2011 :: The Year of the Hare

Seems like we just crossed the hurdle of completing our dinosaur poster. 

And already we've moved on to another monumental school project.

First grade at Big Ridge always celebrates The Chinese New Year.

And the kids {and parents} all decorate masks.

And the entire first grade parades through the halls of the school.

And you best bring your A game or else you kid will be embarrassed. 

We started with a discarded hat-box.

When you have to use a craft-knife you know this isn't a run-of-the-mill school assignment.

I even fashioned a handle for the mask from a Lowe's paint-stirrer.

Also, did I really just say, 'fashioned?'

Points for a three-dimensional mask.

Thomas got the thing painted and all week long we waited for inspiration.
And waited.
We scoured our own craft supplies.
I kept begging Thomas, trying to convince him we needed to hit up Hobby Lobby.
He could have cared less. He was no help.
I finally went on my own.
And got worried after I ran into my friend Ellen, who has older BRE kids.
She's done this before.
And she told me that the parents pull out all of the stops for this gig.
I started sweating the hat-box idea. Bad.
Ellen pulled out a sketch and inspiration board for her son Andrew's project.
Yikes.
I bought a 12 pack of feathers and left.

Here's where I fight an internal dilemma.
This is a first-grader's project. Shouldn't it look like a first-grader did it?
Shouldn't the first-grader actually do the project himself? With parental guidance, of course.
But then I struggle with not wanting my precious first-grader have the ugly project.
Especially when he goes to a high-achieving school.
With high-achieving parents peers.
The project really then moves away from being a learning opportunity.
And it becomes an ostentatious competition. Between the parents, of course.
So you either sit on the side lines or you, too, compete.
Whose project is this anyway?

Today at the school, I spoke with a former high school classmate.
He told me that he and his wife have been working on their daughter's project all week.
And that they probably had invested close to $50 into making this mask.
What? That's crazy.

Why is it that {already} in the first-grade,
making Chinese New Year masks turns into a peeing contest?
So I decided that I'd help with, but not do this project for Thomas.
Mostly with the knife-cutting and hot-gluing.
Parenting is difficult sometimes.

Without further wistful introspection adieu, here is Thomas with his mask.

We had a last minute nose malfunction. We replaced the plastic knife with a toy Rubics Cube.

Parents were invited to stay for the parade first thing after morning drop-off.
As T and I were at the crosswalk, an older student said, "oh, is he studying Indians?"
!@#$%^&*()*&^%$#@#$%
No. This is his Chinese New Year Mask.
Thankfully, inside the confines of his class, Thomas was met with accolades for his work.

Here are some of the others from Mrs. Brantley's class.

Zoe.

Elizabeth.

They used a discarded Sponge Bob pinata.

Jacob.

Dajae.

Samantha.
{after taking her picture}
"Hey Thomas's mom, why are your eyelashes black and your hair yellow?"
Ahhh. First-graders.

Caden's.

Joshua.

Braxton.

Alexandria.

And the Chinese New Year parade is underway.

Trey.

There's Thomas.

See what I mean.
Did someone custom order this?

Jamarie.

Kyle.

Mrs. Brantley's bunch.



What a fun morning.
The entire school lined up in the hallways.
The proud first-graders paraded through the whole school.
Getting cheers and high-fives from their classmates.
We enjoyed ringing in the Year of the Hare.
{But we are secretly glad this mask project is done.}