Sometimes You Just Have to Laugh

Dusty Embree

As teachers and parents we try to make day-to-day activities and life events a little extra special—memorable, even. 

We make heart-shaped pancakes on Valentine’s Day. 

We put green food coloring in the toilet on St. Patrick’s Day.

We have a tooth necklace we give kids when they lose a tooth.

We sing songs to commemorate all types of activities.

Everyone has their own traditions or activities they do to make certain days or events special.

Well, a few years ago I started something to make my kids’ last day of school special. When I picked them up, I sprayed them with Silly String while blowing a party horn. They thought it was fun and talked about it a lot, and I realized that it was something I had to do every last day from then on. I had inadvertently created a tradition.

So, this year about half an hour before school let out, I realized I hadn’t bought the Silly String yet. Oh no! So, I ran to the store, grabbed four cans in different colors, and made my purchase, getting to the middle school just in time to meet my two oldest kids. I pulled it off. I sprayed them, they smiled, and we all had a great laugh. YAY for me. I did it—I made it special.

We then headed to the elementary school to pick up my second grader. I handed the big kids each a can of Silly String and said, “Let’s all go spray him!” We parked, hopped out of the car, ran over to him, and started to spray. Then I heard my eighth grader, Griffin, say, “Mom, you gave me spray paint! I just painted Camden!”

“What?” I looked at my son and saw his arm covered in red paint, and started laughing. What had happened? I looked at the can of red “Silly String” and realized it was red hair spray. The can of hair spray must have gotten put away with the Silly String accidentally in the store. When I laughed, everyone laughed. Camden’s teacher came over, and she was laughing too. I sent this picture to my sister, and she laughed about it for days. (We thought you might get a laugh out of it too!) 

So, what’s the moral of this story? Well, I think it’s twofold. 

1. Attitude is everything. Sometimes our surprises or special traditions don’t turn out perfectly. Sometimes our heart pancakes look more like mountains, sometimes someone flushes the toilet before the green coloring can be seen, sometimes you give your child a can of hair spray to spray on his brother . . . But as long as we set the tone with our positivity and joy, that is what our children and students will remember. I could have been upset that we had gotten paint all over and worried that it wouldn’t come out, but what good would that have done? Our attitude is contagious, and we all have a funny memory that I bet we won’t soon forget! 

2. Details matter. Some of you may remember that I recently wrote a Tip about details. Apparently I need that lesson again! LOL. Sometimes you just have to laugh.