Homework assignments. Are they more for parents or the kids? Are these teachers demented or just torturing us because they spend 5 hours a day with our kids? Will other kids learn history better because my 10 yo son wears a buckskin trousers? I don't think so, but I digress...
Nick arrived home last week with the announcement that he needs to be transformed into 16th century explorer, Louis Joulliet (travelled the Mississippi River in a canoe exploring for a trade route to China for the spice/silk road - now you know as much as we do) for a wax museum/report for social studies, but he doesn't know when it is. I didn't even know who Joulliet was until we had to get 3 report resources, but that was the task for LAST week.
First stop, mom uttering expletives against the teacher who assigned this task, second stop - the thrift store circuit. After 3 stores and lots of possibilities, including a$25 fake leather Western style jacket with tons of fringe, we ended up with a suede vest, sheepskin lined (all synthetic) for $3.00, some tan velour ladies stretch pants or $3.00 , a thermal top and our piece de resistance for $7.00, killer Eskimo mucklucks with fur and lacings in a mens' size 10. So he looks a little like a Neanderthal clown. Two hours of sewing work at home adding rustic-looking fringe to the top and pants sideseams, they look amazingly like buckskins and even more important Nick is pleased with the result.
What did our moms do without thrift stores and eBay? While I was busy channeling my grandmother and mother-in-law who each were "da bomb" at wacky school assignments, scout activities and costume production. If I had anything my mom couldn't handle, she would send me to my grandmother's house to complete the job. Gigi and I had a great time making diorama book reports, cooking native dishes and finding costumes for all sorts of events. She even rented me a white wig from a costume store to be Dolly Madison in one of mom's old prom dresses and such. She kept lots of my mom's dressy stuff and square dancing costumes to be reprised for use by the next generation.
Thrift stores in my youth were VERY scary places only the marginalized of society went to for purchases. In my 20s and 30s, I was a Goodwill groupie and Value Village vixen - that was my clothes horse stage when found I could afford a lot more on my meager paychecks there than even Ross. Then the pall was removed from Value Village when they became a franchise store and the prices rose with it. Gone were the days of finding a Jones New York outfit for $5 or a black velvet dress for new Years for $15. But by then I was looking for "mom clothes" that would be tragic to have ruined with "kid liquids".
The bidding starts at $50 for the first 4th grade parent with the foresight to call me in preparation for next year. Or maybe I'll start the "save it for the next generation" box...
Peace and Blessings ;-P
Michelle
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2 comments:
I love blogs!! My daughter is doing a biography on Saint Bernadette for school, we get to look for an outfit also, good times!!
Is there an ethical question around assigning such projects while the economy is slumping? Even with your second hand fines that was not a cheep project. What about the families who are struggling to make ends-meat and simply don’t have funds for school projects requiring supplies outside the school? Cut into their food budget or send Timmy to school in a costumed made of brown construction paper, to receive a low grade for lack of effort when lack of funds is the problem (as you pointed out this is a project for the patents more than for the children), to then be mocked by the rest of the class for having a stupid costume and for being poor? – Hum.
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