This morning, I SHOULD have been doing office work, and running errands, but I got involved in a project, and just couldn’t set it down.
I have some friends who have a little boy in third grade. His class is sending travel mates to friends and relatives in an effort to learn more about the world in which they live. When the request went out for participants, I was wiggling in my seat with my hand up in the air, saying “Yes, Yes! I want to do it!” And luckily, they said I could! *S*
My little friend’s travel mate is one of the original beanie babies, a moose named “Chocolate.” Chocolate arrived on my doorstep on Thursday, despite the blizzard outside. I’ve been asked to write a message in his travel book, add something to the box and send it on to the next name on the list. I’m also supposed to send a postcard to the classroom, so they can see where Chocolate has been.
I have a niece in Perth, Australia. I sent her an e-mail, asking if there was any possibility that she could participate. Despite the fact that she is incredibly busy, she said she’d be willing to help. I’m supposed to box up Chocolate and send him on to her. She will add a few things to the box and send it to one of my friends in England. You know her….it’s Bod! Bod is going to send it on to her God-daughter in London. Just telling you about it gives me goosebumps. This is likely to be the travel mate with the most air miles!
So, this morning, I realized I had to add a message to the travel book. I typed out several paragraphs, and played with the font. I had a lot of room left, and got to thinking about pictures to add around the text. By the time I was done, I had four pictures of cornfields, two of soybeans, and two of Chicago airports. There was a picture of Abraham Lincoln, one of Barak Obama, two of the Chicago skyline, two of Wrigley Field, one of Navy Pier and one of the Chicago lighthouse. There’s a picture of a well head, for the oil fields down state, and a picture of vehicles in snow banks (seemed fitting given the weather this week!). And I added a map of the state. All of this was done in miniature. I was on a ROLL! *G*
I realized that if I delayed Chocolate’s trip to Australia by four days, he could travel to Florida with us! So, I had to make one more page for the travel book! Oranges, alligators, the castle at the Magic Kingdom, palm trees, beaches and a light house fill in the space around the text. I was beginning to worry that I might not get all my work done. I had such a good time playing with the glue stick I really didn’t want to quit. But…If I want to go to Florida, enough needed to be enough.
Chocolate will fly in my carry on, and I plan to take pictures of him in Chicago and in Florida to send to Chocolate’s owner when we return to Illinois. From there he will fly to Australia. I can’t wait to hear what he brings home from OZ!
I’ve been talking about this project with almost anyone who will listen, and I’m delighted to find that others are offering their contacts. Chocolate must be back in the classroom by May 1st, but if we have time when he returns from England, he could go on to Minnesota, and to Idaho. He’s going to be a very well-rounded bear! *S*
You’re probably wondering what I added to the box. Well, I went shopping for a Cubs baseball cap that would fit an 8 year old, and I added a picture book of Chicago. I had a map of Illinois, too, but that’s been mailed to the classroom. I was going to send an ear of corn, and some soybeans, but they’d never make it through customs! As for what I’ll put in the box from Florida, who knows. We’ll shop when we get there.
Don’t you just love being able to help kids with their school projects! *G*
Daily Archives: February 12, 2008
It’s Almost Time
…..to leave on vacation! YEAAAAAA!!!!
Dear Husband and I are going to Florida for a week. Dear Husband is going to golf in the tournament that is named for his late son. I think this is the third time that he has traveled to Florida to golf. Last year, his daughter and her family were along for the tournament, but this year they have a new baby, so we are going on our own.
In the middle of December, when our minds SHOULD have been on buying Christmas gifts, I came across DH checking out flights to Florida on the computer! He asked for a little assistance, and an hour later we were committed to round trip flights, a room, a car, and trip insurance. He felt he could get away for a full week, so we’ll be gone from Wednesday through Tuesday, February 19.
This is where I should insert that we are not leaving the house empty! *G* My-Sister-The-Nurse is coming to stay with Elegante Mother, and Second Son will be around, too. I understand that the ladies are planning to dine out frequently unless the weather decides not to cooperate.
The last weather forecast I’ve seen said that it would be rainy when we landed in Florida, but Thursday through Saturday the weather is supposed to be in the mid 70s and sunny. I suspect that we will snooze through the rain showers, have some dinner and go to bed early, the better to be prepared to roam our way to and through the Gulf Coast area. I hear Sarasota has some lovely beaches. We plan to check it out.
So, I’ll be away from my keyboard for a while. We won’t take a laptop with us, so I’ll have to check in on you when I get back to see what you’ve all been doing.
To my blogging friends, and family, I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine’s Day! Stay safe and warm!
Zip, Zero, Nada, Zilch!
Sunday, Elegante Mother and I went to a family baby shower. I had some serious reservations about the wisdom of going out. It was ZERO degrees here, and there was wind, so I know the windchill was worse. We weathered it like troopers. This particular shower was held after the baby was born, so all her “aunties” got to hold her. I have never seen so many women planting their feet, holding out their arms for this little tiny bundle, and then rocking side to side. Everybody has their own style, but the baby wasn’t fussy. She enjoyed them all!
My nieces did an incredible job organizing this shower. Since it was for a girl, all the decorations were in shades of pink. I lucked out, and wore my pink turtleneck, so I fit right in! I wish I had taken a picture of the chocolate dipped strawberries, so you could see the work that went into them. Imagine strawberries dipped in pink icing and laid on a platter in perfectly lined up rows. Then, imagine that someone had come along after the icing had set, and added little dots of white icing on the sides of the strawberries. They looked so luscious that they pulled you to them!
This was mostly a family gathering, and my family is never at a loss for words. It was nice to catch up with nieces I hadn’t seen since Christmas, and hear all the family news. We’ll get the chance to do this again in a month or so, when the next of the girls has her baby. That will be the fourth baby shower since September. I’m SURE there’s something in the water!
On Sunday, as we left the shower, we were invited to choose a picture of the baby in a silver frame. What a lovely thing to do! You can bet I made sure I had one….this baby shares my name! *G* (NO….her name isn’t “Buffy!”)
Thank you, ladies, for a lovely time!