Stock
Yesterday was Cowboy Day at my boys’ school, in honor of the National Western Stock Show, which has been held in Denver for over a century. If you aren’t from the west, you might hear the words “stock show” and picture shares of Apple and Google framed for cooing admiration.
“Stock” is actually an all-encompasing word which means large groups of future dinners housed in one dome-stadium-sized barn full of hay and poop and Wrangler jeans. People and animals come from all over the U.S. to show their prize steers, lambs, chickens, and belt buckles. There are rodeos. There are auctions. There are cowboys and cowgirls. Hee haw!
I forgot yesterday was Cowboy Day. When I dropped Tommy at afternoon Kindergarten, we noticed most of the other kids wearing cowboy hats and other western wear—some quite Liberacian in their flash. The teacher was wearing jeans, a denim shirt, a denim vest, a bandana tied around her neck, a hat, and boots.
Tommy was grief-stricken: “I forgot!” he wailed. No, buddy, I forgot. I apologized. His teacher assured him it was okay. I told him he could be the cow. Somebody has to be the cow. That perked him up.
When I was in Kindergarten, we lived in Denver. Cowboy Day was huge. Each kid had to bring in a broomstick and an old black or brown sock. We fashioned horses by stuffing the sock and pasting felt eyes, ears, and a mouth onto the fabric. Then we put the broomstick in the open end of the sock, which the teacher taped to the broom handle. We cut vests out of brown paper grocery bags. We also made hats. We copied the various symbols ranchers use on their branding irons onto white cotton triangles. Those became our kerchiefs, which were tied around our necks for bank-and-train-robbin’ disguises.
Then, it was show time. The entire Jelly-Smeared Posse galloped through every class in the school. It was a good time. What I don’t get, as a mom, is how all the kids in my class happened to have spare broomsticks lying around their houses? My mom found one for me to take, no problem. I think if Tommy came home telling me he had to bring a broomstick to school, I’d have to go to the store to buy a new broom. I wouldn’t have a brown paper bag for him to take, either. And old socks get tossed. If one is missing, I don’t think to keep the other in case a child needs a horse head for a school project.
Cowboy Day 2008 was low-maintanance, yet a little too much for me.
Have you forgotten an important or fun day at school?
Wow, cowboy day sounds like a lot of fun. I hope Tommy was ok with being the cow.
I love kindergarten. You get to do the best stuff there.
Our Cowboy Day is called Go Texan Day and will happen in a couple of weeks when the trailriders parade into town for the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. Yee-haw! Thanks for the reminder to look for the boys’ cowboy hats!
I have had several close calls with school events like this. Thankfully, each time I’ve had enough time to drop the child off, go home and get the needed supplies/outfit, return to school and get them ready.
I know that sinking feeling in your heart when you realize what has happened. I hope Tommy had a fun day anyway!
Oh, how sad for him. It’s a good thing they needed a cow =)
I forgot about hat day, pajama day, and twin day this year but my daughter didn’t really seem to care (Even when I offered to run home and get her pajamas for her).
Oh how sad fo him! A mother can never win, can they? I forget stuff all the time, but most recently? My kids lunch on sack lunch day. I felt HORRIBLE, but it’s not like they starved or anything. It all worked out on the end….
I’ve lost track of how many I’ve forgotten. I think there are even some that I didn’t ever find out that I forgot.
Jelly-Smeared Posse. HA!
I not only forgot picture day, but I got the date of the Halloween party screwed up and sent him to school dressed as a pirate the week before party. I’m not so good at this part of mothering.
Every Monday at preschool is “share day.” I think J has actually arrived with a share item 5 times, and she’s been going for over a year. I feel like Monday is a terrible day for sharing because it gives parents and kids the entire weekend to forget.
I’ve never participated in Cowboy Day. Maybe when my boy is ready for Kindergarten, I’ll take him to the Grizzly Rose to ride the mechanical bull. That’s the way to prepare for riding a broomstick horse, right?
http://www.imaginarybinky.com
I forgot about Wacky Day at Becca’s school last Tuesday! She handled it ok. (she’s 3)
I’m sorry you forgot. I am constantly doing this…..forgetting library books, etc. WHich is a big deal for Brandon (6 year old)
JoAnn
levied?warranties acquisitiveness:conductive excerpt expanders snappers
pullover Downing looser honorarium Alexei absorptive statements councilwoman understandably