Now I Think Of Things

This past week was Week Of The Young Child, and also Teacher Appreciation week at my Wee One's daycare.

All things about daycare/school are new to me. I don't remember much of my school activities when I was very young. And I thought for years I wasn't going to have children, so I didn't pay attention much. Most of the 'friends' I have associated with in the past few years have been in the "overgrown college party" category - at least until Wee One came along and they showed their true colors. So I can't even learn from their stories about daycare/school

I've felt a little lost when it comes to events that most parents take for granted.

So, while it makes perfect logical sense to me that there would be a Teacher Appreciation Week - and that it would happen in the Spring, near the end of the "school year" - when they gave me a notice at the end of last week saying they would have pretty gift bags set up in the lobby to make it easy for the parents to deposit their gifts, I kindof panicked.

Now if this had happened three weeks ago, before Uncle Sam's direct deposit made my financial life a whole lot rosier, I would have been even more panicked. Instead of just "what to get", it would have been "what to get and how to pay for it." Followed by "MOOOOOOOOOM" like I'm a twelve-year-old.

Luckily I didn't have to borrow any money. But I still had no clue what to get.

Have I mentioned that I'm going a little insane with my teaching schedule, and too many students, and too much to do and not enough time, and not feeling Organized? Throw "panic over Teacher Gifts" into that, and the brain shuts down.

This morning I deposited a very acceptable gift into the displayed gift bags of Wee One's caregivers. And as soon as I dropped them in, it hit me what I should have gotten.

They already think I'm a crunchy mama since we use cloth diapers, so what about a nice handmade lunch bag and reusable sandwich bag set? This mama made me a really cute reusable sandwich bag, and said she could make a matching lunch bag.

You can buy gift tags embedded with wildflower seeds. Once they are done with the tag they can plant it in the ground and wildflowers will grow. Totally cool.

The theme for Tuesday was "spa essentials". How about some handcrafted lavender soap? Or a candle that double as massage oil and skin moisturizer?

Is there a College Professor Appreciation Week?