First Day/Last Day & End-of- the-Year DIY Teacher Gifts

My, what a difference a year makes. I Pin-trespassed this idea for the Bean, when really I should be doing it for Alex, too. Although we had another idea that he should wear the same button-up shirt for school pictures for every year of his teaching career. Can you even believe how much hair the Bean has grown since September?!? Maybe that's why she whines and sleeps a lot; it's hard work growing hair. I posted this pic on Instagram, too, and my cousin commented on her little chicken legs. She's still all chunky-monkey thighs, so the dress must hit her just "right" in this picture. She's so cute, amiright?!?

Although I've had my issues with her daycare - the name (could there be a cheesier childcare business name than Blue Skies and Butterflies?!?), the food provided (I still hold that canned mandarins are not FRUIT), and the low expectations for teacher's education backgrounds - I'm am very very grateful that they seemed to take such good care of my Bean, and she thrived in their care. They supported her potty training, they took her outside daily to play, and her communication exploded after moving upstairs with the big kids. I was SO very reticent about sending her to daycare in the first place, and in hindsight, I wouldn't have done it another way.

In order to say thank you to teachers Dani, Delilah, Jessica and the rest of the BS&B gang, I pulled together an all-staff gift I called the "summer survival kit."

Total cost = $28.53 for: Starburst candies, Dove chocolates, Sutter Home mini single wine, Starbucks iced coffee packets, nail polish, Pop-Its (of which I got carded for, thankyouverymuch), glow bracelets, animal crackers, popsicles to freeze, and the storage tub.

I wish we were the kind of society that placed higher value on our child care and early education, including higher expectations for knowledge/ training and higher pay to compensate those people who help care for the youngest generation. To the people who did this for my Bean's first year of institutionalization, I am grateful and hope my small gift helps you know so. Thanks.