Fresh off the heels of what is the most excruciating exciting week of school, I feel mentally and physically exhausted. Maybe I am in the minority, but Spirit Week brings a whole new level to my perfectionist parenting, not to mention what it does to my indecisive 6-year-old. 
Monday was Pajama Day, and I have to say, I agree with the placement. Who wants to wake up on a Monday and whip out some extravagant outfit? We’ll save that for the rest of week. Just roll out of bed and go to school kiddo! Change your underpants first!
Bring on Elderly Day. It’s a blast to dress your kid like an old man or woman, in a bow tie or an ugly skirt and pearls. But when I didn’t pick up a “walking stick,” (a.k.a cane) for my miniature senior citizen and she realized it at 9pm the night before, I became the worst mom ever. No amount of gray hairspray would redeem me. I even offered to send her to school with a pureed lunch or her favorite, liver and onions. No-go! She wasn’t happy until the next morning when after an hour of hair and makeup (there is not enough coffee on the planet), the outfit came together. Even without the “walking stick,” she looked old and tired and so did I.
Next up, Wacky Wednesday. This one is easy. Mismatched clothes, two different shoes, a crazy hairdo, and you’ve got yourself a winner. Except if you’re me. I am known to be super anal and it gives me anxiety to let my kid walk out of the house looking like she dressed herself. I wanted so badly to coordinate the stripes and polka dots, so at least they’d be the same color! But I was boldly reminded, “that’s not the point, Mom.” Right. It’s Wacky Wednesday after all, and she was supposed to look…well, wacky. So I had to set my issues aside to make this one work. So armed with bobby pins, pipe cleaners, a bazillion tiny elastics and a little pain, we created a wacky hairstyle to go with her self-chosen wacky outfit and my child left the house smiling. Success! 
Thursday, Career Day! Thankfully my youngest is not in elementary school yet, otherwise, I’d be coming up with a “horse rider person” costume or a “bus driver” uniform. I don’t even know where I’d begin with those! Fingers crossed that by the time she’s in kindergarten, career day gets the boot. But when I asked my first grader what she wanted to be, she happily answered a doctor. Phew! This is where my husband’s brief interest in a career as an EMT paid off. We have all the props! Stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, first aid kit–perfect! And thank goodness because by now, it’s Thursday and I am OVER Spirit Week. Cut to Wednesday at 6pm when she decided to be a chef! Thankfully, we had that covered too! Somewhere in my house I know there is a child-sized apron with a coordinating chef hat. I have no idea what these kids were doing the last time this was worn. But it was found and it took longer to wash it than it did to locate it. Toss in a wooden spoon, with a stern warning about not hitting anyone with it, and DONE and DONE.
Last, but not least, Friday! This one was more of a free for all and I want to thank the PTO powers that be for making it so. Each class chose a theme. There were superheroes, sports fans, and her class theme, bright crazy colors! Yay! Capping the week off with a flashy Virginia Beach tie-dye and a rainbow JoJo Bow (can’t forget the bow) made this mama shout TGIF! Is it too early for a mimosa?!! 
In retrospect, the whole thing really is fun. She’s little; she wants and needs my help to participate. Someday, she’ll just come down the stairs with her wacky Wednesday hair and outfit already done. Or maybe someday she’ll be “too cool” for such events — a moment in time I am really not looking forward to.
As an indecisive person, things like “Spirit Week” can be frustrating and challenging. And it’s obvious the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Maybe I just put too much pressure on myself. Maybe when my daughter sees me struggle to make her perfect old lady bun well…perfect, it teaches her more than I realize. Moving on, I want to show her some things are not worth agonizing over. Those little eyes are always watching! Fun should be “fun” — a lesson I need to learn myself. And I better learn it quickly, because Reading Week is coming…. does anyone have some funky socks I can borrow?
