Earlier this month we received a letter from our granddaughter, KC in Chicago asking if we would take her Flat Stanley paper doll, give him lots of adventures, then send back photos of the adventures and if possible... a few souvenirs to her school.
Now... you know that if you send a request like that to a grandmother who rarely sees and misses her granddaughter, said grandmother (who happens to be a former teacher) is going to go a little nuts with this kind of project.
Since we had just taken Mike and Jean around the island earlier in the month and were now spending time with Jane who was also visiting us from Chicago, we really didn't have the time to travel around the island again and mail Stanley back to KC's class before the deadline.
Therefore I did take a little PhotoShop license and scanned KC's Flat Stanley and pasted him onto island photos we'd taken earlier.
I then got little Post-It notes and attached them to the back of each photo to explain what she was looking at.
In the end, I had 42 photos of Flat Stanley. It was a little overkill, but I couldn't help myself.
Here are a few photos of the flora and fauna of Oahu.
No, I didn't use PhotoShop for all my photos.
I also made a paper doll aloha shirt for Flat Stanley to wear on many of the photos.
And of course there was the racing bib for the Great Aloha Run.
Jane had a tiny water bottle chapstick that was the perfect Flat Stanley size.
I loved it!
I added a couple of books about Hawaii, boxes of chocolate macadamia nuts for the class, a little coconut necklace for the teacher, a Hawaiian calendar, some dried Hawaiian flowers, a shell and floral lei, and LOTS of photos.
I wish I could be a fly on the wall when KC gets the box and shares it with her class. According to the letter from the school, students are supposed to make posters with the souvenirs they receive. I will have to ask Tiffany to take a photo of KC's poster and send it back to me.
This was so much fun!
Now... you know that if you send a request like that to a grandmother who rarely sees and misses her granddaughter, said grandmother (who happens to be a former teacher) is going to go a little nuts with this kind of project.
Since we had just taken Mike and Jean around the island earlier in the month and were now spending time with Jane who was also visiting us from Chicago, we really didn't have the time to travel around the island again and mail Stanley back to KC's class before the deadline.
Therefore I did take a little PhotoShop license and scanned KC's Flat Stanley and pasted him onto island photos we'd taken earlier.
I then got little Post-It notes and attached them to the back of each photo to explain what she was looking at.
In the end, I had 42 photos of Flat Stanley. It was a little overkill, but I couldn't help myself.
Here are a few photos of the flora and fauna of Oahu.
No, I didn't use PhotoShop for all my photos.
I also made a paper doll aloha shirt for Flat Stanley to wear on many of the photos.
And of course there was the racing bib for the Great Aloha Run.
Jane had a tiny water bottle chapstick that was the perfect Flat Stanley size.
I loved it!
I wish I could be a fly on the wall when KC gets the box and shares it with her class. According to the letter from the school, students are supposed to make posters with the souvenirs they receive. I will have to ask Tiffany to take a photo of KC's poster and send it back to me.
This was so much fun!
Over kill? Lol. What fun!
ReplyDeleteI imagine Hawaii seems exotic to the kids in KC's class as most of them will never have traveled that far. Wonderful job for KC. I too had a grandmother who was a teacher...a Latin teacher. I didn't know much about Flat Stanley, but I learned much Latin. I love what you did and it brought back memories of helping granddaughter Joy (now a Junior in college) with her Flat Stanley.
ReplyDeleteHow sweet! I just love what you did, Kay, and I realize that you are one of those people who cannot help but do something wonderful when asked to do so by someone you love. I also look forward to the follow-up post about all the reactions to your work. :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat fun!
ReplyDeleteMy step-grandson, now in second year of college, sent Flat Stanley to Vermont from Georgia. Flat Stanley immediately got a knitted sweater and cap and then went on his adventures--ice skating on the lake, a motorcycle ride, visit to a maple sugar house, and the Snowflake Bentley museum. I sent a book about Snowflake Bentley and some maple sugar candy. Will still has the photo album I put together and the book, and he is still slightly angry/distressed that his teacher made him share the candy with his classmates. Mike thought I had lost a screw there, but I am so touched that Will treasured that experience.
ReplyDeleteit is an educational activity made for long distance grandparents. Of course, other kids showed a picture postcard or a tourist brochure from another state then get back to lessons while Will got to show and tell his album in all the other classrooms. They probably were quite pleased that they got to eat his candy.
this is just the cutest thing ever! i would like to play with flat stanley!
ReplyDeleteStanley is very well traveled and such a stylish dude. You really knocked yourself out on that one, but what's a grandma for if not to spoil the grandchildren? Good for you--good job.
ReplyDeletesoooo cute and soooo fun!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou do overkill very well. G and I don't get asked often, but I note we do overkill well too. LOL Bravo gramma.
ReplyDeleteOverkilling is fun.
DeleteOh, what fun indeed!! I love it!! What a great grandmother you are indeed, Kay!! Thanks for the giggles and grins to start my day!!!
ReplyDeleteYou are a perfect flat Stanley grandma!
ReplyDeleteFlat Sam is as much fun for the grandparents as for the kids, and we always want them to be proud of their Flat Stanley when he returns with them to school.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, you went waaaay overboard. Good for you! Just like a grandma is supposed to do.
ReplyDeleteCan you be my gramma? That miniature water bottle is sooooo cute!
ReplyDeleteYou bet... anytime... we're almost related anyway since you know both my cousins.
DeleteI like the tiny water bottle
ReplyDeleteoh this is wonderful Kay, what a lucky class to receive such thoughtful souvenirs and photos...tears in my eyes.
ReplyDeleteKC will be so excited when she sees the box from Grandma and Grandpa, and she'll be knocked down when she opens it. I'm sure she'll have a hard time sleeping the night before she's able to bring her treasures to share with her class! Sure makes education fun, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteActually, they asked us to send the box to her classroom. However, KC says the box is on the teacher's desk and only one other child has received the Flat Stanley parcel. I sure hope the others show up soon. I can't wait to hear what KC says.
DeleteI like the idea so much..lovely!!
ReplyDeleteI can tell it was fun and I'm sure the grand daughter and her class will be over the moon.
ReplyDeleteI've taken Flat Stanley on some trips, too! You did such cute things, the aloha shirt, water bottle, etc. I'm sure yr granddaughter was thrilled when she got him and the photos.
ReplyDeleteWow, you might just be the best grandparents EVER. Great job.
ReplyDeleteOh I love this and I feel for you with your granddaughter so far away... Now my daughter has gestational diabetes and she hasn't even gained that much weight and is not overweight. Diet didn't work as her diet was good and she needed calories so it is going to be insulin till April 20...I worry now and am telling the baby not to get too big that she needs a C-section..do we ever not worry..Michelle
ReplyDeleteOh dear! That is a worry, Michelle. But I know she'll do just fine. Still... you're right. We always worry!
DeleteYou are the best. . . you nut!
ReplyDeleteALOHA from Honolulu
ComfortSpiral
=^..^=
You are the best, TIMES 42 !!!
ReplyDeleteI bet KC will be so tickled. xx
What fun! Somehow I missed the whole Flat Stanley thing, so it's good to get clued in through your blog.
ReplyDeleteGood job, Grandma.
My granddaughter has a word for overzealous grand parents...
ReplyDelete"overboard"!!! But I imagine the currents are even stronger when a retired teacher helps with a granddaughter's school project!
L...w
Oh yes! Definitely!!!!
DeleteWe retired teachers have to stick together! I began taking around a 3' puppet! Then another.
ReplyDeleteThis is much fun! Happy trails!
(ツ) from Cottage Country Ontario , ON, Canada!
I'm glad my grandkids didn't read this; they don't know what they are missing. Good onya, Kay.
ReplyDeleteI bet that was one of the most fun class sessions KC ever had. Way to go Grandma :)
ReplyDelete