Mississippi Queen

Another day, another fifth grade state float parade.

So, first obstacle: preparing the float. Yesterday was a day off from school, he had plenty of extra time to work on it, so of course he didn't and he stayed up late (too late for a 5th grader) working on it (which is seems especially sad considering how little actually was done for this float). He made a flag (cause our printer doesn't work) and got some red, white and blue pillow cases to put over his float. Now to transport it... sadly we don't have a wagon (will try to get one within the next 2 years before Wesley's float is due) and so we wandered around the house looking for something with wheels. His bike has flat tires. Wesley's bike is too little, so he didn't want to do bikes. We don't have scooters. I tried to convince him to pull a tricycle, but he wanted Sophia to be part of his float and she is only 11 months old and thus shouldn't be trusted to hold on to a tricycle for 3 laps around the school. What to do, what to do. Hyrum decided he'd push Natalie in her highchair, cause that has wheels.

Obstacle two - I wake up the girl and help them eat their cereal in time for us to get over to the school in time to deliver the highchair float.

We get to the school - I wheel the high chair through the parking lot and become aware that it's little wheels can scoot around a kitchen, but they're not made for laps around a school on asphalt. So - back home to get a stroller. I left the high chair at the school and come back and rip it all off and re-tape it to the stroller with Hyrum's favorite prop, his baby sister (who ate the streamers.)

So: He's ready to go, good job Hyrum! He's got the paper flag on display, as well as a teddy bear (cause Theodore Roosevelt's nickname came from when he hunted a bear in Mississippi) and the other thing he found around the house that can be tied to Mississippi: Darth Vader. Cause just everyone knows James Earl Jones was born in Arkabutla, Mississippi! RiGhT?! (We looked all over for the complete black Vader cape, but could only find the black and red vampire cape. Close enough.)

So Hyrum comes out to get ready for the parade march. He and Natalie check out the competition of another students' Mississippi float. No no, self, this isn't a competition! ...But I knew it was Mississippi cause of the Barq's rootbeer (which I knew cause I spent my holiday helping him with his report... oh, wait, I forgot... (and this is funny...) ...

Speaking of his written report - they had a lot of time to work on this at school but Hyrum didn't finish, and I found out the reason why was because he kept trying to DOUBLE SPACE his report, like double space it between the words, and at home as I helped him type it, he was very attentively telling me that Mrs. Butterfield said it had to be double spaced. When he typed on it at school, he'd try to save it double spaced but the computer kept correcting it and changing it back to single space and Hyrum would spend his whole time the next time at computer time at school going through and putting the spaces back in. He felt slightly defeated when I told him it was double spacing between the lines, not the words, and you do it with a simple format option. He said "You mean I wasted my whole time?!?" Yes you did buddy, but that's okay. Poor teachers, they think they are being clear with their instructions but there are still kids that get lost in the wrong details... so anyway...

So we come out and pass by another Mississippi float and I'm thinking Hyrum's looks pretty pathetic. Not that I really care, but I guess I do a little bit, feeling like either I'm a dupe mom cause I don't help enough to make it look like it is a float... or like they are dupes cause they help too much. See notice those two grown men in the blue shirts? They were both working on it, drill and staple guns in hand, putting on the finishing touches.What do you think Darth?

Darth think's it's hot. Especially with that black helmet on and no shade to take refuge under.

Maybe neither of us are dupes. Maybe the over achieving men and the underachieving me are both just doing what we can, and that's okay. Yes, I'm okay, you're okay. So off they go ~ round and round, where they stop, nobody knows...

He said that the elementary kids from the other grades that were lined up to watch said "DARTH VADER pushing a BABY?!?!?" Come on, kids, EVERYBODY knows that people in Mississippi wear Darth Vader costumes and push their babies around in strollers all day! Yes, that's definitely common knowledge.

Coming around for lap 2... Natalie's done. I pulled him aside to check his temperature... Then I insisted he take off his helmet. He protested against it, but I think he was grateful I took a stand against his discomfort. I also grabbed him after the 2nd lap was through, as did most other parents. I don't think 3 times is necessary. Phew! We're done!

 You made it buddy. So did you Natalie. Let's go home and take a nap.