Imperfections...

This is my favorite night of the year...

...Sunday School pageant.

 

I love it so much cause this is what it is really about,

celebrating with our families the true meaning of Christmas.

 

I love the imperfection.

 

Rocco the donkey was singing too loud, and dancing away.

 

 

 

And the suspense...will my other donkey say his line?

 

 

He did.

 

I even love the photo shoot after with the cousins

& trying to get everyone to look the same way.

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday school is such an important part of our kids' lives.

 

I am soooooooo thankful for the amount of time

their teachers pour into my children.

 

Bible stories spill out of my kids all week,

as things we do at home trigger memories

of what they learned in Sunday School,

& my heart leaps with joy when they know things

I didn't teach them...about God.

 

That's why buying teacher gifts is one of

my favorite things to buy each year.

 

I like to get them something I would want.

 

This year...

 

journals.

 

 

We will let them choose the one that speaks to them.

 

 

 

(this one is a planner)

 

Each teacher is so different.

 

But I want each one to know how much I appreciate the time it takes away from their families...to bless mine.

 

The cards are simple card stock,

not anything pretty that you'll see on Pinterest.

 

Just hand cut trees,

 

 

 

The message is simple & handwritten.

 

 

 

And even though it's not much...

 

 

I hope they know how much they are loved.

Teachers.

Thank you.

 

 

 

 

BTW the lil' trees are in high demand

if you have a pack of little boys.

 

 

 

Oh & here is a little blooper reel from my picture taking :)

 

Kit

 

& then  Roo.

 

 

 

 

Roo

 

and while I was taking the picture of the stack...

I was lying on the floor with Kit sitting on my back :)

 

But it's all good cause if he wasn't there...he was here:

 

 

 

 

Finally made it...

Annie has been asking me for weeks

to make her a checklist with things to do each day. 
 

I had her write me a list of things
she wanted to do everyday & I typed it out.

 

She said, "I didn't put homework on the list."

I said, "No, but I did."  

Any good mom would right? :)

I also added in the do something nice part hoping
I might benefit once or twice.

She said, "I have to do something nice everyday?!!!"

 

Just for fun we made the checklists into a tablet.

 

Have you ever made one?

You just need these.

The jars are just weights.
 

Cut the papers & make sure they are exactly the same size.

I stacked all the tops halves together

& all the bottom halves together. 

(That helps the writing line up better.  Makes the tablet neater.)

Line the pages up as perfectly as you can and

paint the edge with Elmer's school glue.

 

Then just smash it between a cutting board

& a pan with weights. (cutting board just keeps your table clean)

Apply a few coats of glue as it dries &

Waa laa!

Tablet!

 

I also made each kids their own pad with their name on it.

 

It is really easy to do them all at once. 

 

Just stack every one's tablet paper together in one big pile

& then glue them all together. 

 

Then when they dry you can just tear them off in chunks.

One thick pad becomes 4 little pads.

Breakfast had some busy,

 

happy,

 

productive,

 

little people.

 

Just the way I like them.

 

After school Annie is going to make one for her teacher.

They would make great teacher gifts OR birthday party favors!  Slap on any pic to suit your theme!

 

They would  be cheap gifts for teachers to make with their students for gifts for parents too.

 

Hope you have fun with them!