A while back I volunteered to organize a dance at Bug’s school. Why I’m on the PTA in the first place is a good question but you know the answer to that. It’s because I’m a fool!  I never meant to be politically involved in school matters, I just wanted to help out with graphics and stuff. What can I say? I love a good makeover and Bug’s school was badly needing in the graphics department. Next thing I knew, I had a title and I have to show up to meetings every month.

It’s okay though. It’s actually pretty fun.  I mean, how could I possibly turn down planning a 50’s-themed sock hop? What a dream job!

First thing I did was break out the mettaprints. It’s good to work for a cardboard company because I can design anything I want for half the price. I wanted to make hearts and records out of cardboard and then hang them like dangly decorations. This would have taken forever if I did it by hand so having mettaprints do all the cardboad cutting saved me a TON of time.  I could have had them print the records and hearts too but that took away from the homemade feeling and would have substantially cost more.

So I painted them myself with help from another PTA mom. (Thanks Maria!!) We had a ton of fun.

I think the fact that I never got to go to school dances when I was a kid probably influenced my level of involvement on this. I had big prom-sized dreams.

I know, it’s just an elementary school dance but those dreams paid off! How cool do these dangling decorations look all hung up in the multipurpose room at school? It’s like the movie, Carrie. But without pigs blood.  Yes, painting all those hearts and records took two days and many messes and I had to tie them all together with little bits of red yarn while I watched Bug play soccer (I’m sure the other parents thought I was nuts.) but it was worth it!

When I looked out over the kids dancing to Chuck Berry, it felt like I was back in time.

Everyone had a lot of fun.

Even Elvis showed up!!  It was really hard to talk one of the dads into dressing up but Maria’s husband saved the day at the eleventh hour and he was soooooo good! Our Elvis could dance! 

Then everybody rushed him for photos. Even the principal!

So that’s how I contribute to the PTA. I might not be solving any big core curriculum problems or balancing budgets but I am making things more photogenic!