We just received our package, and - Wow! - we were spoiled!

Just to clue everyone in, my son, Jase, is 3 years old, and this swap was for him.



Here's the entire package - it was hard to fit it all into one picture!  (eek - Ignore our horribly messy craft/toy room in the background)

It's made up of..*deep breath*.. A book about Opposites using animals (my son is animal obsessed), a Create-your-own-Adventure with foam stickers book, which he has already started on, as you can see in the picture, some fun markers and smelly crayons (which, by the way, smell of the craziest things, such as "Baseball mitt", "Grandma's perfume", and "Koala tree".  Have you ever smelt a Koala tree?  Now you can.), a fun cigar "treasure box" as Jase has named it, a multi-subject notebook with his name and giraffes (his favorite!) on the front, a foam number puzzle, an Elephant and mittens (either knitted or crocheted, sorry I can't tell the difference!), and lacing cards.



I squealed when Jase pulled out the lacing cards - I have been wanting to either make him or buy him some of these lately, so that he can work on his hand-eye coordination and finger dexterity.  He will definitely get good use out of these!  Also, the E for Elephant plushie was perfect, as we have been doing a letter every day.  He's been carrying this around with him everywhere since opening the package. 
Last, he was confused as to why he got mittens in the summer time.  I told him that we will use them once it starts getting cooler out and he was still confused, so I cleared things up a bit and let him play with the web cam.



It's hard to tell because it's all piling up on the back of the chairs in this picture, but snow falls from the top of the screen and piles up on different surfaces - you can catch it in your hand, let it pile up on your head, or just wave your hands around and make a blizzard of snowflakes.  He definitely is looking forward to using the mittens for real, now

Thanks so much, Karen!

and this is from Jase -

hghkfkgkgfkkfgklf - "Thank you for my toys!"
jase 

I'm so upset =(  I had been working on a project that needed to be laminated.  I saved it until I went up to Wisconsin to laminate,  because I get a really good deal on laminating whatever I want at my old college.  Well, their lamination machine somehow messed up and yellowed half of what went through it - now, it could have yellowed all of it and I would have only been slightly perturbed, since it might have looked intentional, but this is really a bummer.  Not to mention it left creases that weren't originally there and didn't even seal at the edges.  I definitely think they need to look into getting a better machine.  Thankfully we have that extension and I can work on making this look presentable again!

ME: "N0o0oooooooooo, my partner has allergies to pet hair all over the stuff." *Dives at a sleeping Danni-startled her half to death in the process**

Oh, don't worry about my allergy!  It's really not that bad - you'd have to knit with yarn spun from your cats fur for me to actually have a reaction.. lol  and I've never encountered it with cats before, only dogs.

I agree with the rest - although I personally don't need any additional time, I don't mind waiting a little longer to receive if it's easier for some other people in the swap!  I'm excited - I'm almost done, just need to put some finishing touches on the medium item and complete the large item and I will be doing all of that tomorrow, hopefully!  One good thing that will come out of a later sendout date - right now I am in Wisconsin and I will save a few dollars in postage if I wait til the end of the week when I am in Ohio to send out =]

So I just realized that the person crafting for us is not the person we are crafting for!  This is only my 4th swap, so I guess I am kind of new - because that's the first time I've experienced this!  Good thing I noticed now or my partner might have been a little confused at where I got some of my ideas from

...are other people gonna put just 'school supplies'?? I just hate to list everything, because then it spoils the surprise!

Yea, I think school supplies is enough explaining, I've rarely listed exactly what is in it, and when you check the "gift" box, they probably realize you don't want the other person knowing exactly what they are getting before they open it.

..I would be making pee pee teepees for little boys!  When my boys were little, we just used baby washcloths and called them "winkie tents".  They helped us avoid many disasters...

At least they worked for you, with my son, they just shot off with his pee.  Was entertaining, but didn't help at all.. lol.  Anyways, I am in! =] yay

This is amazing!  I love any type of lily, so that makes it even better.  The "distance" photo is so cool - You've definitely inspired me to try this, myself!

My son and I are still here - been super busy working on our ABCs and thinking up some ideas - nothing started yet, but our ideas are multiplying!

Right now I am working on supplying people that I personally know overseas, as well as those of whom they are stationed with that want these, but since it's the hot months right now, neck coolers are greatly appreciated -

http://www.citizensam.org/html/patterns/Neckcoolerpatternsewingmachine.htm

I wanted what I gave to be a little more crafty, than just store-bought items.  Once it gets closer to winter, I will start with the helmet liners.  While this site is one where you make the crafts, then send it to them, and they distribute, I just use the pattern and enclose it in my own packages.

Hope this helps spark some more ideas!