A Masquerade Ball for Preschoolers

"YOU SHOULD BE SNOW WHITE!"

My Chinese teacher expressed this one day at recess - when all the fun talk among teachers happens.

Apparently she'd already had this planned. Her favorite hobby? Taobao. It's similar to Amazon, but with better prices and often arrives the next day. 

Sara was Tinker Bell. I assumed she was getting a fun wig too. Slacker. 

This is more like an awkward family photo
 than a good capture of us haha

She thought I'd make the perfect Snow White. Later, she showed me the costume she'd already found for me. But I had other ideas...I mean you guys, Snow White goes around cleaning up after SEVEN MEN all day long! Can't these fairytales instill values like teaching men to pick up after themselves!? 

I tried to think of a fairytale that spoke of something quality....Sleeping Beauty. Maybe? But her dress is rather boring, at least as far as princesses are concerned.

Rapunzel?? Now that would be spectacular to wear a crazy long wig! But the prince is praised for rescueing her in that story when, really, couldn't he have been a tad more creative and save her poor scalp for once in her life?!

I wanted a blonde wig. It's all about the hair and the dress. I blame Sara. She got me started on the princess business and I could not stop!

At recess another day I brought up my dilemma to a couple of the teachers. We all agreed I would be perfect for Giselle in Enchanted. I mean, I am TOTALLY her! Unfortunately it's not an entire compliment. She's kind of a big ditz.....

Even so, I was all about it!  When I showed Sara the costume, though, she decided to choose THAT moment to be all practical on me: "You wouldn't be able to move around the classroom in your dress! You'd knock the children over!"  Hmmm, okay okay okay okay okkkkaaaayyyyy.

Then I was talking to a dad after school a few select parents get some inside secrets like - Miss Heather's potential costume choice - super important stuff and said something about Snow White. He was holding his little girl as favorites go, she's in the top five - because yes, I am that teacher and said Snow White is her favorite princess!

Okay, it was settled. Snow White it was! It should be noted that said child did not even make it for our Harvest Party and has since been removed from my top five favorite children. 

It should also be noted: It was a good decision to not have the Enchanted dress. As it was, I was knocking things over with Snow White's dress and more than one child was lost inside my skirt at times....awwwkward.

On second thought, the Enchanted dress may have to be it for next year! I mean, I could hide the crazy kiddos in my dress and provide the much needed personal entertainment to make it through the insane morning!

The party was a success! 

Except nobody clued me in that not ALL of the teachers go all out. Since my co-teacher knew what she wanted me to wear, I thought EVERYONE got super dressed up with wigs and all! Oh well! 

Snow White was a hit. I personally thought the wig did NOTHING for me but no one else seemed to care. I even had two moms push their kids out of the way so they could get a picture with just Snow White. Now....if only they'd do that when I'm not in costume! I'm talking about pushing their kids out of the way and taking charge of their children. Not getting a picture with me; that happens all the time regardless of being decked out in costume.

Speaking of taking charge. Imagine this: a room with twenty Chinese and English speaking three year olds. Their parents and several grandparents, most who spoke little to no English, and the Snow White clad adult trying to portray the sweet-serving-kindess her character exemplifies while trying to gain control. Please read that last phrase through clinched teeth for effect.

In the debrief later that day I suggested microphones for next year.

At one point all the children were being quiet and a good amount of adults were as well, but several women it is ALWAYS us women were being loud chatty Kathy's. I looked purposefully in the opposite direction of the chatty Kathy's and asked for all the adults to be QUIET and finally resorted to looking one grandma in the eye and "shushed" her. Thankfully, her eyes got wide and she zipped it real quick. 

On a side note, one of the kindergarten teachers didn't have a voice that day. Later on our WeChat I saw texts where she was telling the other teachers, "Sorry! I can't control the parents without a voice!" 

Sara's idea was for our activity to be decorating masks. Is everyone catching on that even though I'm the head teacher, I'd be lost without her? She is WONDERFUL!!! 

The only problem is our classroom ran so chaotically efficient that we had a ton of time to kill. Which meant Miss Heather ended up teaching all three classes who came through our room and all their families the "Pumpkin Song". Since our class knew it and we had thirty extra minutes to spare, we gave the parents an all-out musical performance of every last one of our songs. Thus, this week I had to teach more songs so the parents will see new things for Open House next week. I'll be smarter next time and have a back-up activity!

It was the longest 2 hours EVER. About an hour in my face hurt from smiling. Ya'll know what I'm talking about. If you don't, you need to put yourselves in situations where you have to pose for cameras and schmooze people more.

But also, a very fun two hours. I'm thankful for all these pictures Sara and the parents took and sent to me!

Now, my inner child wants it to be dress up day everyday! Thus, I've decided I'm going to just start getting more costumes from Taobao! Sara's totally pumped. I'm going to text her right now and start looking for pilgrim and indian costumes for Thanksgiving!!