Owl apron (photo from Amazon.com). The one I bought her was from Home Goods and has an all-over pattern of owls, but I can’t find it online and this one is cute too.

Personalized street sign (photo from Amazon.com). She’d expressed enthusiastic interest in it a number of months ago as a gift idea for a friend’s birthday party, saying she’d want one for herself, too. But then we realized with the shipping time it wouldn’t arrive before the friend’s party, so we gave up on the idea. When Paul and I discussed still using the idea for Elizabeth’s birthday, we got hung up on not knowing what the quality of the sign would be like, and not even knowing if she’d still want it now—especially if her friend didn’t have a coordinating one. Plus, I know this is a gift for HER and SHE likes the pink, but if _I_ were getting a personalized street sign I’d want it to be GREEN. And I’m not sure that shade of pink would go well with her magenta walls. So anyway, we’re not getting it for this birthday. But maybe I’ll mention it to her again and see if she still wants it at Christmas.

She wants this owl pillow/lovey and this owl bank (both photos from Target.com), but she already has a bank and she already has so many pillows and stuffed animals. So I don’t know if she’s getting them or not. It does appeal to me that they match her quilt. I suppose it depends on if they go on sale between now and her birthday.

Hohner Kids Glockenspiel/Xylophone (photo from Amazon.com). This one feels like an almost guaranteed failure to me, and yet she really wants it and I find it hard to resist such an educational/wooden/German toy. They’ve been using xylophones in music class at her school, and she loves it—but it reminds me of when Henry thought he really, really, really wanted a jack-in-the-box, and then he got one and was clearly thinking, “But…this is a BABY toy.”

The Webkinz fad continues at our house. Elizabeth has a cat and a hamster, and she would like to add a whale and a canary (both photos from Amazon.com) so that she can try the underwater rooms and the treetop rooms. They were both inexpensive, and I think the canary might be the accessory type of Webkinz rather than the main-character type of Webkinz, so she’s getting both.

I also had the idea of getting her a few months of the Webkinz Deluxe membership (it’s a few dollars per month and buys special items and access to exclusive games), but I’m holding off on that for now. I thought that might be a way to revive her Webkinz interest for awhile after it starts wearing off.

When I went to get the link for this Hello Kitty puzzle (photo from Amazon.com), Amazon informed me that I bought it almost 2 years ago. That’s about when Elizabeth had a big puzzle craze (kicked off during her tonsillectomy recovery) and was doing a couple of them a day; she was on 100-piece ones, and I projected ahead to when she’d be ready for 300 pieces. Then she lost interest in puzzles, so I’ve had this in the gift cupboard ever since. Either she’ll get interested again soon, or else it’ll make a nice gift for another child’s birthday party. I like how it has a bunch of Hello Kitty characters, so if you’re putting the puzzle together with other people you can dibs which character you want to work on (I dibs the bunny).

Scholastic 2013 Book of World Records (photo from Amazon.com). He saw this in the Scholastic catalog from school, and I made a mental note and then ordered it secretly.

Guinness World Records 2013: Gamers Edition (photo from Amazon.com). And he also wants the Gamer’s Edition. Edward is fond of video games. “Fond” as in “would prefer to do nothing else, ever.”

Speaking of which, he also wants Wii Play (photo from Amazon.com). I like to get him a video game pretty much every birthday, and it was nice he wanted such a cheap one. I think this came free with our original Wii but then got too scratched to use, and he’s been pining for it ever since.

Beartato and the Various Things That Happened (photo from Topatoco.com). The kids like to read Nedroid Picture Diary, so we bought one of them a Beartato book for Christmas. It was a big hit; they’ve all read it more than once now, and Edward seems to read it about once a week. So we bought him this one for his birthday, and I bought the third one for Henry for HIS birthday, so then we’ll have all three books.

Webkinz Calico Cat (photo from Amazon.com). The Webkinz allure is gradually pulling in every single member of our household. Edward and I spent a fun hour or so looking through all the Webkinz animals, thinking about which would be his favorite. There are dozens for around $5, so which does he choose? The $20 one. I have it in my Amazon cart and I’m hoping it’ll go down before I have to order it.

Red apron (photo from Amazon.com, but that’s not the one I bought—I found one at Marshalls). I’m not sure we would have thought of getting him an apron, but it turned out we found a pirate apron for Henry and an owl apron for Elizabeth, and I know they’re all individuals but their birthdays are close together and it makes it fun to buy three of something, so we bought Edward a red apron (red is his favorite color). Just now I had second thoughts and wondered if I should have looked for a MARIO apron. Do you know what you get if you search “Mario apron” on Etsy? This. Never mind. Red is fine.

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Next week: Gift ideas for an 8-year-old who is like Elizabeth.

Modern Green Pearl Lace (photo from Amazon.com). I feel I SHOULD want this one, and I do. But I want it as one of a large wardrobe of them, so don’t form a conclusion too quickly.

Speck Products Love Birds (photo from Amazon.com). I like this one, too. But I don’t like how from a distance the birds look like holes in the pattern instead of like birds.

Otterbox Defender Real Tree in Pink (photo from Amazon.com). It was only at this point that I realized cases varied in levels of protection offered. I think I might have been thinking of them as ONLY pretty personalization.

All for Color Paisley Breeze (photo from Amazon.com). I wish this was a better photo, because this is the first one that feels like a serious contender. Like, I’d want the aqua/pearls one for fun, but this might be the one I’d choose if I could only have one.

CaseMore Polka Dot in Pink (photo from Amazon.com). I like this one a lot. I feel a little self-conscious about liking pink, but PINK IS A PERFECTLY CROMULENT COLOR.

Skinit Hello Kitty (photo from Amazon.com). Put those eyebrows down, missy. THESE ARE THE ONES I LIKE. I’m not saying I’d have the Hello Kitty one on for WORK, but I’d want to OWN it.

SkunkWraps Van Gogh Blossoming Almond (photo from Amazon.com). I saw the Van Gogh blossoming almond pattern on a case for a digital reader, and I loved it so much I almost bought the case even though I don’t even have a digital reader. I’d have to do some researching to find the right one for an iPhone: there appear to be a number of different ones, and I haven’t found one yet that I love as much as the one for the digital reader.

Tory Burch Flamingo (photo from NeimanMarcus.com). This one is so close while still being not quite. I think I want the flamingos a little more friendly-looking.

Head Case Kawaii Three Little Owls (photo from Amazon.com). You would think I would want an owl case FOR SURE, but I looked at all the owls and didn’t find one that seemed like MY owl case. This one came close.

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Now that I’ve gotten into this, I am curious to know what YOUR case looks like if you have one (not necessarily for the iPhone 5). And how did you decide? And do you have just one that you committed to, or do you have a selection to choose from?

But I do sometimes do something for end-of-year, especially if there’s something significant about the particular year/class. For example, last year one of my children’s teachers was retiring, and she’d taught another of my children as well. I had copies of “first day of school” pictures printed from both kids’ first days in her class, and enclosed them with a thank-you letter and a Target gift card and a card wishing her a happy retirement. (Forty years teaching first graders. Can you imagine? No, don’t try.)

Mid-year, I think classroom items can be a nice thing to donate—but at the end of the year, I suspect teachers just want to PACK IT UP. No more pencils, no more books, no more children’s dirty looks! I aim instead for things I think they might be able to enjoy over the summer. A gift card to Panera, for a time of year they might be able to go to lunch. A gift card to a book store, for a little recreational reading. A gift card to the over-priced-but-delicious ice cream store. A gift card to a place that sells iced coffees (photo from Starbucks.com), for keeping them cool in August when they’re reassembling their non-air-conditioned classrooms.

You’ll notice I’m going pretty heavy on gift cards. I do enjoy buying more personal gifts usually, but it feels to me as if for the parent-teacher relationship, a gift card is more likely to genuinely please. Part of this is my particular school system: we live in a very teacher-gifty area, and on the last day of school there are HEAPS of gifts—and when I see a group of 5 to 7 plants together, it really brings home to me that now the teacher has to DO SOMETHING with them, and that if she gets 5 to 7 plants every year she may run out of things to do with them. In a less gifty district, a plant would be a lovely idea and the teacher would put it on her desk or on the kitchen counter and enjoy it.

And I love the idea of luxury items for teacher gifts: beautiful expensive soaps and lotions (photo from BathAndBodyWorks.com). But then I think about how few of the scents I like when I go out soap-sniffing. So that leads me back to a gift card, so they can choose the ones THEY like. But if it would be particularly fun to give her, say, the relaxation/stress-relief aromatherapy set I love so much, I might still do it and just figure she can re-gift it or give it to a friend, relative, or other teacher if she doesn’t.

I love to bake, and I love sweets, so I’m often drawn to the Treats idea. When I go with that, I try to find something that will KEEP: as with the plants, anything multiplied times the 5 to 7 other people who had that idea is going to be a challenge to manage. A plate of cookies among 5-7 plates of cookies might not get eaten in time (if I want to increase their odds, I’ll put them in a freezer bag with a note about how well they freeze), but a bag of Lindt truffles (photo from Amazon.com) or a gift card to the Lindt store will keep awhile.

Some parents will bring in something highly specific to their individual child—something that would make a good gift to themselves for Mother’s/Father’s Day, like an ornament featuring their child’s photo, or a calendar with photos of their child on every page. I do like this kind of idea if it’s done as a class: it would be adorable (but a LOT of coordination work for someone) to do a small photo album with a photo of each child, and a little note written by the child on the facing page. Or one of my kids’ classes somehow got an extra copy of that year’s class photo and put it in a frame with one of those autographable mats (photo from Amazon.com); each child signed it, and it was very sweet.

The letter of appreciation is nice any time, but is particularly nice at the end of the year: there’s more material to work with; and it seems even better to be saying the whole YEAR was satisfactory than that a part of it was; and when report cards have already been issued, even the frettiest of fretters won’t feel like the teacher might think they’re trying to kiss up to get better grades. One of my favorite end-of-year letter ideas is to have the child list every single thing they can think of that they liked about the year. At first the list seems a little less than thrilling for the classroom teacher (”Snack! Recess! Art class!”), but continued nagging/prodding of the child can result in a list that’s long enough to give a surprisingly interesting overview of the year (”The leprechaun trap! Making bird feeders! Doing the birthday wall! The morning-sun song! The take-home teddy! Learning the hand-clap game!”). A parent thinking ahead could jot things down through the year to remind the child of later; a parent scrambling at the last minute could try looking through the calendar for field trips, “wear green” reminders, “bring graham crackers and gingerbread house candy” reminders, etc.

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Do you do end-of-year teacher gifts? And if so, what do you like to bring?

I’ve put away my nice warm boots and I’m back in Converse (photo from Amazon.com). So is the teenaged assistant at the kids’ karate class, which worries me: do Converse bridge the generations, or is one of us off our mark?

I like the Burt’s Bees tinted lip balms: I keep one in my pocket and use it like regular chapstick, but I like the little bit of color. When I bought the Sweet Violet (photo from Amazon.com), I’d expected a purpley color for fall—but it’s more of a lilac-pink, perfect for spring.

Target has a line of Method soaps done in Orla Kiely patterns. Orla Kiely patterns make me crazy with love; I wish I felt the same about Method soaps. But when the soap is used up, the dispenser can be refilled with different soap!

Sally Hansen nail polish in Lacey Lilac (photo from Amazon.com). I’m linking to Amazon because I’m using their photo, but I bought mine at Target. I love this color. It’s definitely spring-like, but it’s subtle: I’d wear it to work.

SEED TIME! I have some marigold seeds started indoors, and Paul has been getting the ground set up for planting sunflower seeds soon.

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Are you seeing signs of spring?

Penguin bank (photo from Target.com). We give our kids a bank and their first allowance at their 6-year-old birthday party. For my first two kids, I chose a bank for them; but with the younger three, it’s worked better to let them choose one. I discuss it with them casually while at the store display a few months before the birthday, and then go back later and buy the one they liked. Henry chose this penguin. (I would have rooted for this owl if they had it in the stores.)

Webkinz lion (photo from Amazon.com). After last week’s post, it will not surprise you to hear that he is getting a Webkinz. Every other family member (well, except Paul) has or has had one, and now Henry wants one. He said “lion” immediately when I asked what animal, but then later on he said, “Wait. Do they have sharks?” (They do.) So there may need to be more deliberation.

Apron (photo from Amazon.com). For years he’s worn a cute monkey apron (with matching hat) I got from Target, but now he says it’s “babyish.” I bought him a pirate chef set at Home Goods, but can’t find it ANYWHERE online so the above photo is a stunt apron. The real one is light blue with a pattern of various piratey things: treasure chest, pirate ship, pirate flag, etc. I’m a little worried because when I got the package out of the gift cupboard I noticed it says “ages 3+”—which might mean it’s too small for him. I’ll have to take it out and look at it when he’s not home.

Ninja matryoshka (photo from Amazon.com). These could be a total failure, but when I was mentioning them in another post, Henry saw them over my shoulder and gasped. I’m grateful to reviewers who mentioned that they’re about the quality and size of plastic Easter eggs.

Minecraft Creeper shirt (photo from ThinkGeek.com). This is the one gift I MUST buy him. We got him this for Christmas two years ago, and when he outgrew it there was SORROW THROUGHOUT THE LAND. I’m going to buy the next two sizes, which is why it was a little annoying when they had a t-shirt sale and both sizes I needed were out of stock. They’re back in stock, but now I am hoping for another deal.

A couple of weeks ago I bought myself a Webkinz fox (photo from Amazon.com), after seeing the kids play Webkinz and feeling envious. I felt a little silly, but I shouldn’t have: for less than $10, I have had evening after evening of games. NO THEY ARE NOT BABY GAMES, SHUT UP.

And it could have been even less than less-than-$10, if I hadn’t been so picky about getting the fox. But I WAS picky about getting the fox, so it was $9.90. (I also considered the hedgehog.) (Photo from Amazon.com.)

And the (owl, photo from Amazon.com)

(Porcupine, photo from Amazon.com)

If you think you might be interested in a Webkinz for yourself, I suggest first getting one for a child you know. (Or if you don’t think you’d be interested in Webkinz for yourself, I still recommend this plan.) I’ve found the game “instructions” nearly impossible to understand, and the site can be a little glitchy and cluttered, so it is very useful to have a nearby child to say, “No, you have to get rid of the first layer before you can do that” or “You can’t drag, you have to click on the two that need to switch places” or “Yeah, it does that sometimes—just X out of it and choose it again” or “It’s that little box over there.”

(Apatosaurus, photo from Amazon.com)

(Pug, photo from Amazon.com)

My three favorite games are Triple Strike Solitaire, Dr. Goober’s Lab, and Jumbleberry Fields. One of the kids said that Dr. Goober’s Lab is like Bejeweled. Triple Strike Solitaire is a game I remember my grandma teaching me, where you try to make a long string of cards that are either one up or one down from the starting card: you have a 7, for example, so you put down 8, 7, 6, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3. And Paul says Jumbleberry Fields is Yahtzee.

(Wombat, photo from Amazon.com)

(Plumfadoodle, photo from Amazon.com)

The other fun part is buying virtual things for the virtual animal. (You earn a little virtual money by playing the games.) When you buy a Webkinz, you get a stuffed animal—and that animal is represented in cartoon version on the website. I’ve set up a little two-room house for my fox so far, with a garden and a swimming pool, and we have plans for further expansion. I’ve also bought him a pilot jacket and a flowered dress.

(screen shot of my fox sleeping in his room, from Webkinz.com)

And since Elizabeth has a Webkinz too, I can send her presents for HER Webkinz with all the extra virtual money I may or may not be earning by playing hours of games. It was fun to hear her mention to Edward that she wanted the swimming pool but couldn’t afford it, and then send her the swimming pool.

(screen shot from Webkinz.com)

…Or actually I guess I MUST have realized it at some point, because I see an Orange County Choppers set that I remember linking to on a guy gift list long ago. But I must not have REALIZED-realized.

Lord of the Rings Pez dispenser set (photo from Amazon.com). These sets are NOT CHEAP, I notice. Regular Pez dispensers are a dollar or two; these end up costing more like $4 or so each. Well, that doesn’t sound like as much when I type it out like that. I suppose most of the impression of Great Expense is from coming in a set instead of being sold individually.

Hello Kitty Pez dispenser set (photo from Amazon.com). I saw this set or a very similar one at Target awhile back and had to work fairly hard to keep myself from buying it. I don’t even LIKE Pez. But I do like Hello Kitty, and sets of things, and collections.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Pez dispenser set (photo from Amazon.com).

Kiss Pez dispenser set (photo from Amazon.com). It seems like we need a ranking chart for celebrity merchandise. Which is most awesome: having a bobble-head made of you, having a doll made of you, or having a Pez dispenser made of you?

Wizard of Oz Pet dispenser set (photo from Amazon.com).

U.S. Presidents 1789-1825 Pez dispenser set (photo from Amazon.com). There is also an 1825-1845 set and an 1845-1861 set. This makes me want to go back to school, become a teacher, develop an extensive unit on U.S. presidents, and bring in my presidential Pez dispenser collection as a visual.

Kikkerland Owl contact lens case (photo from Amazon.com). This makes me wish I wore contact lenses.

Owl flatware (photo from Amazon.com). Ohhhhh, I wish I had seen this for the silverware post! (One more wish and I’m out of wishes.)

Kikkerland Owl timer (photo from Amazon.com). I keep almost buying this—and then seeing “o, why you twist my head??” in its eyes. Plus, the reviews are terrible, and then it would be impossible to put that face into the trash if things didn’t work out.

Owl key markers (photo from Amazon.com). Whoooooos key is…never mind, that’s not funny. At all.

Giant nursery decal: forest animals (photo from Amazon.com). Not only does this have owls, it also has foxes, squirrels, and hedgehogs. The only thing stopping me from buying this is the “nowhere to put it” problem.

Owl fan (photo from Amazon.com). An owl FAN! And it sits there with that expression on its face every time you glance up.

Skip Hop Owl busy bead tree (photo from Amazon.com). This is the kind of toy that’s good to play with AND decorates the nursery.

The best times of year to buy inexpensive dresses were: (1) Easter clearance, (2) summer clearance, and (3) Christmas clearance. The Easter/Christmas dresses were fanciest; I sometimes thought I should send a note in to Elizabeth’s teacher saying, “Don’t worry, it looks like $40 and dry-clean-only and parents-will-pitch-fit-if-paint-gets-on-it, but it was $8 and at home we’re letting her wear it in the mud.”

Tutu dress (photo from ChildrensPlace.com). Sleeveless dresses seem impractical, but they’re easy to wear over tights and a long-sleeved shirt.

Tiered gingham dress (photo from OldNavy.com). This could be a sundress, or a cute school outfit with white tights and shirt.

Tie-belt pocket dress (photo from OldNavy.com). Sweet for Easter/spring, but also nice and sunny for summer.

Long-sleeved dot dress (photo from Gap.com). After a long (and still ongoing) pink stage, Elizabeth has developed an unexpected interest in navy.

Bow daffodil dress (photo from Gymboree.com). She had a dress similar to this when she was three or four. So sweet. (And I love the matching daffodil headband enough to maybe place a whole order just for that.)

Bow stripe seersucker dress (photo from Crazy8.com).

Sleeveless polka-dot dress (photo from Sears.com). I associate Sears so strongly with tools and appliances, it’s hard to remember they have TONS of fancy dresses.

Pinky polka-dot tier dress (photo from JCPenney.com).

Lilly Pulitzer little classic dress (photo from Amazon.com). Oh, man, that’s pretty.