being tiny and too small to blend in were all wrong. She's the same size as the rest of the kids. Blends right in. They are all about the same size, give or take. But they are all 5 and 6 years old, it's not like they are in middle school and have a foot of height variation between them. I did worry a lot that Libby was smaller than the rest of the kids and might be immature too. That's another issue, but she seems to fit right in. She's almost the youngest in her class. The cut off date for Kindergarten entry is the day after her birthday so she just made the cut!  One other girl managed to enroll even though her birthday is two weeks later than the cut off; I cannot explain that but she's doing great in the class and is one of the taller kids too. Although, I'm sure that decision wasn't based on height.

Libby was all excited for her Kindergarten "Coronation".  She would get a crown and be the Queen of Kindergarten! I think she's seen "Frozen" a few too many times. The queen's coronation scene was all that she had in mind when her teacher mentioned graduation. I can see how those two ceremonies could be confused.

By the time the graduation ceremony began, it appears that Libby figured out the difference between coronation and graduation.  Thank goodness! I feared a great meltdown! A diploma rather than a tiara! The drama that could have caused!  Thank goodness for Miss Laura !

The kids recited a poem and sang a song. The teacher told the parents how wonderful their year was and how they've grown and learned so very much. It's true. Libby can read, add, subtract, understand a lot of science concepts, tell you that a seahorse's eyes can go in two directions at once, explain recycling, name the President of the United States, and all sorts of things! Every day there's something new coming out of this kid!

After the graduation ceremony, she was ready to report to first grade. Of course, she knows who her teacher will be because that's how her school works. The kids find out who their next teacher is long before the next school year begins. And she will have the same teacher for 1st - 3rd grades! No worrying about whose class she will be assigned to. I love that!  Plus, since the grades are mixed in 1st - 3rd, she will be in class with her older sister. They are so excited!

But, it was Friday afternoon with two weeks left of school.  Not exactly the right time to jump right into the first grade class. I  had to break the bad news: she has to wait until August 27th.  She nearly cried! She said "But mom, Kindergarten is so boring!" I told her that her entire class is in the first grade now. She has to keep going to Miss Laura's class with the other kids but they are all in first grade. Then in August, they all move to their 1st grade classes. She was ok with that.

I think she was a little disappointed with the graduation as a whole. It wasn't a coronation and she didn't get to go to the next classroom just yet. She did get a diploma and a cookie. Then it was over.