Everyone loves a parade...

Especially when you’re in it.

And last Friday Jacob “drove” his car in the Rummel Creek Elementary Pre-K Art Car Parade. A very big deal around these parts - especially for the 5 and under crowd.

The parents kids design and decorate these cars and then the children “drive” along the parade route. You’d be amazed at some of the cars…ours had working headlights (my dads idea) but one girl even had a working horn. Pretty slick.

But here is the problem. Bill and I don’t really do projects. Like ever. We have enough trouble keeping up with regular homework for the older kids! So, when the notice came home to design an art car … well let’s just say we didn’t exactly do the happy dance.

Part of the fear factor was that when Brittany had this same “assignment” six years ago, both of her grandfathers helped with the design and construction of the car. Mind you, my dad has never met a home repair project he couldn’t fix. Bill’s dad practically built his house with his own two hands. Suffice it to say, the art car project was a piece of cake for them.

And Brittany’s car was pretty tricked out. It too had the working head lights, a wicker paper plate holder for the steering wheel that really turned … and was a rosy pink color. It was very cute.

And two years later when Savannah needed a car? Not a problem. We just pulled that puppy out of the attic and off she went. I will say that I do feel some maternal guilt about her not having her own car. And I feel quite sure I’ll hear about her being the “third child who always had hand-be-downs” when she’s older. But sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do, youknowwhatImean?

This year though was different. The pink car had “gone to live on a farm where it would be happy”, both grandfathers were hundreds of miles away, and so Bill and I were left to fend for ourselves.

And so I told Bill he was in charge. You know, like a father/son project.

And I must say, those two rose to the challenge! I do have to give credit where credit is due. That father/son combo pulled off a pretty impressive car, if I do say so myself.

They found and painted a box and then added LOTS of detailing. They worked really hard. Until 10:30 the night before it was due (more mother guilt here for not insisting that Jacob go to bed earlier). That however did not compare with the guilt I felt for accidentally forgetting to tell Bill that the teacher had sent home directions for how to build the car, attach carry ropes, etc. until he had finished the car (about midnight or so). This was clearly an oversight on my part. One for which I am truly sorry.

And even though he was tired, Jacob was all set for the big parade.

And I do believe in my heart that he was not making fun of someone else’s road hog here:

But rather, showing off the awesome fire coming out of his exhaust pipe! You should know, the fire was my contribution and I thought the tri-color flames were genius.

Bill thought it looked like a birthday party bag.

And should he need, in kindergarten, a rocket ship…I think his car could serve that purpose as well! Just point towards the sky and yell “Blast off” and we’re good. I mean do those look like rocket boosters, or what?!?

And for those of you that read about our trip to Savannah last month, you know how much Bill loved his GPS. Said no car should be without it.

Including the art car:

That little box you see next to the steering wheel? That’s a GPS baby. You know, in case you get lost in the 3rd grade wing or something.

So all in all it turned out really well.

And after school that day in Savannahs backpack? A notice about the 2nd grade project being a 3 dimensional bird that can stand. To be displayed in the library - again for all the world to see.

And Savannah announced that she had picked the macaroni penguin.

And I myself had never heard of a macaroni penguin.

But Bill put me in charge.

Said something about it being the perfect mother/daughter project.

I’ll let you know how it turns out.