Wednesday, December 19, 2018

The Home Stretch


Last night we attended the FFA fundraiser. This is really the school Christmas program, but the FFA (Future Farmers of America) also has an auction for a fundraiser. So the elementary kids do their entertainment in the form of recited poems, songs, and dances; then the FFA serves a free ham dinner to everyone (that they previously cooked themselves); and then there's an auction of a lot of (really nice) donated items*.

As the mother of not just one but three elementary students, I got to feel the glow of maternal pride for Jack's snowman song; Charlie's Christmas poem; and Cubby's role as narrator of a short Christmas play written by his classmate, his swing dance with another classmate to "Jingle Bell Rock," and his very long recitation of another Christmas poem.

Cubby had a lot of roles in this extravaganza. That happens when just 11 kids--that is, the entire K-6th grades--are carrying the majority of the entertainment load. Good thing he's a natural-born performer.

Anyway. I failed to bring my phone (AGAIN) and so do not have a single photo of any of this excitement (AGAIN).

But I do have a picture of the cookies I donated for the senior citizens' bags that were handed out after the performance.


108 chocolate chip, 52 oatmeal raisin, and I can only hope everyone is happy with what they get because I have learned that people have OPINIONS regarding cookies.

Because of that event last night, we're having Jack's birthday dinner and cake tonight. I already brought his cupcakes to school on Monday--Grandma Bishop's chocolate cake cupcakes with M&Ms on top, because that is what I always make for school cupcakes. I brought them Monday because he has his class Christmas party this afternoon, which I will also be there for.

Today I'm baking bread for teacher gifts. As soon as the dough is out of the big pot I mix it in, I'll start another batch for neighbor gifts.

I'm also baking yet another chocolate cake for Jack's delayed party tonight. I'm well on my way to having Grandma Bishop's chocolate cake recipe memorized.

Tomorrow I'm providing bacon and cream cheese tortilla pinwheels for Charlie and Cubby's class Christmas party, and also going to the school for a meeting.

And then the older boys will get off the bus at our house at 2:15 p.m., at which point I will crawl into bed and declare myself done for the rest of the holiday season.

Just kidding. We have to drive like two hundred miles on Friday to pick up our boxes of beef at the butcher (yay!) and the Honda from the mechanic (yay!), so I guess I can't take to my bed. I'm definitely going to stop baking for awhile, though.

* This was a real auction with an auctioneer, not a silent auction. DEFINITELY not a silent auction. I've never attended an auction before, and holy hell, they are LOUD. Kind of fun, but we had to leave shortly after the auction started due to the baby starting to turn into a pumpkin, so I don't know how much the mesquite bowl my dad donated for the event went for. Based on the fact that a pan of homemade cinnamon rolls went for FIFTY DOLLARS, I'm guessing the bowl went for a lot. Also based on the awestruck reactions to the artistry of the bowl by the office staff when I dropped it off, and the FFA coordinator when she saw it. Good job, Dad. 

5 comments:

  1. Did you get any pictures of the bowl before it went for auction? You've showed us some of his work before, so I can just imagine. And have you heard yet what it went for?

    I remember the school at Blackrock was pretty small, it sounds like this one is even smaller?

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  2. Yes, way to go K's dad! I see where she gets her superhero powers from and her mom too.

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  3. So wonderful your kids participating in the FFA fundraiser/Christmas program.
    The cookies look yummy! I'm sure the seniors receiving these will greatly appreciate them, whether they are oatmeal chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin.
    You really are a crazy baker lately. The bread to the teachers is such a great gift, as most folks don't bake bread (or have the time) anymore.
    Linda

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  4. Drew: I didn't get any pictures of it, no. It was mesquite, with some fire marks on it that he had turned into it so there were some openings in the side. It was very dramatic. I talked to the lady today who bought it, and she actually had a picture of it on her phone that she was showing people, but I didn't ask her how much she paid for it. That seemed a bit crass. :-)

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  5. And yes, this school is about as small as the K-8 private school Cubby went to in kindergarten near Blackrock, except this is a public school and it has only 32 students in pre-K-12th grade.

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