Boo Ball and the Pumpkin that Went to Preschool

There has been a frenzy of costume preparation around here, and I was thrilled that it actually worked out that all the costumes were finished by the preschool Boo Ball, which was last night.  I wasn’t sure I was going to pull off all that sewing, even though it could be extremely sloppy sewing.  Just when I’d get on a roll, the thread would break.  The needle would break.  I would sew two parts of the costume together that I didn’t intend to sew together.  But we made it!

On Wednesday morning there was a costume parade at The Banana’s preschool.  She was very excited, of course.  That was also the morning that she could bring in a pumpkin to display at the Boo Ball.  Because of all the costume sewing and music classes and piano lessons and my need for a bit of sleep somewhere in there, I planned on completing the pumpkin with her once the big kidlets got on the school bus, before we had to leave for preschool.  The Banana had the terrific idea of putting a carrot nose on her pumpkin, and I had plans to hot glue the carrot to the pumpkin, along with hot gluing on some eyes and hair an other things like that.  It turns out that it’s not easy to hot glue carrots to pumpkins.  After many trials I called Dr. Peds at work in a panic.  He didn’t think super glue would work either.  He suggested nails.  I didn’t want to try nails.

I convinced my sad little one that maybe we could quick carve the pumpkin. (At this point there was 15 minutes left before we needed to start getting coats and shoes on to drive to preschool.)  She reluctantly agreed.  I felt terrible.  She suggested that we carve an H on the pumpkin.  I did.  Then we decided we had just enough time to carve a quick face on the other side.  I got the triangle eyes done, and I had the terrific idea of maybe carving a carrot-sized hole to stick the nose in, and it worked!  Glory day! We were back in business.  We sliced out a happy mouth and made a run for the car.  On the way the pumpkin rolled over when I drove over a bump, but the carrot miraculously did not break.  Hooray.

Last night’s Boo Ball was terrific.  For the first time in the last 2 years, I had kidlets who didn’t wimp out on participating when we arrived.  The Banana was a whirling, dancing maniac, and YaYa even let her hair down and had a great time as well.  Mr. SP found some of his first grade buddies, all of whom were too cool for dancing, but had a wonderful time slithering around back by the food table and stuffing their mouths the whole night.  And Mr. Trouble on Two Feet?  My commotion loving wonder?  I had visions of him hanging out with me, visions of me holding him and bee-bopping to the music.  But he was off, all over the place!  He loved the dance floor!  He loved the lights, the loud music, and the crazy moving bodies bouncing and spinning around him.  He loved running over to The Banana and YaYa and giving them hugs, back to me for a hug and wet kiss, and then he was off and back into the thick of things.  Miraculously I only lost track of him one time, but his biggest sister located and rescued him.

I tried to take a picture of the Boo Ball, but it was just too dark, and the dancing lights just too unpredictable.

We drove home after the BooBall.  I was a little sad realizing that we won’t be able to go again until Mr. Trouble on Feet is enrolled in preschool!  However, I didn’t have much time to somberly reflect, because upon arriving home, Mr. SP ran upstairs to go to the bathroom.  In his haste he forgot to remove the glove from his costume.  He peed on the glove, which caused the stream of urine to ricochet and dissolve into a fine pee-mist that covered EVERYTHING in the bathroom (think rug, shower curtain, cabinet, toilet, sink and the entire floor).  Then we had an emotional crisis because knowing that I would not approve of a pee-soaked costume glove, he tried to hide it in his room.  I suggested we wash it.  He was sure that would ruin it.  And he was NOT thrilled about the fact that I told him he needed to help clean up the mess.  And his sisters were not thrilled that the family bathroom was out of commission at bedtime.  Thankfully Dr. Peds was home from the hospital and could run interference through all the drama.