Because of...

I was reading a friend's blog recently with the post title being "Can't We All Just Get Along?"  It got me thinking.  We can, but sometimes we don't and it would probably be weird if we always did.  I think for any group of 34 4th graders and 1-2 adults plus a parent volunteer here and there...there are bound to be days like Thursday.  The storm before the calm.  Every time I have ever put on a performance with my class the day before the "big day" I just about want to rip my own hair out and then the next day I am overflowing with joy and love.  Perhaps it is that push out to the end of the plank that makes us find the joy.  As Ellie likes to sing, "What shall we do with a scurvy pirate? What shall we do with a scurvy pirate? What shall we do with a scurvy pirate??????  Make him walk the plank! Argh!"

Thursday was my scurvy pirate. I made him walk the plank and Friday was smooth sailing.  

That scurvy pirate was filled with problems to solve, reminders to give, hurt feelings to mend, reminders to give, messes to clean, reminders to give, noise to try to tune out, reminders to give, a broken light bulb to be swept up....Ugh! What a day!

I complained and questioned why I chose to plan such chaos on a crazy week.  This is why...

In my mind it would be fantastic.  I would host a party for my class that would take us on a journey into our imaginations and bring to life the party at the end of the book we have been reading: Kate DiCamillo's Because of Winn-Dixie. The last time I had read this story with a class was the year the movie came out in the theater and we went to see it on a field trip.  It was such fun.  Then I surprised my class with a party in our room where we transformed our room into Gloria Dump's yard and had a glorious party. 

Our journey through the story has been magical and I wanted to end our week with a magical party.  The students had created book projects and made and delivered invitations to staff members on campus.  Thursday night I had to put aside frustrations and stress and got prepared to try to pull it off.  I started preparing food while the kids had their bath and when Daddy sent them in to see me I was onto  making little signs for the food from the story.  Mason asked if he could make some too.  He was inspired to make a Lemonade stand.  He decorated his signs, and served frozen corn. You know like any quality Lemonade stand would. 

Dogs that tried to snack on said "frozen corn" were given doggie treats by pajama tooth fairy to keep them  out of trouble. 

And then tooth fairies have to eat, and well, so do Lemonade Stand owners. 

It's exhausting work being a tooth fairy! And the answer is a definite NO! if you ask them to remove tooth fairy costumes in bed.

So after Lemonade Stand therapy and a good night's sleep I woke, ready to make Thursday walk the plank.  We had a party to throw and nothing would stand in my way.  We hung twinkle lights, spread out table cloths, set up book projects, set up the food table, hung signs, set out handmade thank you notes that one student made at his house Thursday night for all of our guests...ah my heart was overflowing! As they walked in from recess under the twinkle lights I heard, "It's just like we are in the book!" As they snacked I overheard, "This is the best day ever!"

My eyes were a bit misty! Perhaps it was splashes of water from Thursday walking the plank.