Ka Mate! Ka Mate!

This week, I've had the first words of the Haka stuck in my head. Ka Mate! Ka Mate! Ka Ora! Ka Ora! Meaning, "It's death. It's death. It's life. It's life."

The reason for my slightly morbid musing? The Elementary Winter Luau.

So, remember the Halloween Party debacle? How I walked into the gym to find tons of screaming children, and all that careful planning we had done proved fairly useless? Adults abandoning the ship left and right?

Yesterday, I had the chance to go through that experience again. But this time things were going to be different. THIS time, I was going to be ready.

So I enlisted some vital key players: the secretaries, my coteacher, my teacher's aide, and the librarian.

The secretaries battled like She-ra to enforce the permission slip deadline, taking on angry parents and belligerent coworkers.

My teacher's aide and coteacher made phone calls, took trips to Walmart, and helped design the craft.

The librarian taught my Social Studies classes for an hour and a half on the day of the party.

And I had help from unexpected sources as well! During the party, I looked up and spotted two middle school teachers in there helping with the kindergartners! Even my sixth graders rose to the occasion when I marshaled the troops and sent them off to help with the various activities.

End result: Elementary Winter Luau

Number of kids in attendance: 145 (k-6)

Number of adults in attendance: 14

Cheesy Hawaiian outfits for the Senators: Check!

Limbo contest: Check!

Teach the Haka: Check!

Games in small groups (Hot Coconut, making lifesaver leis, playing volleyball with an inflatable octopus): Check!

Everybody gets a popsicle: Check!

Parents there at 4:00 to pick up the kids: Check!

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is redemption.

Many thanks to all those who made it possible for me to make it through without killing anyone!

Now, all I have to worry about is the Spring Carnival....

The Inner Outer Monologue

At times, Russ has no inner monologue. I've been at the computer for five minutes. He's on the couch. This is a faithful account of what I have heard him muttering, humming, singing to himself.

"High on the hill is a lonely goatherd. Star does not like the goatherds. Star does not want to eat the goatherds."

Silence.

Switches to vigorously humming Prince Ali from the Aladdin soundtrack.

Pipes up with, "Would you consider me a puma head in the desert that wants to eat you?"

Me: "I have no way of answering that question."

Russ: "You should say, I am a diamond in the rough."

Goes back to singing Prince Ali.

Silence.

Tries to warble whistle. Mostly fails.

Silence. Beats the level on his Nintendo game.

Calls, "Hey, what you doing over there?"

As an experiment, I hum a few random high-pitched notes. Russ picks up the humming immediately and turns the humming into a high-pitched version of the Star War's theme.

Begins beat boxing.

Silence.

Rolls tongue loudly.

Whistling...under his breath this time.

Trying to beat box Prince Ali. Loses all track of the tune, and just starts making small explosion noises.

Silence.

Suddenly busts out with, "Cuz Star's gonna love this guy! Cuz it's ME and you see, I am a nice boy!" (To the tune of Prince Ali.)

I start laughing.

He asks what I am doing. When I do not give a clear response, he returns to smacking his lips.

He's right, though. I do love him.

Cruising

My family went on a cruise over Thanksgiving. We had ridiculously fun adventures and ate ridiculous amounts of food. Here are some pictures that kind of sum things up. (Some of these pictures have been graciously provided by my younger siblings.)

Cruising Family Style

The boat

Ready for the Jungle Zipline

In case of emergency, head to the nearest mustard station.
Norman loves to muster.
Foreesto gettin' his groove on at line dancing lessons.

Durd's t-shirt dragon vs the iguana.

Momma and the monkey

Dad braving the jungle and the MOSQUITOES.
(This is about 10 seconds before I ran to hide by the fire pit until the tour was over. 15 mosquito bites in 10 minutes is TOO many!)

I like to ride on boats.

See those black blurs? Those are stingrays. We swam with them, and I got to hold them! However, until my mother gets the underwater camera film developed, this is the best picture we've got.

Foreesto at the iguana farm. Trumpet leaves, anyone?

Stormie with the assist.... The ladder took up too much room. And I can't use my arms very well when laughing.

Food, food, food. I never got hungry after the 2nd morning.

Looking fab on formal night.

He missed a spot...

Fiesta Norman.

Mom and Dad dancing the night away with the help of PASSION. (Passion being the band that we listened to every night on the cruise. They even let Dusty play with them on the last night!)

Totally awesome.
The only thing that would have made this trip better is if Sunshine and company had been along. Next time, Bramwells. Next time!