As you know, I’ve signed on to be the head room parent for both Meredith and Harper.
Our Fall Party is Monday.
This is how it’s going to go down. (Scoot back. You’re about to fall off the edge of your seat!)
The first graders will be decorating plain pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles. They will also eat fruit. They will also eat pretzels. They will decorate terra cotta pots to look like pumpkins. I don’t know what sort of game we’ll play. If I can’t come up with anything, it will be Fall Bingo which might sort of suck, but we’ll see. Perhaps we’ll dance. (We won’t dance.) Maybe we’ll throw bean bags into a bucket. Shall I turn out the lights and let them squirt ketchup on me as I recite Edgar Allen Poe poetry while holding a flashlight under my chin? No! I love six year old kids because they tend to not judge. (At least that’s what I’m telling myself.)
The third graders will be dipping apples into a Crock Pot full of caramel. The child with the apple allergy will have her own Crock Pot with bananas for dipping. There will also be huge gluten-free marshmallows for dipping. And pretzels. Music will play. Everyone will be given a mini pumpkin. If they want to write on it, they can do that. If they don’t, then fine. There are no rules when it comes to mini pumpkins. (At least none that I’ve heard. If you know otherwise, please keep it to yourself.) For a game, they’ll be scooping popcorn from a trash bag into two smaller paper bags using a small measuring cup. It’s a relay! This might be fun. It might be a disaster. I get to go home when the party is over, and six nights later I’ll be watching Ben Folds play with the St. Louis Symphony. I need to lose five pounds and treat myself to a self-confidence shirt. (Every year at this time, I go out and purchase four long sleeved t-shirts (White! White! Black! Gray!), and then I wear the heck out of them all year long. I wear them under SHORT sleeved t-shirts! They’re great under itchy cardigans! I sometimes wear them to bed with boxer shorts! I’ve even been known to wear one long sleeved t-shirt on top of ANOTHER long sleeved t-shirt! THE OPTIONS NEVER END!!! Surprising Turn of Events: Lately, I find that I feel a lot better about myself if I’m wearing a print! Imagine! This year I’m going to skip the long-sleeved t-shirt shopping trip and focus more on who I want to be. Will I be pretty? Will I be rich? I’ll keep you updated. Speaking of which, NaBloPoMo starts up on Tuesday. I still haven’t decided…)
My dogs just destroyed another one of my knitting projects. (Two weeks ago it was a sweater(!!!). Today it was a fingerless mitt.) I really need a higher shelf. Or shorter dogs. They’re totally feeling my anger right now as they run around the back yard playing Frisbee with the girls. It might LOOK like they’re having fun, but deep down they know that The Big Lady is not happy. Enjoy your Friday. Also, Go Cardinals. Please. ‘ ‘ ‘text/javascript’>
I’ve seen Ben Folds with the Minnesota Orchestra twice (and twice with just him and a piano)…great show. The music is incredible and he’s a great entertainer, assuming you “get” him :)
I’d totally come to your class parties – they sound fun!
It’s probably wrong that I consider one of the main benefits of being a corporate drone is that I’ll never have to do that kind of stuff – it scares me! So I’m actually quite impressed that you’ve come up with activities and snacks, and they are different for each age group (I would have done the same thing for both rooms).
Have you been dipping into the caramel block?
I would need a LOT of caffeine to get all that done on Monday – go you!
Que sera sera, baby! The kids are going to love you for the main reason that they get to do something besides the back breaking labor of reading and writing and arithmetic (only one R there. Sorry for being a stickler). They all sound like great ideas that would be a superb alternative to schoolwork if I was a 1st or 3rd grader, and if you asked me (which I am not and you didn’t). Lastly, Ben Folds has a lovely song that I have already decided will be my daughter’s father/daughter wedding dance, not that I am too controlling or plan too far ahead. The song is Gracie. It is my daughter’s name and I am nothing if not appreciative of a theme you don’t have to think too hard to figure out when it comes to father/daughter dances.
I am the same way with long sleeve t-shirts. The Gap used to make ones that I loved, but last year they changed the formula. I just might be able to get another year out of the ones I already have.
I want to go to the caramel party.
I only just realized that we are on opposite sides of the World Series, and I just want you to know that I will still love you even when the Cardinals lose.
(Also, I am doing NaBloPoMo so you should TOTALLY do NaBloPoMo! Because we’re the same person, even though you’re rooting for the wrong baseball team!)
Eddie Bauer long sleeved t-shirts! I just rotated mine (last years got demoted to “under stuff or grungy days only”, 2 years old are now jammies).
Good luck with Monday!
Our dog is tall (a great pyrenees) and he loooooovvveesss to mess around with my knitting. Balls of yarn have been destroyed. Needles have been pulled out. Afghans in progress have been trotted around the house. I feel your pain.
Even as a Pittsburgh Pirates fan, I sincerely hope that the Cardinals win. National League represent!
Watching game 7 RIGHT NOW, 8th inning, from north of Boston! Can say no more, no jinxing allowed. We will not speak of the Red Sox……….
Please, please do NaBloPoMo…it’s tradition now yunno
Hang on. You can *replace* long-sleeved tops? Why did no-one tell me this?
You are so awesome for doing dual room mom duty and the other moms better appreciate you! The kids will love all the things you’ve planned. The janitors won’t. Good luck with your new top shopping – I can’t wait to see.
I always have a clothing crisis in the fall. I usually resolve it with a trip to Banana Republic at STL Mills. I look around at what the headless people are wearing and try to pull it off. Especially the jewelry. By pull it off, I mean ‘make it work.’ I don’t actually undress mannequins. That would be weird.
Ben Folds? Orchestra?! I am SOOOO jealous
Fabulous party plans! You will be the official “Best Room Parent Ever!”, I’m sure.
Equally guilty of the multiple shirts in the same color here! For me, it’s the solid layering tanks, worn year-round. I own SIX: white, white, green, black, brown, blue! One more and I can label them with the days of the week.
PS…Lori, the very first image that popped into my head was a lady tackling the window mannequins at BR and stripping them down! It would make my week to witness that!
I have a similar clothing ritual in the Fall. This year, I went with Lands End long-sleeved shirts. I got 4 boatnecks (duh — white, black, creme, and branching out…Green!) and one brown cowl turtleneck. Free shipping! No trip to the mall! (I also got 3 pairs of chinos, a dress, and a skirt. Last year was The Year of Maternity Clothes and this year is I’m Still Losing Baby Weight (from my first baby). Shut up. I need clothes that fit.)
on the elcheapo end, try old navy’s cowl neck tops, dolman tie tops, or the lounge wraps for a tiny bit more style to your cotton jersey knits.
banana republic’s fabrics are terrible. not worth it.
Zappos has the three dots brand (yes, “three dots”) of clothes which features a slew of stylish cotton knits, well cut and cute, that I adore. super soft, great colors, wear with anything. a tad pricey but last–quality fabric and it does go on sale.
The classroom parent? You frighten me. How do you get the guts for that?
Are you really going to do all that stuff? Are you crazy?
I mean this in the kindest way possible. You go girl! Get on with your bad self!
Caramel! Gluten free marshmallows? Marshmallows have gluten. Crud. I didn’t even know.
Please tell me you aren’t serious.
I don’t even have the guts to wear white shirts. Something always goes horribly wrong.
Soooooo, how did the caramel dipping go? And the uber-messy popcorn relay race? Fun was had by all, I’m assuming! Fabulous!
Happy Halloweeeeeeen!
do you have a favorite brand of bland long sleeved T’s? I have a similar thing and the problem is if you buy the wrong brand they may shrink in the wrong spot and you have shorter sleeves, or a gut/butt crack becomes visible (I don’t know why I said butt crack. In my example I WOULD be wearing pants… next!) Anyway – in your long-sleeved T experience, is there a kind that stands out?
also chiming in to ask for long-sleeve t-shirt recommendations. I am on an endless hunt for the perfect long-sleeve white shirt. I have gangly monkey arms and some wacky sensory integration issues (often triggered by awkwardly too-short sleeves, especially when they are shorter than my sweater layer. is there anything worse?!) and I can’t find the shirt of my dreams.