Another finished project....

Annie has two teachers-and so, two gifts at the end of the year. In the staffroom (I teach in the same school), I overhead a discussion between the two about how expensive the gifts are getting for teachers. Well, I look at it this way-I usually put $20 to $30 (for each teacher) into a Christmas present, and about the same at the end of the year-but they were talking things like cases of wine, and sweaters, and $75 gift certificates for dinner-hmmm. I teach, too- and I have never seen that kind of craziness (I do teach older students, not primaries). I dunno. I think that I am at the high end of expectations- over that, you wonder what you are paying for (as in- is it $40 or $50 for an A?) What about you guys? If you are on the giving or on the receiving end, what is the norm in your neck of the woods for teacher gifts? And what is a great teacher gift? I am giving one teacher the merino and cashmere baby booties (she's pregnant) from the last post, and the other is getting this scarf. It is made from something called Fiesta Yarns Zia- 100% Egyptian cotton (the colourway is Coyote). The repeat worked its way into a rather interesting pattern- the edges are solid and the middle has some tweedy variegation. I used 8mm needles, 18 stitches with a 2x2 rib. Dead easy. But quite effective, if I do say so myself. This teacher wears a lot of scarves, so this is a good present for her. In fact, she has bought a number of them from me.

And, as I had said, we now have a pool. And the Big Bear has never in his life been swimming. Soooo- we got him into the pool........that's Sean, my husband, holding the big goof (and yes, Bear has one paw on his head as if to say,"Oh Lord, they are doing something strange now..."

And this is what happens when one lets go of the big guy.

And as soon as he got out, he ran in to the family room (just off the pool) (yeah, that is his raggedy old chair, next to Annie's toys).

I don't think he is much of a swimmer. You?