This week is red ribbon/spirit week. It’s the week when the kids at elementary and middle school wear themed clothes every day. In case you didn’t know, wearing a sports team jersey, dressing like a nerd and having a wacky hairdo are all ways to keep your kids off of drugs! It’s true! Because that’s what red ribbon week is all about. Keeping kids off drugs. And what better way to arm kids to just say no than to dress them in themed attire?
So instead of “having dinner with your kids at the table” day, or “playing a game with the whole family” day (you know, things that might actually help a parent/child relationship), I get to spend my week scrounging around at the last minute trying to find four pairs of “crazy” socks.
Because it’s not enough that this is the week before Halloween. The week when I will be finishing up six costumes (actually only five since York will be a robber and his costume is black clothes. But I’ll bet $20 that ten minutes before we go trick or treating he will not be able to find his black pants.) Plus it’s the Fall Fest at school which means volunteering to serve food/run a carnival game. And provide goods for the bake sale. And I have two Segullah pieces this weekend (any ideas for something Halloween themed? Because I’m clueless. Last year I wrote something–great, in my opinion–about candy. What more is there to say about Halloween than that?) Oh yes, visiting teaching this week too.
Really, why wouldn’t I want to dig through my kids drawers to find red clothes for them to wear? (get it, red ribbon week? Hence the red clothes. (Although I thought red ribbons were for AIDS. But what do I know?)
The red ribbon stuff is going to be the thing that breaks this camel’s back. I can tell already.
Just think, there's a Mountain Dew waiting for you at the end of the week….
Aw, just skip school and take everyone on a "vacation"! Tell the teachers they all have swine flu…they'll understand, really!
Honestly, phew! Makes me want to take a nap just reading about the week! : )
I like Carmen's idea. You have my sympathy. I would be weeping. People who plan these things have no idea what it is like to have 5 or 6 kids in school.
What is Segullah?
I ran across your blog somewhere…..you know, one of those jump link to link, or you left a good comment somewhere things…..I lost track, But I loved this post! I've always wondered the same thing about WHY the themed days, and you put it into words perfectly! Love your idea for "have dinner with your kids at the table" idea though!
You have a crazy week….I'm sorry. I feel your pain!
When I was in school the whole red ribbon week thing just meant wearing a red ribbon that was for that year. Not dressing up every single day for a whole week in themed attire.
As for the rest of your week, well good luck with that, and if you happen to have a little extra time between finishing costumes, and VT, and the Fall fest, feel free to drop some of those fantastic looking alphabet sugar cookies by here, I will make sure to make you feel appreciated. Here is to being so talented that you are able to make your own Halloween costumes for 6 kids.
I despise red ribbon week. SO LAME. But I've toned down my attitude since the police officer pulled my oldest son aside in 2nd grade and asked him why he joked his way through the DARE greaduation.
Tell your kids' school you are not giving in to peer pressure and boycott the whole thing. That's what I do with Red Ribbon week. As for the other stuff…Good Luck, you are amazing!
When you say you "have 2 Segullah pieces this weekend" does that mean you have already written them, or that they are due (on top of all this other insane stuff)?
Since you ARE and always have been SOOOOO INTO dressing up on Halloween, I would love to read your opinions and research on why people like to dress up to be somebody different (especially evil) at times.
I have dreams of our adding several more children to our family until I think of the reality of having all of them in school, doing extra-curriculars, and always yelling, "Mom! I need… I want…"
You really are super mom! You can do it! Plus, soon the week will be over, and then you can go on to the next round of stressful events and tasks. 🙂
Love you,
Kim
You're really funny when you're angry.
I remember when you went through this last year—-my, how time flies!!
I loved meeting your gorgeous sister—-such a cutie—it was fun hanging with her for a bit!
All that stuff is going on at the same school at the same week? Wow.
Hey, that reminds me of spirit week or spirit day or whatever it was called at Marian. do you remember that? Each grade would have a theme and t-shirts made and we would all dress in the same color and do….what? I don't remember what we did, only that we had to dress up. Good times.