Have you Hugged a Teacher today?

Today was James's last day of 3 Day preschool. We really love his teachers. Ms. Brigitta, Ms. Mary, Ms. Sara, and Ms. Marty (who already left while we were gone on vacation) have been his teachers for the past 2 years of pre-school. He will be in a different class next fall, but will see them for Pre-school Day Camp this summer and I wanted to get them a nice (inexpensive) gift to show them how much we have appreciated having them in our lives.

After I dealt with some things @ James's school, went to the grocery store, and ran some unavoidable errands, I had 1 1/2 hours to go out and get the gifts (I know, I know... I should have gotten these earlier... but, HEY, I've been BUSY!!). I had a $15 Bath & Bodyworks gift card and and a plan. The plan was to get them all a small hand care kit and a gift card to the bookstore.

So I took a little time to make a card to go on the front of the gift bags that said, "I've got to hand it to you... You're a great teacher in my book" (Corny, I know), thinking I was just going to run in and out of the strip mall (since I knew EXACTLY what I wanted) and be able to make it back for the ice cream party. This, unfortunately, meant that I didn't leave the house until after 12 (party was at 1 and the strip mall is 15 mins away). No problem, right?

WRONG!

I got to the strip mall ran in the front door and over to B&BW.... except..... there is NO BB&W THERE!! Whaaaaa?? So, I'm like.... Ok... I'll just get them a bigger gift card to the bookstore.... no problem, right?

WRONG!

I run over to the bookstore.... except..... there is NO BOOKSTORE THERE!!

CRAP!!

I dash back to the car and make an emergency call to my friend Tracy (who is the goddess of cheap gifts that don't seem to be), hoping for some inspiration.... but discover that she's already left to go to the Dr's office.

DOUBLE CRAP!!

Ok.... I take a few deep breaths and "dukes of hazzard" it over to Walmart in desperation. And they must have released all the slow, old people out of the doors for some perverted geriatric race as I got there, because I had to sit and wait by the front doors for all of them to get the heck out of my way.

So I *finally* get into the store and am racing around to find *some* sort of hand cream/care kit and photobook to go with the cute bags I wasted time on earlier. I couldn't find anything I liked, so I ended picking up a foot care thing.... which of course meant I couldn't use my bags.... and I think, WHAT am I going to do now? I decided to head over to the accessory dept to see if they had any cheap, reuseable bags I could throw this stuff in, because, seriously, what teacher doesn't need another bag, right?

When I got over there I found the CUTEST big canvas totes with an american flag in the shape of the USA on them and red or navy bottoms/straps! For $3 each!!!! PERFECTION!! Plan B (or is it Plan W by now??) has gone into effect! I drop the footcare stuff, snag 3 bags and run over to the summer dept to look for some sort of water bottle. They had 3 metal reuseable water bottles for $4 each... add a $1.97 spool of ribbon to it and I was out of there (with *green* gifts... are you proud of me Sandy?? lol) for $28 for 3 teachers. Not bad.... not great... but not bad. So folded the bags, rolled them around the water bottles (with the flag showing), and tied it all off with the red/white/blue ribbon and called it a day.

I made it to class at 1:08. lol

*whew*

Teacher Appreciation is not supposed to be this hard!!