And here is the last entry in the saga which has become, “The Year I Coached Sara’s Class through the Jog-A-Thon, and not Kelly’s”.  After the much-bally-hoo’d “party” I threw for Kelly’s class (seriously, throw big lawn and leaf bags of balloons over the top of 4 years olds while they are dancing to music and give them a miniature trophy…it’s 100% foolproof), I was informed I would be coordinating the “party” for Sara’s Class as well.  What?

To be fair, Kelly’s party was my own doing.  No one ASKED me to do anything at all.  Because when was the last time I had to be ASKED to volunteer?  I do it as a reflex.  I blink and volunteer.  It’s my process. So it felt very fair that I should be in charge of Sara’s class, as their Coach. After asking around a bit for advice I discovered that year’s past had involved ice cream bars and…well, you know, ice cream bars.  I tried to explain to the PTA that ice cream bars are more of a “gesture” and less of a “party”, but with a reputation of over-the-top-ed-ness, I was informed a concert by Bon Jovi and a workshop given by the team at Cirque Du Soleil was RIGHT OUT.  Which is a shame, because Bon Jovi is the ice cream bar of the entire Rock N Roll genre. Everyone knows this.

After conferring with the teachers, we all agreed Dilly Bars on the playground is indeed, a party.  And on the planned day, I headed to school with a wagon full of ice, filled with Dilly Bars and back up popsicles, decorated with balloons and huge banner hot-glued to yard sticks that read, “CHAMPS!”  It was a great plan.  Until I got stuck behind a huge funeral procession, making me quite late.  And found the playground gate to be locked, requiring a time-consuming route through the middle school.  Arriving on the windy playground with my balloons now fully in knots, and my banner refusing to stand up as they had done so neatly in my garage run through.  WHAT?!  You don’t do practice runs for you Dilly Bar Playground Parties?!  Don’t waste your time.  They don’t help.

All of the popsicles were gone by the time we got to the ONE girl who is lactose intolerant.  We even ran out of Cherry Dilly Bars, which I thought no one would take.  Thank God my little non-dairy pal packs pills, so she was able to enjoy a chocolate-y treat.  One of the First Grade Assistants was nice enough to hold up the sign while the balloons whipped at her head in the wind.  And then I made the entire class late for Computer Class.

But all was not lost: I remembered the jumbo pack of wipes.  I think that one Hail Mary move saved the day.  That, and the fact that 7 year olds LOVE, LOVE, LOVE surprise Dilly Bar parties. I’ve never seen 40 kids gobble down Dairy Queen so quickly.  Either that, or they just really love Computer Class.

I gave this event my best.  I enjoyed the entire process: every last stamp, email, phone call, and lap around the track.  A great school is a treasure and should be celebrated with copious amounts of School Spirit.  And Dilly Bars.  Tell me your favorite story of school spirit!