Thursday, May 21, 2009

Will You Be Super-Soaking?

Aloha my friends. Tomorrow is the last day of school for us, and like we've done the last two years, the moms at the bus stop will spray the kids with water guns when they get off the bus. This is really Normal Neighbor's tradition, but she enlisted me in it when we moved here. We hide behind her giant Suburban and ambush them. I don't know if the kids are really surprised by the prank at this point, but it is fun. Last year we told the German au pair who lived around the corner about it, and she showed up with this ginormous water bazooka. Seriously, it looked like it needed to be mounted in the back of a pickup truck. When I saw that thing, I was like, "Oh crap." Total overkill. I had water in my shoes. Do you guys have any end-of-school traditions or fun things? I would love to do something else to mark the occasion, but I am short on ideas.

Update: it rained today, and squirting kids who are walking through the rain just seems mean! But we did it anyway. We drove up to the bus stop and I let Hank ride shotgun. Then when Laura and her friend got up to the van, I said, "Hank, now!" and he popped through the window and started shooting his little gun. So funny!

Today was the class luau, and it went swimmingly. The food was simple and tasty, and the decorations were great. We could have done way less, but the kids thought it was really special. Jan completely outdid herself. I am going to give her a Target gift card that I've been keeping for some occasion. Familiarity breeds fondness, in this case, because I have come to appreciate her eccentricities and her bubbly personality. That chick worked her ass off at this room mom gig, whereas I mostly thought of stuff and wrote emails.

So this morning I was loading the car to set off to help with the party. Hula hoop, check. Treat bags, check. CD player for luau tunes, check. I needed to get batteries for the CD player, so I hopped in and away I went. On the way to CVS to get batteries, I thought, "I'll get some good pictures for my blog." And then I thought, "Where is my camera?? Wah!" I started groping around in the passenger seat with my hand. I had left it at home, which is no biggie, but for some reason it stressed me out enough that I started to sweat, or you know how you don't really sweat, but your body temperature goes up a little? Like, preparatory to sweating? I could only tell because my eyebrows made my sunglasses fog up. Lovely. Does this happen to you?

I don't know why the camera seemed so dang important at that moment. And then I got worried that the sweat would make my mascara run. Rewind: Earlier this morning I was standing at the bathroom mirror putting on makeup. I have this fancy Shu Uemura mascara that builds and builds on itself. Like, it cost thirty dollars and you could probably make furniture out of it. So I got distracted talking to Matt and just kept putting it on. I had already curled my eyelashes (that's my new thing--love it!), so the effect was, well, striking. Think Elvira. In a muu-muu. I thought I should dress for the occasion, so I wore this long, somewhat shapeless, white maxi dress. So, muu-muu, check. Shu Uemura, check. Dewy eyebrows, check. Let's party.

If you're doing a luau thing--hi Googlers!--here's what worked and didn't work. I thought the food was very kid friendly, and pretty. I did manage to get a few pics with my iPhone. This is the table all set up with the cabana thingie that Jan got at Party City.

Cabana Table

The food was not fancy, but presentation is everything. Don't worry, I told the mom who brought chex mix in plain plastic bowls that she needs to up her game. Kidding! Don't believe my detractors. Anyway. . .

Luau Kid Food

The kids loved the fruit kabobs. Easy and pretty. I wouldn't have thought to leave the leaves on the strawberries, but it made them more decorative.

Fruit Kabobs

Now, you know what wasn't worth the time? The slushie machine. Jan brought an ice crusher and put popsicles in it to make little snowcones. Yummy, but it was another thing that the kids had to line up to get, separate from their snacks, and it just took up time that they could have been playing. Next time, I would just have punch. And use the slushy machine for frozen margaritas for the moms.

End-of-School Party

That's a happy partier. Laura won her round of the hula hoop contest, so everything's groovy in her world. The kids also coconut-bowled, knocking over pineapples. The winners got to pick a prize out of a big tub, and this time only one kid, and no parents, complained about the prizes. One boy picked a big foil-wrapped chocolate that looked like a baseball, and it turned out to be a Baby Ruth. After all the games were over and the prizes were gone, he said, really irritated, "But I don't like Baby Ruths!" I said, "Then don't eat it." Aren't I the sweetest room mom ever? Mahallo! Then I offered him a squirt gun that was shaped like a frog, which he turned down.

I hope you guys are enjoying the last days of school. If I think about how time is passing, I get a little verklempt. But hey, I'm not a room mom anymore! That was one of those "glad to do it, and glad it's over" situations. Like a lot of things in life.

17 comments:

Michele R said...

Wow that is some swanky food display table! Was there a limbo contest? One year I started the tradition of ambushing the kids with water balloons as they walked home from bus. Then I'd make them more to use against each other (45 minutes to make and 2 minutes till only shreds on grass remain). Two years ago friends came home with them and stayed for a cook-out. This year no ambushes but we're going to see Night at the Museum on Sat.
Hope you don't get too soaked tomorrow!!

delaine said...

What a great party ! I bet it was a blast for everyone involved too. The fruit kabobs were a good idea, as was the coconut bowling. Laura looks so pleased and happy. Was the party after lunch ? I hear you say your room mom days are over, but do you think you can escape next year ? Ha ! Hats off to you and Jan for a year well done ! Yall both should go out and have a daquiri to celebrate.

Bren said...

Please, more end of the year traditions! I pick my children up from school (it's nice, we park at a city park and walk across the street to the school), and I fear the water bazooka, as I imagine children scattering into traffic. Water balloons are awesome, but we'd definitely get tsked at for leaving balloon guts about. But yes, something should be done. Probably in cahoots with their best friends' moms, who also pick their kids up at the school. Hmmm.

Maggie said...

I love the fact that your eyebrows fogged up your glasses!! I thought that kind of stuff only happens in my world!!! Laura looks adorable and I am sure that you were the hottest mom there!!

Amy said...

That looks so fun! And very nicely laid out as well--these kids will have big expectations for next year! I will miss Jan too, I always found your posts about her endearing.

And the super soakers is such a fun idea! We might have to try that here. :)

Kelly said...

Every year, once the final bus leaves, my principal blasts music over the loud speaker and we all dance through the hallways...teachers have their own traditions too ;) hahaha

Drama Queen Jenner said...

The only tradition I ever stuck with (and only then for 2 years) was taking my daughter for TCBY on the first day of school. Wish I could be a SAHM and water-balloon my kids...

Becky said...

Kelly, ha, I love your teacher tradition! Reading that made me wish I was going to be at your school tomorrow!

And you mean you won't be crying at saying goodbye to our little angels!?! Heh.

The Dental Maven said...

Very Snappy set up!! Totally puts the self-congratulatory, better-than-thou moms in my neighborhood to shame!

Kelly said...

No, no tears at the end of the year. I got a little sad yesterday but it passed quickly! Haha.

Jenni said...

i so get pre-sweat!

looks like alammin party. nice work.

Leciawp said...

Wow - first of all, I can't believe school's already out for you - we go until like June 13. Secondly, that party looks amazing!!!

I had a most horrible and emotional day yesterday related to class coordinator interactions. May I have your cell #? - could've used a supportive ear. :)

Happy Memorial Day weekend Becky! xo

Sara said...

My kids would love it if I super-soakered them! Unfortunately, I'm not there on those Last Days when they get dismissed at 10:30 in the morning.
I'm a little jealous that you guys are all done-we go until June 3rd. Time's a draggin' lemme tell you. A tradition I could bring home to them would be fun though..hmmm.

The party looked great, and I so would've said something similar to the Baby Ruth kid. ha! Glad the kiddos appreciated it.

I don't mess around so much with the pre-sweat. I just go straight into swamp-ass mode. (Everybody calls it 'swamp-ass' right?)
I got a pretty good visual of your steamy eyebrows, sza sza eyelashes, and fingers clutching the steering wheel. lol!

Bex said...

Laura is probably the cutest girl EVER! (having sons, i can say that!)

i am first most impressed with how your iphone pictures turned out. they look like a regular point and shoot. and i am second most impressed with that spread! getting hungry again...

Becky said...

Thanks, y'all! And Bex, I do think Laura is the cutest kid in her class, and oddly I've thought that every year!

The iPhone has a pretty good camera on it, really, but I think my lens is dirty. I don't see how because the lens cover is the size of a tic-tac, and I keep wiping it on my shirt, but it looks blurry to me.

And all you folks still in school, I bet you don't start in freaking early August like we do! This year we went back on August 10.

Wendy said...

Okay, that was one awesome cabana. Next time you guys throw a party, I'm coming over!

Anonymous said...

Don't think you should (mis)underestimate the value of 'thinking of things, and writing emails.' People who are always buzzing around like that need to have someone to kind of keep it real. It sounds like all in all you two were a lovely yin and yang.