School Carnival

I'm really behind....sorry, please forgive my laziness. I'm going to try to catch up today, or in the next few days. Lets not get too hopeful now :P

Not last Saturday, like in 2 days ago, but the Saturday before that (04/25/2009), we went to the schools' annual carnival.

The PTO puts this on for the kids. It is to reward them for all their hardwork all school year. It isn't so much of a fundraiser for the school, although they usually do pull a profit. They had a new organizer this year so perhaps they allowed some of the monies to be given to the school - the economy is kicking butt and leaving our school so full of cutbacks I want to cry. I always felt our school was one of the more stable ones in the area, but this year is really testing that.

Anyhoo - back to the story. The carnival is run by volunteers. They have volunteers working the booths, the rides (inflatable jumpy things and slides), the prize shop, and the concessions (water bottles, capri suns, rented popcorn and cotton candy machines, and pizza). They work in shifts, there are three 1-hour shifts. The volunteers are the parents, grandparents, teachers, and even older siblings - the teenagers actually appear to be having a good time too! Tickets are 5 for $1 and unlimited bracelets are $10 if bought in the presale. At the door, tickets are 4 for $1 and unlimited bracelets are $12. Each game booth is 1 ticket and each ride is 4 tickets. Concessions are real money.

My first hour was the leaping frog booth. The kids use one ticket (or their unlimited bracelet) and make little plastic frogs jump trying to get them on a lily pad and then they get fake money as a prize. Everyone gets at least $1 from every game. The fake money can then be traded in for prizes.

My second hour was at this slide - you only allow so many kids at once, they have to slide, no jumping, no sliding into a pile at the bottom, no shoes, etc.

Unfortunately, unlike years past, Oregon wasn't cooperating and giving us sunny, nice, spring weather for the carnival and it rained off and on so the slides got a bit wet. I had to kick a couple kids off because they were so soaked they were shivering. I'm sure they just headed to one of the other slides though. Thankfully I had an umbrella so I stayed relatively dry.

Shoes are not allowed on the slides and Carus was running around barefoot - Adam, however, was running around in socks, which I found crusted into muddy balls 2 days later at the bottom of the hamper. EW! Boys!
The 3rd hour I spent hanging out with the kids, trying to help them win as much play money as possible. They combine it together, split it in half, and both make off with some good prizes.

At the end of the carnival, we stuck around to help clean up - well I helped, the kids mostly just ran around with the other kids with parents cleaning up.

Man, Adam is getting tall! And poor Carus might be cursed with my height. Eh, who am I kidding they are both going to be taller than me. Adam probably by the end of this summer, if not sooner. They grow up to fast *sniff*

Gramma Barbara came with us and hung out for a bit trying to keep up with Carus. When she gets excited, she runs around like crazy. Carus that is, not gramma. I think Adam slipped away real sneaky-like in 2 seconds. They're both real good at that. And she got a few pictures and then took off before it got too crazy. Thanks for coming gramma!

We parked down the street from the school since the parking lot is always a pain during school events - so as we walked back to the car - and then back to the school because Carus forgot the backpack she got with her winnings - and then back to the car again, we got a few pictures. And then I had some fun editing them at http://www.picnik.com/. There are a few more pictures on Flickr. This one above is my favorite of us three.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this one. And I have it in many different edits. My current favorite picture of them. Can't believe I got it! Oh, and it was Carus's idea for the pose. Seriously she could be a model, she loves setting up poses.

I can't wait for next years' carnival. It will be Adam's last carnival as a student of the school - maybe time for him to start volunteering a shift or two? Crap, now I'm crying 'cause my baby's almost a 5th grader.