School Costumer Ideas

Alan's school is doing the Red Ribbon week (an anti-drug program)

They have 2 costume days where I need to find him something to wear:

- One day is 80's day - although my husband and I have 80's clothing around (sad to say we still do!), none will fit a boy wearing size 6.

- The other day is opposite day where boys dress like girls and vice versa. Unforunately, my girl stuff won't fit him either.

Any ideas? I've got the other days covered, I wished they chosen crazy hair day or PJ's to school day instead of these.

Birthday Loose Ends

I did find out what happened to one of the no-shows for Alan's birthday - family emergency. The mom apologized and delivered Alan's gift to school today. So I gave a good bag. The gift turned out to be a monster truck playset. Sadly someone else gave him the same set with a different truck. Since I think it came from one of those stores with a no-receipt, no return policy (Target) - I'm going to try to convince Alan to keep it.

I'm still tracking down some other stuff. I've tried e-mailing the company that made the broken pirate ship. No response. I'm going to ask a chinese coworker to translate my e-mail into Chinese. It can't hurt - but after that, I'll give up and try to glue it.

2 more toys aren't working. One is a cheap remote control car. Alan had a similar one last year that also broke. Not a big deal as the car can be used as car even if the remote control part isn't working right. (Best remote control toy car ever was the Lightning McQueen car he got for his 4th birthday - that car took use and abuse and if it had good batteries in it now, would still work 2 years later).

The other is Animal Planet 36 inch T-Rex Fossil.

It's a neat idea, lousy execution (read the reviews from parents frustrated with assembling it). I've e-mailed complaints to Toys R US and Animal Planet/Discovery Communications. Again, it's a toy with no receipt, so probably unable to return it.

Anyway, the next party we go to, I think I'm going to Barnes and Noble or Borders, buying kids books and enclosing a gift receipt. No assembly, a lower chance of duplicates and with the receipt an easy return for the parents. (I did this for the first kids party Alan was invited to actually)

This weekend, we will write Thank Yous!