Adventures in Party Planning: More Storybook Party Prompts

Evidently, the week before Spring Break Week is Field Trip Week (alternate designation: Teachers Who Desperately Need a Break After Standardized Tests Phoning It In Week). Connor and five of his fifth grade classmates (and, I am advised, an equivalent number of students from other campuses) spent Monday at TCU participating in some sort of math scavenger hunt, the details of which are being rationed out by the too-cool-for-field-trips-and-pretty-much-everything-else fifth grader. (What I know: the university treated them to hamburgers, and Super Frog ate lunch with them. Exactly HOW a guy in a mascot costume eats lunch, I have no idea. That information has not been rationed out yet. "So he took off his mascot costume?" "No." "Just the head?" "No." "But he ate with you?" "Yup." "HOW, exactly?" "Never mind, I'll explain later.")

Tuesday, the fifth grade made its annual pilgrimage to Camp Carter. The Camp Carter trip is a VERY. BIG. DEAL. They leave at 9 am, return after 5, and spend all of the time in between doing team-building, camp-y stuff - ropes courses, etc., etc. It is no exaggeration to say that Connor has been waiting for the Camp Carter trip since, at least, first grade. And, near as we can tell, it lived up to the hype. I think. He's still rationing.

The kindergarteners also got in on the field trip action, and Wednesdsay found Parker's class at Will Rogers Auditorium for Imagination Celebration's musical production, "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie & Other Story Books." Parker was super-psyched about "the Mouse play," because dear, sweet, indulgent Ms. Sylvester consented to let him bring to school his plush version of the mouse from the book. Between Monday night and Wednesday morning, we read "Mouse" several times in preparation for "Mouse Day."

And if you make your mom read "Mouse" to you several times, she'll probably be reminded of two cool mouse tables at Reading Rocks:

The papier mache mouse was the centerpiece of an "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" table, and the image on the left is of a table inspired by the sequel, "If You Take a Mouse to School."  Love the overalls in the middle, and the books covered with bright primary-colored construction paper couldn't be easier.

Interpretations of two other beloved storybooks - "The Giving Tree" and "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" - are below. In the picture on the right, you can see one of the mouse chair covers that were part of the school-themed mouse table.

Found this Chicka cake (by Cakes by Alana) on the Web:

Cute.  Also bringing the cuteness:  this "Cookie Mouse" cake uploaded to Cake Central by AJ8cake.

The cake is covered in marshmallow fondant, the mouse is made of modeling paste, and the glass of milk is poured sugar filled with vanilla frosting. Translation: this is not a cake for a beginner! (In my dreams, I can decorate cakes like this . . . but only in my dreams.)

I'll be trickling out other ideas from Reading Rocks over the next few weeks. I'm quite good at rationing information, having learned from the eleven year-old master . . . .