Fifth Annual Back To School Party

A week ago we held our fifth annual Back To School Party. By “we” I mean Becky. It was all her idea. I just mow the grass, carry heavy things and paint a little.

The party started the way most afternoons start for us – with some lawn chairs.

The party is for the kids but there are perks for the adults – mostly the moms who get to sit and eat and talk while Becky entertains their children. For free! (I know, she’s a saint.)

There was one small “interruption” to mom time.

Her name is Mahi.

She’s a little friend of ours from church who, I learned, likes to tell big people what to do. Or at least the ones she knows will obey.

And, really, who’s not gonna obey that face?

The Guessing Game is the big hit at these parties. Becky fills containers with junk of which conscientious parents would never give their kids an entire container full.

And she has them guess how much of that particular junk is in the container. This year I think she filled jars and whatnot with…let’s see…Hot Tomales, Gummy Worms….Crack, Crystal Meth…Oh, I don’t remember exactly, but the kids loved it.

Any game that involves whispering a secret is a hit with tween girls for some reason. Just sayin’.

I don’t even know who these kids are. I just pulled them off the street and stuck them in a hammock and said, “Look cute or you don’t get your shoes back.”

“I mean it.”

And they still weren’t being blog-worthy cute so I bribed them.

“OK, I’l let you put as much frosting as you want on a cookie. With sprinkles. And eat it. And do it again. And again.”

That worked.

Once the kids were sugared up and full of pizza, Becky made them run.

And run.

And there was more running.

Then pictures.

Just like prom…but without the cumber-buns and Richard Marx tunes. And also cardboard was involved.

I know this is a shock – I was as surprised as you soon will be – but some of my friends don’t know how to rock. At all. They listen to Clay Aiken and drive mini vans…and like it.

My wife rocks, however.

As do my friends Doug (a professional songwriter guy) and Brian (looks like that guy in Selah, which I realize is soft soft rock, but still.)

And that was our fifth back to school party.

You should move here before next August.