Teacher Appreciation

This week is Teacher Appreciation week and I really wanted to do something special for the kids teachers...with their help of course...So looking through my trusty ole Pinterest Boards I settled on making these baskets filled with goodies with a cute poem and prayer. 

I am not creative like some people I know especially my old High School friend Charon who is always blogging and showing me how I fail in that department by all the great things she comes up with...sigh...I also am 100% positive she could have bought everything in the baskets for like $5 with her couponing but thats another story...she's a rockstar....me I don't want to even discuss the cost...It was so much fun though and I can't wait to try my hand at another project!!

I made 3 baskets...one for Trace's first grade teacher..we brought it to her last week since she is going on maternity leave. one for Hannah's second grade teacher and one for our most favorite teacher in the whole world. The kids call her Yaya...its Grandma in Greek.

Finished Product!!

Here is the Poem and Prayer ..

Teacher’s Survival Kit

Animal cookies for when your classroom seems like a zoo.
Band-Aids for when things get a little rough.
Chewing Gum to help you stick to it.
Crayons to color your day bright and cheerful.
Candle for when you are up late grading papers.
Eraser to remind you everyone makes mistakes.
Lifesavers For when you've had one of those days.
Marbles to replace the ones you've lost.
Mounds Bar for the mounds of confidence you give your students.
Paperclips to hold it all together.
Pencil to "write your wrongs."
Rubber band to remind you to be flexible.
Shiny Penny to remind you that each will shine in his or her own special way.
Starburst to give you a "burst" of energy when you need it.
Tissues to wipe away the tears...yours and theirs.
Toothpick to help you "pick" out the good qualities in others and yourself,
and a prayer for you to say at the start of each day.

God, please help me,
to strengthen their voices,
bodies and minds,
to express their feelings and
control them sometimes,
to explore what's near
and venture afar,
but most important to love
who they are



http://pinterest.com/pin/106819822381861230/   This is the link from where I got the idea for this great gift..

Girl Scouts and weekends...

This past weekend was busy...busy....honestly what weekend isn't anymore?  I am definitely not complaining because its all great memories, but sometimes........I just want to lay on the couch and have my kids bring me tea and feed me grapes!!!  Phssht...that was dream...wake me up!!

Anyways this past Saturday we went to Camp North Fork in Middleburg for the 100th year celebration of Girl Scouts.   I am not sure if I mentioned that this is Hannah's second year and I am co-leader of her troop.  We have 10 great girls and an awesome leader who really keeps us moving along.  Trace also went with us.  I must say that we were not prepared for the HEAT!!!!  It was situated in the middle of a field, outside of Jacksonville and if you know the Florida sun it was shining ...bright!!  There was a huge turnout and I heard mention that there were 2,000 girls signed up.  There was rock climbing, hamster ball rolling, a DJ playing music, limited shade, long lines and good times, lots of laughing and sweating and a bunch of happy girls!!!

The Girls and Trace with the Brownie Elf

Hannah in some older Girl Scout outfits

My posers...

Hannah was hot so her gracious brother gave her a ride

Jacksonville Fire Departments Pink Truck

It was great to see that Fire Truck and we were proud that we got to sign in in honor or Aunt Bonnie who lost a breast to Breast Cancer last year.  We love you!!!

I think Trace is totally going to get into this BMX racing thing...

And of course we could not go on an outing without bringing sparkles along!!!

To convince the kids that it was too hot to wait in the mile long line for tropical smoothies we told them we would take them somewhere and get a surprise....thankfully they all agreed and off to Dairy Queen and home we went!!  What a Saturday.....

Sunday we stayed poolside allllllllllll day............

Grandma and her kids

Trace the pool boy

I needed that after the craziness of the last few weeks between final exams and preparing for our town's Relay for Life which is tomorrow and a million other wonderful things that are on my plate...but one thing I do know we are hugely blessed and I am thankful for all that the Lord provides!!!

Have a great weekend!!!  We most certainly will!!

~ Anita ~