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Thursday, January 29, 2009

Flat Stanley and a little creativity ...

So, I went to parent-teacher conferences and was handed a new project for Tyler to work on: Flat Stanley. For those who have read the book, you know that Stanley is flattened and therefore able to mail himself to various places around the world. (This is what I've been told as I've never read it myself.) Anyway, for the project Tyler drew a picture of himself (Flat Tyler) and we're supposed to mail it to family and/or friends around the world.

I don't have a problem with that. However, what I do have a problem with is what they're asking my family/friends to do once they receive this project. They want people to write an entry in the enclosed travel journal (in both English and their native language), send photos of local sites, and send it on to a new place to visit. However, since this will take a while, they also ask people to send postcards immediately so we can know where Flat Stanley has been.

Is it me, or does this seem to be asking a lot?

Yes, I have friends in a variety of states who could help. I also have friends in the Caribbean and Switzerland (who could then send it to Iran), and my sister-in-law's family is in Korea. However, do I really want to subject any of these people to so much work when it's not even their own child?

Maybe it doesn't seem like much to others, but I'm lazy about printing pictures or going to the post office, so both would feel like an inconvenience to me.

Would it be terrible to cheat a little? What I'm thinking of doing is asking people to e-mail me photos of local places and write something I can print to include or copy into the travel journal. Yes, this would be a little more work for me, but it is MY child who is doing the project. Then I can go develop all the pictures at once to include. And then I can keep the info for when other children down the line are asked to do this project ...

So, I think that's what I'll do. And instead of calling it cheating we'll call it being creative. Just don't ever mention this use of the word creative to any of my kids ... :)

12 comments:

Leslie said...

You crack me up!! I remember Jentry doing this. We sent it to my SIL in Kanab who sent it to her husbands aunt in San Diego and the Aunt went all out making a scrap book of everything Stanley had done while with her! Ill have to show it to you. Very cute. I think Id call and say...hey, are you interested in helping with this...if they arent, they arent.

Unknown said...

I have had to do this several times for people and yes it is a pain but, I'm glad to do it! One day we were at Stone Mountain Park and this lady had a flat stanly and she was taking his picture. We were giggling watching her and told the kids to go help her. She was so grateful. I told her she went far and above what I would do as she had drove for an hour just to take the picture. Oh and by the way post cards are very hard to come by these days...I couldn't find any locally here in our stores or at the Chamber of Commerce. Let me know if I can send you some pictures or why don't you scan him and email him to us. We will print him out take some pictures with the kids and then email the pics back to you to print out. That would save a lot of postage too!

P.S. I won't be driving an hour to Stone Mountain Park with him! LOL

Lizzylou said...

I was going to mention having them email pictures to you before I got to that part in your post. I don't think it's cheating at all. The idea is getting the pictures of flat Tyler in different places. I don't think it matters how you get the pictures back to you. Hey flat Tyler is high-tech. He'll love being sent through millions of wires, or air waves..right! Good luck with that. My sister in law (8 yrs old) had to do that and sent it to her cousins in CA. They loved taking pictures with him and it was a great way for cousins to keep in touch. I think expecting him to go overseas is a lot, but hey, if you have connections, and can make it more convenient and less expensive for friends/family by saving the mailing costs, that's great!

Heidi said...

I think it sounds like a great idea, I think that I might send out some emails too, only I think that I will scan in flat stanley and have them print it out if they would and take their picture with it and email it back. anyway, we will see how it goes.

Unknown said...

Sounds like a good idea. Of course it is good "creative problem solving", so maybe not so bad to teach the kids, (for if they just can't figure out a way to do something, be creative.) I know this kind of thinking helped me get through high school. Of course, I usually asked my teacher or an adult if my way of doing things is alright. It takes away the "can't" and makes it a "can", just in a way that works better for me.

Anyways, I'd be happy to participate.

Denise said...

Yes, thanks for the idea to scan in "Flat Tyler" and get pics that way. I'm totally into it.

Stacey also made me think -- I've been to Stone Mountain, so it'd be easy enough to get Flat Tyler there with a little PhotoShop help ... ;) For now I'll stick w/sending him digitally, so don't be surprised if those of you outside of Utah get an e-mail. :)

Jennifer said...

I would print out flat Tyler and take him some place here in Arizona. We won't be driving to Grand Canyon or anything exciting though. I think it is a wonderful idea to just e-mail the pictures to you.

Unknown said...

Hey, could you post my new blogs on here too?

One is- JanOvation
http://janovation.blogspot.com (about my life and ideas, etc.)

The other is Kidation Station
http://kidation.wordpress.com (This one I am making into a place for kids, and parents to get printable art projects for thier kids to do. I have coloring projects up so far, but plan on a bunch of other "stations". Keep an eye on it for new projects for kids as I put them up.

Dashley said...

Hey just wanted to tell you that I have been mad at you for a month. You had to go and put in your blog that Dryer's Girl Scout Cookie Ice Cream was out and I searched 5 different stores and found nothin! Well the good news is that I finally found my favorite kind at one of the stores I had previously looked. Must have come in late. I'm not mad at you anymore and want to say thank you again for introducing me to the fabulous stuff!

Jen said...

Why don't you scan and post Flat Tyler on your blog and anyone who wants to can print him and take a picture and upload the pic and email you a travel entry? Welcome to the 21st century flat stan.

Theresa C said...

My daughter just brought home a "Flat Stanley" project, too! Her teacher is going easy on us and only making us send Stanley to 2 people.... but if they flake out we might have to get "creative" (wink, wink). Good luck!

MIMOM2 said...

Wow! That is quite an assignment. I am impressed with your 'creative' solution