teacher love week

This week was teacher appreciation week. The PTF (like PTA) gives us a theme to stick to each day.  This year, only two days were assigned, so Bee and I chose our own items for the other days. 

Monday: The kids wrote thank you notes to their teachers. 

Tuesday: Bee and I chose flowers. This year she has a student teacher, so she's included too. We picked up some pretty tulips and stuck on printable tags, that I've used before. They are from Skip to my Lou and you can even insert your child's name.  

The tag reads, "Thank you for helping ___ bloom."

Wednesday:  We sent in coffee cozies from my shop stash and stuck inside gift cards for the coffee shop downstairs from the school.  

Thursday:  The PTF told us to bring in a sweet treat for the teachers.  I wanted a packaged item so the teachers didn't have to eat them right away- they were getting something from each kid- that's a lot of goodies.   We chose the thanks-a-lot girl scout cookies.  I added a tag that I printed out using a googled image of 'thank you in many languages.'  There were several options when I searched that. 

Friday:  Well, I dropped the ball.  I had something in mind and then I forgot.  Maybe we'll get it done and remember to send it in next week.

Garage sales in March?

This crazy nice weather is getting people cleaning out the closets and working on the garage and that means Garage sales!  

Here are our scores from the first of the season for us:

 

Lou got the best deal.  A pretty much brand new bucket of legos for $3.  400 legos for $3, you can't beat that every day!

Here are Bee's (as usual) random purchases.  The tic tacs are from the gas station.  We certainly didn't get them at a garage sale. She spent less than 1$ total (minus the tic tacs). 

My purchase for preschool mostly:  

Except hubby added  a few mugs.  He's a nut.  He said we needed a few new mugs and I bought some nice large mugs from the store.  They are pretty.  He bought these Christmas mugs that I'm going to have to re-garage sale this summer!  For 10 cents a piece I won't complain.  Plus, he was the one with the cash this day. 

I found a few items for Bee, shirts for next fall and a few summer sandals.  Usually I avoid shoes, but these were in nice shape and fit perfect. 

a big drop

We did a little zip lining. Hubby and I (and my sister) got to go in the second shift. My mom and sister went first. Someone had to stay with the kiddos, who didn't weight enough.   My sister got to go twice since she's young and cute and the zip guides were... well, boys.   They told her it was because she is a teacher and they just appreciate the work she does.  Yep. 

The kids weighed 10 pounds to little to go.  Maybe another year.

You climbed to the top of the first stand, got strapped onto the line and then just went off the edge.

You rode the line to the next stand and jumped again.

After the last stand, you ended up at the ground.  I'll just caption the rest of the pictures... they are in no order; but frankly, we are wanting to watch a movie this evening and I want to get off the computer.  Just keeping it real. 

(My mom lands)

(Hubby and I are waiting for the first jump)

(My mom was brave and went first)

(There goes my sister)

(Her first graders are going to love seeing these pictures!)

(There goes hubby)

(Take note, wear longer shorts when zip lining- Here I go)

(me on the final jump)

(Hubby on the final jump)

(safe on the ground)

Much more calm things for tomorrow.

big rocks and a goose whisperer

Lets just pretend that we didn't see this sign. We sort of missed it.  We may have broken every rule. 

We went to visit my mom and she took us to this neat hiking area with rock and trails and whatnot. There isn't a lot to say,  so I'll just share the photos. 

Except I will say that my hubby and my sister were dare devils.  They saw a rock and decided to get to it.  

Ok, and then my sister went and got all goose whisperer.  They were eating out of her hand!

There is something just as dangerous in store for us tomorrow!

emtpy tomb- Easter -Preschool Style

This note was found in my teaching basket this morning after Lou and I got to school.  Bee wrote him a sweet little note.  Lou has been getting really worked up about fears at school.  He has a tummy ache almost every morning from all this worry.  He's a little ball of stress.  Geesh.  His life is so hard!

Today's theme was Easter story- empty tomb. 

I set out some more watercolor work for them at arrival time.  They flock to the table when I have this out.  They don't even use the chairs, allowing more friends to work.  This time, I let them add the color themselves using the water color pencils. I gave in and bought a set just for school.  I didn't want them using up Bee's pencils anymore than she did.  I drew several cards with pictures and left some blank.  The kids wanted me to draw on the blank ones too, no one wanted those. I talk more about the watercoloring here.

I read this book last year and used the resurrection eggs with these same kids, but no one minded.  No one really remembered what was in each egg.  I really like using this story, The Miracle of Easter because the I feel like the whole story is there and it goes nicely with the eggs (I have to add a sentence here and there to bring in all of the eggs.)

The mom helper I had today was awesome.  We worked together on a snack that the kids could make themselves.  We made empty tomb rolls.  I've made them before, but never with all of the ingredients broken down as something from the Easter story. 

The crescent roll is the cloth they wrapped Jesus in.  The marshmallow is like Jesus, pure and clean, free of sin.  The marshmallow gets dipped in butter (like the oils used on Jesus' body).  The marshmallows are then dipped in a little cinnamon sugar (the spices and herbs used).

The roll is then wrapped around the marshmallow (like the body was wrapped)  and all edges are pinched.

They rolls get baked as per the directions for the dough.  When the rolls are opened, they are empty, just like the tomb.   That big marshmallow melted.   The directions we used this day came from Homegrown Mom. 

The tomb is empty, Hooray!  This took a good deal of our time, but made for a nice morning. The kids were crazy lively today.  We've all earned next week off!

Here's the craft.  Lou's cutting was pretty shaky this day.  I can't believe this is his;  he usually is so tidy with this craft. The kids cut along two lines to create a tomb and a stone that was rolled away.  They glued in a bible verse and then hod the option of sponge painting on some flowers and leaves.  Lou chose two flowers making it look a little like a face. 

And now, to enjoy spring break!