This is Jasmine with her teacher. That's the goody bowl she took to her teacher sitting in front of them. It had homemade goodies and a $10 sonic's card. We are blessed to have a really nice teacher who looks for ways to help each child. Jasmine is finally starting to get the extra help she needs for her special needs.
Class party
The girls brought a book suitable for a girl and the boys brought for the boys. They sat in a circle and passed them left and right as the teacher read a story that had the words "left" and "right" in it.
You opened the book you were holding when it ended.
But what happened was, Jasmine received a used book that was scribbled in with pen, pages yellowed and the binding was broken! I guess the mom just went and grabbed a book off their book shelf that no one wanted and wrapped it up. I doubt she even looked inside. But certainly she could see that it was old by the warped and yellowed pages!
Jasmine was very brave about it. We discovered it at home and I e-mailed the teacher. She had extra books in case anyone forgot theirs or a family couldn't afford it and she said she'll give Jasmine a new book.
That's why I really DON'T LIKE gift exchanges. We try to get a nice book, gift or whatever that someone would like to get. And many times we get dollar store stuff back that isn't even suitable. One year when Jasmine was about 4 we took a nice view master gift set and she got a dollar store puzzle that was both way beyond her age level and downright ugly. I know we are suppose to teach our kids to be grateful for what they get. But that's not easy when they see someone else get the nice present they bought and they get something they can't even use.
It's better when it's a puzzle exchange or a book exchange but even this time someone took the joy out of it for Jasmine by bringing a book that should have been discarded.
And on top that, the girl who got the Magic Tree House book we took obviously is not a fan of Jasmine's. She looked at who the book was from even before she opened it and tried to get someone to trade with her. Then after she opened it, she went around begging people to exchange with her. There were three other Magic Tree House books in the exchange so I know it was an appropriate book. When no one traded with her she sat down at her desk and just stuck it in her desk and didn't even look at it! Arg.
Thankfully Jasmine had fun with her classmates. The teacher gave each child a Christmas joke book and they had pizza, cookies and chips.
Jessica made this stocking in sewing class.
The two oldest had their Explorers party tonight. They always have a dirty Santa gift exchange (you can take someone else's gift if you like it better). Jessica took one of the new Bop It games.
Ty took a little holiday etch a sketch and a $10 Target gift card.
Unfortunately, not everyone brought a nice gift this year. Jessica got a game which she is sort of okay with but Ty got three Sponge Bob kid's watches that were from cereal or a kid's meal or something. Someone else gave him a can of hot chocolate mix they didn't want so he was okay with it. But I think everyone should bring a gift that they would like to go home with. There is a $20 limit but you don't have to spend that much. Still, it's not really fair for someone to bring three little plastic watches but get a nice gift--in fact, he got the Bop It Jessica took.
I guess I'm not really big on gift exchanges because of hurt feelings. Last year Jessica took a nice gift to the youth group part and got a can of corn! The paper said a white elephant gift worth $10 so Jessica took a nice gift but some people just took junk. If that's what they had in mind, they should have said "Find a gag gift from you old junk" not a $10 gift.
It seems like some people expect something nice but don't take something nice. Yep, I'm going off on this so I'll just shut up for now.
School is out early today. Ty, Jessica and Jasmine each have a friend coming over today for a pizza lunch and then movies (girls) and Wii Ty & friend. The other child chose not to do this by getting an ISS for defiance toward the cafeteria workers and a truancy. Choices, choices.
Next week Jessica and I have to drive 5 1/2 hours for fingerprints. Then Jasmine needs special x-rays for her bone graft and that is five hours. And we have to pick Jeff up and that is 4 1/2 hours. Unfortunately, they aren't all the same direction. The two girls and I are going to be gone M, T & W to accomplish all these things. The fingerprints and Jeff are in the same direction, but unfortunately, Jasmine's appointment is not so we are going back and forth due to scheduling.
Will post more pictures later.
Will post more pictures later.
5 comments:
I don't like gift exchanges either- for the same reasons- and also because so many different things (school, church, certain classes, some relatives, etc.) want to do them, and then it really adds up.
Ebony went through this a few years ago. Every Christmas she brings it up. She still says its wrong. She was good about it when it happened but its a memory that will stick with her forever. She took in a new light bright and got a fuzzy sock. NOTICE.. I said ONE sock and the girl she got it from just laughed. It was sad.
I totally hear what you're saying and am always suprised at how thoughtless some people can be. Obviously, it's no fun to have hurt feelings and to be disappointed. But it does give kids a chance to deal with disappointment and how when you are thoughtless, that it really does make others feel yucky. So there is a positive, even if it's a not fun experience.
Kathy, that's so sad about the party exchange. Some people are so thoughtless. Man, you have alot of driving coming up. Will pray for safety. What bone surgery does Jasmine need?
Jasnine needs a bone graft in her jaw, more reconstruction on her face, and a redo of her failed neck surgery.
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