End of Level Testing

I think they're testing ME. I think the school has a hidden camera at my house to see how I react when I get notes like this from all 5 teachers, including preschool:

Dear Parents,

We have some fun and exciting activities planned for the end of the year, so mark your calendars!

Monday is our field trip to the gravel pit on the west side of town. Your child will need a sack lunch, (no lunchboxes; everything disposable) a drink with a screw-on lid and a notebook to record his/her feelings in. Please send back the release form yesterday.

Tuesday is our class talent show! Please have your child wear a red shirt, jeans and a bandana. If you have an outside talent like soccer, just whip together a DVD slide show showing you performing your talent.

Wednesday is Teddy Bear Day. All students need to come dressed in their pajamas and bring their favorite teddy bear and a stack of books to read. If you don't send a teddy bear, we'll announce to the class that you don't care about reading.
(Teddy Bear Day is not to be confused with the Piglet Picnic at preschool where you must bring a lunch containing items that begin with the letter P and wear jammies. That's Friday. As any parent knows, I am not making this stuff up!)

Thursday is Character Day. Dress up like your favorite literary character and have a power-point presentation ready to share with the class on your character and the book you chose. Parents are invited. (Oh goodie! There's nothin' like watching 12 boys in soccer uniforms giving a report on Beckham: A Biography and 12 girls in Gunny Sac dresses and calico bonnets talking about Laura Ingalls.)

Friday is field day. We need 500 parent volunteers to stand in the hot sun from 8:00 to 3:00 handing out popsicles. We are sorry, we cannot accomodate preschool children or babies, so leave them home. Thanks! Oh, and don't forget the sunscreen and a yellow hat to show our school spirit!

Nancy in the office at the school probably rolls her eyes every time she sees me running up to the front doors with a guitar stool or a sack lunch or a permission slip or a yellow hat. I even showed up with a friend's son's forgotten swimsuit yesterday. Hey, we're all in this together, right? :) I call the school so often, Nancy now answers with a resigned, "Hi Circe. What do you need?"

"Ummmm...I think I sent Ruby to school in her pajamas instead of a red shirt and a bandana. Can you tell her I'm coming? Thanks. And if you see Golda, tell her I'm bringing her Laura Ingalls costume and her book report, and I'll put her hair in braids when I get there."

"*Sigh* Sure, no problem. Oh, and Ari is still here in the office waiting for you. Did you remember it was early out today?"

No, I didn't remember it was early out because I was too busy digging around in the back of the car for enough food to convince Freestone's preschool teacher that I did not forget his lunch for the Dinosaur Park fieldtrip. I sent him with 5 packs of fruit snacks and half a granola bar. Do you think she bought it?

P. S. We really love our teachers and all the fun things they do. Thank you, teachers! And thanks, Nancy. You know I couldn't do it without you!