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Saturday, June 2, 2012

End of School Teacher Gifts


Yesterday was the last day of school for the boys!
I like to send in a little gift for their teachers and aides at the end of each year and this is
what I did this year.  Little floral boxes with ribbon handles were filled with
African Violets, a beauty kit full of lip balm, hand lotion, cuticle cream, etc.,
and a big sugar cookie shaped like a flower.

Do you have a gift stash?  Something you fill with little gifts that
you pick up here and there during the year?  I have a large dresser drawer that I
have designated as the gift drawer.  When I find good deals while I'm out shopping I
pick them up.  It's saved us from many last minute needs and emergency shopping
trips.  I had the little beauty kits and floral boxes in my stash.
I picked up the violets at the grocery, and when I made those 300 wedding cookies
2 weeks ago, I thought of this coming up and made 4 flower shaped cookies and
put them in the freezer.  Then I added a little pink swirl of frosting (Wilton's in a tube)
 and sprinkled candy pearls on top!

All in all it was a really good school year.  We really like the boys' teacher and the aides.
Although, I hear that two of the three aides will not be returning. 
That always gives me pause for concern, but we'll just trust that the right
people get into those positions.  We're really sad to see these two go, though.

Anyway, these are much nicer gifts than what Marmalade brought me this morning!
A baby squirrel.  Thankfully, already dead, as I wouldn't have wanted a hurt or half
dead gift to deal with.  Eeew.  I took photos of him carrying something up to the house
before I realized he was on his way to reward me. lol.  But I'll spare you the pictures. :)

It was a cold first day of summer!  50 degrees, breezy and rain!  Brrr.

54 comments:

  1. First first with my burst
    I guess Gloria wil have to wait to do quench her first thirst

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    1. Wow always thinking ahead indeed
      There at your feed
      As you even have a drawer
      So you can gift explorer
      And find one for all
      Without the need for going to a grocery hall
      And he brought you a gift
      But you won't show it after such a lift
      As he went through lots of work to bring that to you
      You must show the pics at your zoo..haha

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    2. well, I had the picture on the post
      and thought maybe after the snake it was too gross?
      Some people might cry
      that a little squirrel did die.
      But I put it in the mail to you
      so you and Orlin could say Eeew!

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    3. LOL not sure Orlin would say eww
      As he'd prob think it is tasty too
      But still it would be fun to see
      What all would say even if it irked my ocd

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  2. What a nice gift - I'm sure they appreciate the fact that you appreciate them! I'm impressed with your planning ahead. I could stand to do more of that. :)
    We've gotten lovely gifts from our cats in the past too!

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    1. I'm not always that organized, but when I am it sure is nice! ha. It was really nice to have those cookies already baked. I had them thawed, decorated and in the bags in just a few minutes.

      Cats are sweet like that, aren't they? Always wanting to share. lol.

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  3. When I had a lot of gifts to buy I shopped all year round.
    When I saw something someone would like on sale I bought it and wrapped it and put the name
    Come Christmas I would forget what was in the packages so when the gifts were opened
    they were just as much a surprise to me as for the person who got it lol
    I also bought things for me just in case lol and opened them with just as much
    satisfaction as if I saw them for the first time.
    I love collecting and then going through my stuff and seeing things again I havent seen in a while.
    One day I can either do a big garage sale or my children can take what they want.

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    1. Oh, that is funny about the wrapping and surprises. haha. I usually don't know who will end up getting them, and sometimes I use things in my gift baskets, so they remain unwrapped. But you collect through the year like I do. It really helps on the cost and not to have to run out and be pressed to find something.

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  4. a dead squirrel...oh my....sad...i like squirrels....that is so cool on how you treat the teachers...i may shoot your link to a few sometime soon you know...smiles.

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    Replies
    1. hahaha...feel free to pass around the link.
      Tell them that's how you'd like to be treated you think. :)

      I know you like squirrels. I think it fell from it's nest in the tree.
      If you're mad, just blame Marmy. :)

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  5. Rhey look absolutely lovely Betsy, what nice gifts!
    Love the colors Betsy!

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    Replies
    1. thanks, Gloria...they turned out pretty nice! I liked the little boxes. :)

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    2. sorry by the baby squirrel, you know these things happens in the Zoo!
      Mouska bring me one time a mouse!lol

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    3. The little boxes are absolutely beauty (have porblems with the T Besy in my computer!

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    4. I know...yuck! :(

      A mouse? Oh, that Mouska is so sweet to bring you gifts. lol.

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    5. Yes she is the best to the mouses:)

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    6. This morning the J wouldn't work on my laptop! I told it to stop it...it wasn't old enough to fall apart yet! hahaha.

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    7. Yes is in our notebook something happens with T!!

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  6. beautiful gift baskets , you are such a sweet heart,
    sad about the squirrel but such is life, cats are born hunters and they hunt to eat, its nature right,

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    1. thanks, laurie. I love to do things like that...it's so much fun! :)

      yes, they are hunters. I've saved a few bunnies and birds over the years, but usually I think it's best to let nature take it's course. Sometimes I think I've just prolonged their death trying to save them and they died anyway. :( It is still amusing how they act so proud of what they bring you. hahaha,

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  7. Betsy, I have to make sugar cookies for a wedding and I am going to borrow your idea:-) I love the icing just in the middle like that and I already had planned to do flowers like the ones you did. I even have the white thingies already! The gift baskets look great!!!

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    1. Oh, those will be beautiful! And that decoration is very easy and quick to do, too! :)

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  8. What beautiful and thoughtful teacher gifts:-)

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  9. Your gifts a sign of appreciation and are always appreciated.
    Even Marmalade's gift is a sign of appreciation. Just like some gifts I've recieved, not my style.

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  10. As a teacher (for 30+ years) I can tell you that your thoughtfulness will be so appreciated.

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    1. mary, i don't think I knew that you taught school! :) How fun!

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  11. I am a teacher as well and can say that gifts like those are always appreciated. They are quite beautiful!

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    1. well, michelle, I hope you brought home some nice ones a few weeks ago!

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  12. Such beautiful gifts, Betsy...the teachers will be thrilled by your thoughtfulness.

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    1. thanks, Anita...I think they were. They are really sweet ladies and we love them!

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  13. Your "end of the school year" gifts are very thoughtful and I'm sure they were appreciated. I love the pink violets you found. I also have a gift drawer where I put gift items I find on sale aside "just in case." It's sad about the baby squirrel..poor little thing.

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    1. It's always nice to go shopping in your own gift drawer when you need an emergency gift! haha.

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  14. I'm sure they will love them. Very pretty...

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  15. Hi Betsy .. great gifts - love that you collect things over the year - I tend to do that - but don't have quite the same need .. no teachers or boys - yes Carers and Nurses at the Nursing Centre for my Mum .. so they get home made savoury surprises some times - which they enjoy .. (I'm not a sweet person) .. but they get strawberries and cream at this time of year .... always appreciated.

    Cheers and enjoy the summer - busy weekend for us - the Pageant .. it's going to be a great time - Hilary

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  16. Oh wow, it's hard to believe that it's that time already. Where did the year go? Your teacher gifts are fabulous!

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    1. I know! This year was the fastest ever. I feel like I never got organized for the year and now it's done! ha.

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  17. You are always so creative!!! We always give a little something, but nothing as adorable as that :) I'm sure those teachers loved it! Like usual, your cookies look like a work of art!

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  18. Wow, nice gifts for the teachers... I am sure they will appreciate it. Great idea for having a gift stash for these occasions.

    Sorry that two of the aides will not return. Have you had much stability with the aides over the years? Hopefully they will find two more that are right for your boys.

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    1. Actually yes, we've had a lot of stability. The one aide that is staying has been with them since kindergarten! And since we like her, that's a good thing. One aide we did not like at all, finally after many years retired a couple of years ago. The two leaving were fairly new. I hope we like the new ones. It really can make or break the school experience for the boys, you know?

      Is school out for Kai yet?

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    2. At the therapeutic school where Kai is at now, they have many aides and all seem very well trained so we are fortunate. Previously, when he was at our neighborhood school, the aide was not really qualified to deal with his issues and she privately admitted it to us.

      This is his last week of school, then a one week break before summer school.

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  19. You are a wonderful mother and an awesome parent. Speaking as a past aide in a special education classroom, parents like you were a joy to deal with and reinforced out commitment to the job. It was rewarding in so many ways, and gifts like this made it more so. I know you're appreciated. :)

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    1. Well, thanks so much for saying that. I've witnessed first hand how ugly parents can be. Teachers and aides aren't perfect and we've had some bad ones, but if they are kind, sweet and I can see they have my sons' best interest at heart, then I can forgive the little things. I always try to remember that.

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  20. That is really special of you to make the gift baskets for the teachers. 8~)
    I too have a gift drawer & some things in a cupboard. I love it when I can get a good deal on special little items.I have a shoebox size box for little gifts that I give to my 4 & 5 year old Sunday School Class too.

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  21. Last night we got on line at the cabin in Tahoe and I was in the middle of typing you a comment, and our friend John, called on skype...and it took me off your blog~ and of course it was not saved. So here I go again.

    The gift boxes for the boys teachers and aids are just marvelous. They must love you to death, for making such darling custom gifts. Yes, I do have a gift drawer, filled with little gifts, bags, boxes, tissue and tons of ribbon. I love being able to grab somithing in a hurry. I try to buy little Christmas gifts throughout the year, but before I had my "gift" drawer...by Christmas I had forgotten where I had put them.

    Love the big cookie..you covered all the bases for what gals like.

    Tahoe is beautiful..will be posting some pictures soon.

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  22. I'm sure the staff loved these - you are so thoughtful, as well as talented.

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  23. These gift boxes are CHARMING. LOVE them!

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  24. What a very sweet and thoughtful thing to do. Really good teachers just aren't appreciated enough.

    I'm horrible with African violets. I usually accidentally kill them. So I don't buy them anymore. Or try not to. But they're pretty and hard to resist.

    I usually pick up cards to keep for special occasions. The thing is, I usually end up all misty eyed reading all the mush at the card counter.

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  25. OH.MY.GOODNESS! We do have so much in common. I do have a gift stash in a drawer...it helps me out often. I read your 'happening now' in your sidebar and just smiled! We had taco salad with avocadoes for dinner tonight too - leftovers from last night even! =) I recently switched over to Google Chrome too - I dreaded it for a long time, but am so glad I did...things are running faster now and I am grateful. And I can't tell you how many times this last week that VERY song of K. C's has been running through my head too. It's the song that plays on a friend's phone while waiting for her to answer...and it really does stick with ya huh? How fun we can share these things right here...across the miles. I love that you were able to get Spencer to dance with you in the kitchen. Precious!

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