Teacher Appreciation Week is May 4th - 8th

Thanks Rebecca and Katrina for holding down the fort while I was down for the count this last week. It was nice not to have to worry about anything but getting better. It was also fun to receive their fun get-wells;)

On with my post...

I send my child off every weekday to have his mind filled and to learn and grow. I miss knowing everything he does in a day, but I'm enjoying every second watching him to learn and grow. My 3 year old is still at home with me every day, but his turn will come.

I can't spend endless money on daily gifts for my son's teacher. I wish I could. What I do have is time and the creativity to make things. That is what I did this last week during my recovery from my ear surgery. I wasn't in so much pain, but I get dizzy easily. So sitting things worked well for me. Sewing and sitting mostly;)

I found out his teacher's favorite color is pink, her favorite treat is a brownie and her favorite Starbucks drink is a Vanilla Chai.

I made four days worth of thank yous from me and one day from my son.

I found these cute Journal Mounts at Joann's that I am going to write out a little poem to go with each gift. (Oh and I am NOT a poet, but I had fun trying to personalize the gift with a thank you for each thing. They had to be short because the Journal Mounts only have a few lines each.)

Here are the gifts with their little poems:

1. An ice cream cozy

Now take a time out
For yourself won't you please.
This ice cream cozy
Won't let your hands freeze.

2. A cup cozy. You make it the same way you make the ice cream cozy, but I use an actual cozy that comes from the store when you order a hot drink for my template. I also used Insulbright for the inside insulation. I put a $5 Starbucks gift card in there too. You are so awesome

So please won't you try

To take some time to unwind

With a Vanilla Chai?

If you are interested, here is the little coffee cup card I cut out. I did not want it to be cute, I just wanted it to be a place holder, if you will, for the cozy. The ice cream cozy will have a real pint in it, this will not since it has the Starbucks gift card. You could totally use a card like this and make it way cute for another purpose though;)

3. A pencil holder. I just stitched up a cylinder with some patchiness. I used some really stiff Peltex to keep it standing up nicely. It is completely lined with no exposed seams.
You do so much

In this difficult joint.

Thank you so much

That is my point.

4. A rectangular container to catch whatever she may need. I put some of my favorite brownies in there. We love to mix these up with just applesauce. So good.

You held us together

And that's no small feat

And now we share with you

OUR favorite brownie treat.

5. I had my son draw some flowers in different sizes. I had drawn the circle on the right and said to make flowers smaller than that. This way he had an idea how big to make them. I used my favorite technique for sewing with felt and stitched up a broach from his drawings. It is so fun and simple. You take your drawing or whatever, cut it out of paper and layer it on top of felt. Reduce your stitch length waaaay down, and sew directly following the lines on your paper.

If your stitch length was short enough, the paper will almost pop off on it's own. You carefully peel the paper off at this point. Carefully trim closely to the line without cutting the line. Do this with all your flowers. Stack them together, stitch them together. Embellish with some cute matching buttons and sew a pin to the back.

I just love how it turned out. My son was so proud of himself with this one.

My 3 year old saw it and had to make one too. He doesn't get nearly enough drawing time in. It took all we could do to get him to draw two flowers. But I stitched his up just the same. I think any of these would be great girlfriend, or Mother's Day, or pick me up gifts individually too.
For all that you do
I want to say thank you so.
Your nurturing ways
Have helped me to grow.

I also had my son write a letter to his teacher. And lastly we included a letter he wrote and sent to our Governor asking her not to cut his education any more. Arizona is right there at the bottom of the list (or second to the bottom) for education. There is this idea if you are in AZ and want to teach your kids about being involved in making change happen. join hands for education

My girlfriend and I are having the kids in their class trace their hands and then sign them. We cut them out and made a poster with them for the teacher.

Take a minute to thank your children's teachers. Teaching is so much more than just the ABC's. It is stepping in where I am not, to do all the things I can't do while my son is at school.

I'm also going to add a note and another favorite poem, I'm not sure who wrote it, but I totally feel like a teacher's job and a parent's job are one in the same.

“WHOSE CHILD IS THIS?”

"Whose child is this?" I asked one day

Seeing a little one out at play

"Mine", said the parent with a tender smile

"Mine to keep a little while

To bathe his hands and comb his hair

To tell him what he is to wear

To prepare him that he may always be good

And each day do the things he should"

"Whose child is this?" I asked again

As the door opened and someone came in

"Mine", said the teacher with the same tender smile

"Mine, to keep just for a little while

To teach him how to be gentle and kind

To train and direct his dear little mind

To help him live by every rule

And get the best he can from school"

"Whose child is this?" I ask once more

Just as the little one entered the door

"Ours" said the parent and the teacher as they smiled

And each took the hand of the little child

"Ours to love and train together

Ours this blessed task forever."

Hopefully this will give you an idea or two for doing something for your child's teacher. Let me know if you ended up using any of them yourself, K?

Anjeanette