Thank You, Easter Bunny

The Easter Bunny made a little girl's day today...a little girl who desperately needs to believe someone loves her especially  At the end of the day, when I told her I had found this bag and it had something in it with her name on it, she was wary.  I handed it to her and she pulled out the bunny ears.  Her face was transformed from the almost always cautiously hopeful face we see, to glorious joy! 
"You got me ears!?" 
"No, I didn't get you ears.  What does that note say?"
She reads:  E.....Happy Easter, Love, Easter Bunny
She turns back to me...
"It was really you, right?"
"No.  Do I have any cotton tail on my butt?"
"It's from the Easter Bunny?"
"That's what it says."
Smile continues with a bit of wonder thrown in...

So, for $1.00 a little girl goes home happy!

Thanks, Easter Bunny.  You're the best!
And here is the Easter Bunny from the calendar I made this year...
Have a Monstrously Whimsical and Wonderful Year

Imagination

OK.  You are going to have to stay with me here.
Long ago, in a galaxy far away...oh, no, just long ago, we took the tile out of the bathroom because it had not been properly installed.  We went down to the plywood subfloor.  Today, my little husband is putting some new flooring down.  I'm a little sad.
OK.  Still with me? 
So, as I viewed that floor over and over I began to find things...interesting things, cute things and just plain things.
This is how I get some of my Whimsical Woolie ideas.  Really.  You gotta get them somewhere and I find it a good idea to be open to getting them anywhere.
I know.  A little weird, but have a look.    I outlined a few of my favorites and took pictures for posterity (and you!).

Crazy chihuahua doggie or mouse or bilby!

Parrot on a branch...

Pretty dog...sit!

Can you see them?  Look a little bit petroglyphic in these photos...light was questionable and not much room to manuver in there.

OK.  So, there you have it...shall I post this on Creative Friday?  :-)

Hey, Mrs. Lohr!

Today, I found something else I might miss, besides the hugs and smiles. 
I might miss when they call my name in wonder, in need, with pride or tears.
I might miss those moments of discovery and wonder when I get to introduce them to a new skill or idea...and that is harder than it used to be with so many of them able to travel more and be on the computer more.  Actually, many of the things that are new to them are "old"...like planting tree seedlings, or painting with water on the walls outside to see it evaporate, or playing with magnets.
I might miss when they need me to affirm them, even though I work very hard to teach them to trust themselves and believe in themselves.
I might miss when they call my name to show me something they have done so that I can share their joy, and hugs and smiles!
I might miss when they come to be soothed after a hurt.
I might even miss hearing, "Hey, Teacher!  Look what I did!"

God's Gift

God has gifted me with creativity.  I am not a whole or happy person if I don't get to make something on a fairly regular basis.  Teaching kindergarten has been a perfect job because it requires tons of creativity daily!  Every once in awhile, I get to share God's gift to me with someone else in a special way.
Several years ago a good friend at work had to do battle with cancer.  She won!  But it was ugly, as usual.  In an attempt to be with her when I couldn't be and offer support when she needed some, I made her a Zoe.  Zoe means life.  Zoe's are soft and squeezable for when you need a hand to squeeze, but can't reach one.  Zoe's are sweet and loveable, calm and courageous...just like life.
So, on one side of the Zoe, there is a lamb, with scripture references that offer comfort.  On the other side is a lion, with scripture references that offer courage.
Comfort and courage...both are needed when doing battle. 
My friend LOVES her Zoe.  She has shared it with a couple of good friends in need since I gave it to her.  She and I both cry anytime we talk about how special the Zoe is.  On Friday, she asked me to make one for another friend of ours at school whose father has had a stroke and has a long hard battle before him.  She couldn't live without hers for the time they were going to need the comfort and courage.  She asked them for scriptures that were meaningful to them and the whole family participated so that it will mean something to each person in the family as they all join to fight this battle together.

As always, things evolve.  Here are pictures of the very first Zoe and the very last one.  I have made several others in between.  I keep trying to make one for me to keep, but someone else always needs it more than me.

                 

And then God had another little word for me.  My first friend asked how much it would cost and I gave her a price.  Later that evening I hear from God..."Really?  You are charging to share what you have been given freely?"

Ok.  No.

I just pray that this little Zoe brings comfort and courage as needed.

:-) :-o :-( You Decide!

What a day! 
We are registering kindergarten kids for next year and this is usually a little on the tense side as you see what is coming up for the next year...not so much for me this year.  Whole thing more enjoyable over all.  Had one parent talk to me and tell me her daughter had informed them last night that she was going to school today to be in Mrs. Lohr's class.  They explained to her that I was retiring and she would have another teacher.  She said the little girl just cried and cried.  Awww.  Remember the little guy from last year who has been stopping in for a hug and kiss on the head this week?  It's his sister.  Today, when he stopped in he quizzed me on the whole retirement thing?  "What?  Retired?!  You won't be here for my sister?"  Ouch.  I told the mother to call anytime if she needed anything next year - even if I wasn't there.
At my lunch break one of my darlings had an accident in his pants so my aide brought him up and went back with the rest of the class.  Stevie took care of him and he was sitting at a table in the room where we eat lunch and all of a sudden we hear  him having a conversation...really, a conversation.  We were confused since no one else was in the room.  We look...mystery solved:

Urgent call on the banana phone!  What?  Seriously.  He was having a conversation!

So, then after school, I went to Terra Alta talk to the doctor about finding a good nutritionist. Even though I am just pleasantly plump and healthy, I would prefer to be healthy and svelte!  Anyway, as I was leaving town, I pass this sign.  I had to turn around, go back and take a picture...

That has to make you smile...or even laugh out loud!

I mean, really, it's at a pharmacy...gotta be true, right?

Can you even imagine what they might be?  Velcroed together so you can rip them off faster? 

Made out of netting?  What do you think?

And last, but so very much not the least, I got a wonderful heartfelt felt heart from a special blog friend.  It is BEAUTIFUL and I LOVE it!

So, that was the kind of day I had.  How was yours?

Smiles and Hugs

So, I have been thinking if there might be things I will miss when I retire.
I will miss the smiles on little faces and the hugs of little arms.
I realized I would miss the smiles on the day last week that I walked into the building where they were sitting and waiting to be dismissed to classes and my gang spied me and broke in to such genuine heart warming smiles and waves.  I got some wetness in my eyes...had to go and put my stuff down and come back to get them.  I always get them early (but I am usually in the building before they are and don't get to walk through the gym while they are there) so they don't have to sit in the gym on the floor and it is the time we can visit with each other before the day officially begins.
I will miss the smiles when they see each other.  I will miss the smiles when they are telling me a story.  I will miss the smiles when they are up to something ornery!
And the hugs...you just can't have too many of those.  That I know.  I am wondering if you can have too few.  I have one little girl who LOVES to hug especially.  It has been an ongoing "problem" all year to get her to not jump up in the middle of a lesson or story or whatever and come to give me a hug...very tricky and such a wonderful little dilemma, right?   Most of them are good with hugs...on the way in the door, on the way out of the door, just in passing.  One of my sweetie pies from last year has been stopping in the past 2 days to get his morning hug and a kiss on the head.  What a blessing to be able to get his day off to a happy start.
Who will do that for him or any of them next year?
Hmmmm...I will miss the smiles and hugs.

Anniversary Honeymoon

Every year my little husband and I try to take an anniversary honeymoon trip.  It isn't usually anything fancy or far away, but it is a time for us.  This year the goal was to go south...ending up at Tamarack to deliver some art on Monday.  That was as detailed as the plan got.  No reservations or deadlines.  An atlas and a tank of gas.
So, Saturday morning we start out.  After about 50 miles of lovely windy WV roads through Rowlesburg and Parsons on our way to Thomas, we run into a winter wonderland!  Yes, this is April.  I LOVE living in a place that you can have snow 6 months out of the year...really.

It was an amazing snow!  When we finally drove out of it, I realized that we had travelled 100 miles in 4 hours!
We spent the night in a tiny little hotel in Hot Springs, VA because we saw a sign on the fence of the Bath County High School, made out of plastic cups stuffed into their chainlink cyclone fence saying, "Bluegrass Music-Tonight".  Seemed perfect since my little husband is working hard to learn to play the banjo.  They were serving a BBQ and bean soup dinner with homemade brownies!  And sweet tea...we were in the south.  The food and the music were good and we were home in time to watch the semi final NCAA games!  Oh, and it was really spring there already...blooming trees abundant.  Look at some of the signs of spring...farms getting ready to burst forth and waterfalls already gushing forth!

The next morning we headed to Lewisburg and White Sulphur Springs.  My little husband had never been to the Greenbrier.  Everyone should go to the Greenbrier.  It makes me proud to be a West Virginia all over again when I see this amazing place.  Since Jim Justice took it over it has been given new life.  I got teary eyed at how special they made us feel when all we wanted to do was look around.  It was like Mr. Justice had told his entire staff, "These are my people and you will make them feel welcome."  They had lovely fresh flowers all around inside and evidence of the deer nibbling the flowers on the outside.

On the way there we passed Seneca Rocks, another impressive piece of WV.   I LOVE my state.

All of this travelling about made me happy again that WV is my home.
We headed toward Beckley, took a walk around Tamarack and spent some time getting my artwork ready to sell to them.  This prep kind of stuff is my least favorite part of being a crafts person...plus, I still feel  a little sad leaving "them" with someone I don't know.  I know.  I know.  Can't help it.
My buyer bought all 5 pieces I took with me.  Hope they find good homes.
Mostly, I had a wonderful time with my little husband and it is always fun to go away so you can experience the joy of coming home!

Really, just staying in a hotel, sleeping in a bed with no pet hairs, having fancy folded towels and a TV for a few nights is vacation enough for me!
Glad to be home with my little husband!  Here's to the next year....