Kiss This

I don't usually write about my job which is funny because I absolutely love what I do and I know I am very lucky to be able to say that. Maybe this year I will do a room tour and what my teaching philosophies are since I am sure everyone really cares. I have been working on getting things ready for this year, but my 2 biggest projects was preparing everything for Parent Orientation which has to be perfect because my Principal's youngest is in my class this year and my Lesson for the first week of school. Thankfully we have 3 staggered days where 1/3 of my students come each day to get accustomed to everything and I will be doing the same lesson all 3 days.

If you are a teacher you will not be surprised that the first lesson is The Kissing Hand. If you are not a teacher The Kissing Hand is a story about a little Raccoon Named Chester who doesn't want to go to school and wants to stay home with his mama and send him to school with a kiss in his tiny paw and whenever he feels lonely all he has to do is press his hand to his cheek to feel his mama's kiss.
Ummmmm can you say best book ever! There are all kinds of fun crafts and activities to do, but you can't tell the story without a Chester puppet, but I didn't want to spend $15-$20 on a puppet so I decided to make my own.

My favorite medium to create with is felt probably because I don't know how to do much else, well except knit and I do make a pretty mean burlap door hanger, but I digress. So I pulled out my trusty felt bag, sharpie, and scissors and got to work.

1. I sketched out my Chester while hanging out with my mama on one of my last days of summer vacation.

2. This was take 2 of  free handing my Chester on the felt. I actually cut out both side and they weren't very even so I cut them in half and put the 2 good sides together and cut out 2 new sides. 

3. I cut it out of course

4. Free handed a little nose

5. The eyes were the trickiest part to decide how I wanted them to look. At first I had a mask going all the way across but that just didn't look right so I cut the mask in half and made little black patches.

6. I free handed a little red heart for mama's kiss

7. The eyes needed a little something extra so I added some off white centers.

I think he is pretty darn cute and not too difficult to make.

I haven't sewn all of my pieces together because I want to trace templates for myself and I need to make 1 more Chester for my lovely MIL who promised to watch my Baby Love every Tuesday Brent and I have a kickball game.

Happy First week back to school to all of my teacher friends who went back today. I will be in your teacher shoes in just a few days. Wish me luck that I have enough time to get my room looking respectable in the few short days I have between now and Registration day.