Giraffes and strawberries

My sweet language group, class 8 had their last lesson with me on Friday. During the 5 years we spent together I always drew a giraffe on their tests. They really liked the giraffe and were upset when I forgot to draw it. :D It was our symbol or something. So when I started to think about the goodbye present I wanted to give them, the only thing I knew I surely needed something with giraffes.

Then the 'keyring idea' came, so I only needed to find out the 'how to'. I wanted to sew them 'our' giraffe, so I made a pattern about the drawing I always used on their tests. It was not the easiest thing to sew exactly that giraffe, but finally I could manage it. I was lucky as I got some help from my colleagues. We decided to help each other with bigger class projects, so last year we sewed mini rucksacks for J's class, and this was the year of giraffes....

I machine embroidered the patches (stipling) then I sew the bodies and feet. Then we turned inside out together, filled them and sew them together. I used yellow string for the legs. Then we added the keyrings I bought. That was all!

My students were really surprised, they couldn't say anything at first. Then one of them asked: "Did you really spend so much time on making presents for us?" And at this point I was surprised.... Ah, the 14 year-olds understood the point of the handmade presents! Yes, some adults could learn of them! I was worried a bit, I thought some would find them childish, but no, they put them on their clothes, bags and some gave name for their giraffes. I was so happy to see that! I hope the giraffes will help my students remember our lessons!

In the afternoon we went to pick up strawberries. Here there are gardens with "Szedd magad!" (='Pick them up yourself!') signs. Here you have to pick the fruits. When you have enough they measure it and you have to pay (less than at the greengrocer's). With 2 colleagues we spent the afternoon on a strawberry field. We picked into sweet baskets. After a while we started to have fun and laughed a lot. It was really funny, not so tiring. Here is my basket. (I didn't want to pick much, my basket was only 3.7 kg)

Yes, it was a good Friday!

Gourmet

Yesterday we continued celebrating with a whole day programme. My B and my best friends (the 4 of us) went to the Budai Gourmet festival... We ate and drank beautiful things, then we drank coffee and finally went to a (not sooooo fancy but very good restaurant).... So we ate all day....
Here are some pics....

Sweet friends 2. + family

The birthday party continued, sorry for not writing but I didn't have time for anything ('poor me' :D).
So after finishing the previous post we went to a restaurant in the city centre. It was an absolutely new one for me, my B found it when he went with colleagues. We ate a lot.... really lot.... I got a pre-present from Ám and Pung, a coctail bonus for a lot of coctails... ( I do not drink alcohol very often.... actually I rarely drink so they wanted me to know at least the coctails, which I prefer when drinking...)

Later my dear friend, Eili arrived with 6 balloons (but because of running 2 died...) and Ark who was a real surprise as he lives in another counrty.... And I got lots of pressies... Wanna see? OK, I have some pics....
Presents from Ark and Eili:


29th May
The next day I was taken to another restaurant. my B took me with strange face....I was suspicious.... My mum and her husband were there with a beautiful strawberry bowl and another surprise.... My mum was so clever to find out this composition for me. My favourite fruit (one of them) is strawberry and the cherries are from her garden... So it was a really special thing to get.... Isn't it nice?


30th May
My colleague had a party for us from the theatrical group. It was quite a big company... We enjoyed the long-long evening very much (I arrived at my bed at 3 a.m. the next day...), and in the middle of the party they sang me a 'Happy birthday song' which I had never heard before and finally 2 of the guys threw me into the pool in my clothes..... It was surprising and quite funny, we laughed a lot - another story to tell.... Pictures later, I think someone took pics, but not sure, I was too surprised to realise things....

Sweet friends...

So this is my birthday today....
And I got really very nice surprises during the day, and that is why I write about my happiness this day.

First it was my B in the morning. He took my favourite watch to change battery in it (it is not an easy task with this watch - so it is out of work for 2 years!!!)

Then I talked to mum and her husband (he read me a poem.... it was really kind of him, I nearly cried)

I got the parcel of the Birthday Club yesterday, but it said: DO not open until 28th May, so I was strong enough to open it only this morning... I am so proud of myself :D

Then I went to school as usual and I got some chocolate from Szilvia and Peter....It was a huge surprise, they knew my birthday and remembered it!

Then my Stan (we are the Stan and Pan of our class) baked me chocolate cake which is delicious! and I also got an orange flower (sorry but it is on my desk in school so no pic about it)...Thanks Bea!

I had no lesson at 8 so I got some coffee from Jude and we drank it together, chatted and laughed a lot...

And later I found some chocolate with a funny sign on it on my desk....:D Ah Cecilia, it was so kind of you :D

At home I got an e-mail of my Norwegian friend, Geir which was an absolutely fantastic one (among the best 3 letters of my life :D).

And this is not the end...I am in the middle of the day :D


I think I am the luckiest person on Earth to have such nice friends all over the world, thank you all :D

Hurry, hurry!

I am unbelievably tired.... Still happy with the play last Thursday, but a bit afraid of the next one on Monday, plus directing another play with my students....

No sewing, only listening to music, thinking of scenes, planning etc.

I hope you have better days.... but hey, it is nice to win after these, no? :D

Muffins

So we made that play with my colleagues..... In the theatre here there is a tradition: the premier gifts. I wanted to play theatre and we did, so I decided to play it well.

That is why I made little gifts to the others.

The title of the play is "The Grandma", so I started brainstorming on grandmas.... The first thing came to my mind were cookies (I don't exactly know why as my Grandmas couldn't bake...). I found a beautiful pattern in a Tildas book, the muffins. (OK, I know they are not muffins but I call them like that...) First I machine embroidered the side part. I wrote the name of the author, the play, and the character they played plus the date. It sounds too much but I wrote (I mean embroidered) small letters.






Then I put some pot pourri in. You know, I love 'useful things'.
I had to make 19 muffins which took a lot of time, but my colleagues were so happy I would do it again.


Aren't they cute together?

Yummmmiiiiii

Today we had some beautiful pancakes with strawberries and cream... Did I mention that strawberries are one of my favourite fruits? I am lucky as the season of strawberries is near my birthday, so I can have them. It was just a piece of yummmmmmmi on a sunny Sunday....