Our Small World is Getting Bigger

Last night the kids had their closing program at school. Mrs. Barillier's class did a number called "It's a Small World" in which each of the children dressed up as a different country and said hello to the audience in their country's language. My Hawaiian fans (I'm talking to you, mom) should note that Hawaii was included as a different country. I thought about making a scene, but then decided against it. For the sake of the children. Years from now when they claim I don't love or care about them I will bring up this very incident as proof of my love for them.
But I digress. Jack was Germany, with a cute little leiderhosen costume, complete with hat. But not complete with shoes. I thought a pair of hiking boots would look good, but alas he has outgrown the pair he has. Then it hit me - Sandals! With socks! Nothing says GERMAN like sandals with socks. Am I right? When it was his turn he marched to the center of the stage and bellowed "Guten! Morgen!" like the good little Aryan boy he is.

Ava was Ireland, and wore a white dress with green polka dots and a big green shamrock, with a green frock coat over it. The best part of the costume though was the beribboned yellow daisy headdress. Again, we weren't sure what to do about shoes, but then I remembered that last St. Patrick's day Auntie had bought them all Leprechaun socks, so we put those on her and let her go shoeless. Perfect. She skipped across the stage and sang "Magen Go Brach!", which I think was supposed to be Irish (Gaelic) for "hello", although I think "hello" is actually "dia dhuit" in Gaelic. But what do I know?

Cathryn was France, and the costume they sent home consisted of a purple knitted tam, which I'm guessing was supposed to be a beret, and a painter's smock. Yeah.....NO. I riffled through her closet and found a navy-and-white striped shirt, a ruby pleated school-girl skirt with suspenders, blue knee socks, and this time we actually had some appropriate shoes - blue leather t-straps. I splurged on a real beret ($6.50 on Amazon!) and her costume was complete. Et Voila! She pranced out to the middle of the stage, put her fingers in her mouth and whispered "Bonjour?".



Other countries represented were Italy, Mexico, Japan, America, and of course, Hawaii. But let's not start that again.

Afterward we all went out for frozen yogurt, and about half the class showed up - INSTANT PARTY! The kids all sat at a single table and chattered away while the parents took advantage of the relative quiet to eat our yogurt in peace. A lovely end to a lovely day.