My Gifts to You

At the end of every year, I give my babies a little goodie bag of treats, along with a little letter. The items may vary a little year to year, but for the most part, I try to stick to the same items.

My Gifts to You

A pencil, to remind you to keep writing.

A sharpener, to remind you to keep your mind sharp.

An eraser, to remind you that everyone makes mistakes.

A pad of paper, to remind you to write down your dreams.

A box of crayons, to remind you to keep your life colorful.

A yo-yo, to remind you that life will have its ups and downs.

A bandage, to remind you that there will be bumps along the way.

A bookmark, to remind you to always keep reading.

A compass, to keep you on the right path in life.

A bottle of bubbles, to remind you to let your troubles float away.

A lollipop, to remind you how sweet you are.

A Hug and a Kiss, to remind you I love you!

(The bookmark, yo-yo, Hershey Hugs and Kisses are missing from this picture. I need to make one more run to Walmart tomorrow!)

This week is our last week. Thank you, Jesus! We are having a Spirit Week this week, so I hope that helps it go by faster. Today was Sports Day. Everyone was to dress in their favorite sports gear. Naturally, I was sporting a Cubs shirt and hat. This afternoon we simulated the ballpark experience with hot dogs, nachos and popcorn.

Tomorrow is Crazy Hat/Hair Day. I think I'll bring some colored hairspray with me for those whose parents are too lame to help them participate. Wednesday will be Mix & Match Day. Like years past, we will be making trail mix together. There is no school for students on Thursday, since it's our last teacher institute day, then Friday is Pajama Day. That's always my favorite day. However, this year, it won't be nearly as fun. Friday is our last day of school, which means the kids only come for an hour.

Normally, I do Spirit Week during the last full week of school, which would have been last week. Unfortunately, New Principal said I had to do it this week, since "we need to still be teaching until then." I don't think she really understood how Spirit Week was going to go. There IS still teaching going on. As a matter of fact, most of the day goes the same as a 'normal' school day, with the only difference really being how the kids are dressed, and the treats we have. But, the treats are enjoyed during our daily snack time, so we really aren't losing 'teaching' time. But, whatever, she's the boss!

Sadly, because of the teacher institute day, we lost a day, which means I had to cut Teddy Bear Day. That's usually a fun one, too, cuz all kids LOVE to bring in their favorite teddy bear or stuffed animal. Typically, I get gummy bears and Teddy Grahams for snacks.

Pajama Day is always on Friday, and we usually do a Pizza Party that day. But, like I said, we only have an hour this year, so I don't even know if I'll bring a special treat. I may just pass out their goodie bags that day, along with their report cards, empty their mailboxes and call it a day!

Sheesh, I hope the next couple of days goes by quickly. I'm just about at the end of my rope. :( There have been a few really sweet moments the past few weeks, which is keeping me from losing it completely. Today during centers, one of the babies wrote this on her board: "Love is for me n my mom. To day we is having hotdogs. " ('hotdogs' is written backward, from right to left, across the bottom.) How cute is this? It's amazing to me how far my kids have come this year. This particular baby couldn't even write her name when school started, and here she is writing sentences.

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I am seriously regretting the fact that I agreed to teach summer school. The past two weeks have been hot and miserable here, and let me say one more time - WE HAVE NO AIR-CONDITIONING!! I've been completely wiped out by the time I get home. Plus, I've been in such a foul mood for the past two week. I realize it's hard to believe, but I've been an even bigger bitch than usual. How the hell am I going to do this all summer?! The worst thing is, I will not have even one day off this summer. We are even getting screwed out of a day off for the 4th of July, since it falls on a Sunday. With the exception of Labor Day, I don't have a break coming until the end of September. How the HELL am I going to make it until then? I'm so afraid that the next school year is going to start off on a really crappy note because I won't have had a summer break to decompress and refresh my mind. Argh!! I think I'd rather scrimp and pinch pennies to pay for Stud's tuition. I wonder if I can find someone to take my spot....