Halloween Costumes: Book Fairies and Book Worms

Christina, me with Coach in a sit in front of me and Jan sitting on a stool.  We are all dressed in black.

So, I found a costume design on Pinterest: it was for a book fairy and I thought that was perfect for the library crew!  I also came up with an idea for fairy hair that was sort of a cross between midsummer's night dream and something vintage.  Here we are before putting on our costumes.  Christina and I have wild hair.  We are the fiction books.  I have science fiction and fantasy authors and Christina has a book on imaginary places.  Jan is not doing anything to her hair and has a non-fiction book on the quotable woman.

We started with a wreath and had to start pinning our hair around it.  Fortunately, I have tons of hair, as you can see.

As you can see from the two photos above, Christina and I have curly hair.  I had in my head sort of a vision of what I wanted and I went to Michaels and had fun.  I wanted us not only to have the wreath to make our hair puff out, but also to have sticks with random letters on them sticking out of our bun (remember, book fairies!).

Here I am putting in more straight pins and trying to jam them into the darn wreath.  It was difficult!

So, we started to do the hairstyle and I discovered that I LOVE this type of hairdo!!  Christina said I looked like Mrs. Frizzle who drives the Magic School Bus; I think she might be right.  I do look a bit frazzled, and usually, I like to wear purple.

Christina and I after it is all done.  We have our hair pinned around a wreath making our bun look voluminous and our hair ginormous.  We have tendrils coming down (mine are more crazy than hers) and then we have the words boo and eek sticking up out of our buns.  We also stuck letters all over our hair.  Gold glitter letters.

 But evidently, Mrs. Frizzle always says, "Take chances, make mistakes, and get messy!" Those are words I can live by. 

Coach mouthing off while we try and pin his costume to his coat.  It was a little lopsided.

 Coach was certainly taking a chance.  He was our bookworm.  We went through bookasaurus, book punk and book sprite before settling on bookworm.  After all, his costume was a little weird:
large white spikes of book pages erupting out of his back and running all down his spine.

Coach looking up at me as if to ask, "Why?"

We were trying originally for a mohawk look, but then we got a bit carried away with the glue gun.  It happens.  So, bookworm he was.  Deal, little man.

View of my tutu and the back of my hair. 

 I show you the photo above to illustrate how much of a pain in the a** these costumes were.  Not only were we almost 4 feet wide, but Christina and I had large spikes in our hair sticking out in strange directions that would catch on the edge of doorways.  That was pleasant! 8-)

The fairies walk up the hallway.

 And walking up the hallway, it was almost a case of walking single file.  We were a bit hippy!!

Coach and I are waiting in the hallway for Jan and Christina.

 Here is a shot of Coach and me in the hallway.  Notice that we take up most of the hallway.  He does kind of look like a stegosaurus, I think.  He seems to have a pained expression on his face.  Well, if he hadn't grown so much, he could have worn the football costume, little fatty!

Nice shot of the wings (the wings are the covers of the books we used). 

I just love this shot of Jan and Christina from behind.  There was absolutely no way to sit down in these tutus.  Nor could you put your arms down at your sides.  So, it is imperative to have a wand to swing around and swat at things that annoy you.

Coach is a bookworm.  He was a really good sport about it, really.  Here he is lying down with all his paper spikes sticking up.

Coach was mostly good, but after a while people started hearing the phrase: "Don't eat my tutu!!!"  Seriously, dude!  Don't eat it!  I spent a lot of time pulling wads of paper from his mouth.  He was a true bookworm, eating my tutu, his paper spikes, you name it.  But he was an adorable one and I don't know how many photos were taken of him.  I think by the end of the parade he was really a wad of paper!

Finally, it was too much.  The bookworm had to eat and so Coach started to tear apart his costume and eat his  paper spikes.

Jan, Christina and I posing for someone.  Coach is looking at Merideth who took this photo. Photo by Merideth Newman.

What was really fun was that since Coach and I had read to several classes, the lower division students felt like they knew us and were really excited to see us as they passed by for the Halloween parade.  The pre-k class we read to yesterday was the cutest.  They saw Coach and yelled out, "Hi Coach!" and waved.  They didn't get the speech on not calling his name plus he was in costume, so it was kind of confusing anyway.

The lower division librarians joined us in the costume effort!  Here are nancy, Christina, Jan, me and Kathleen.

 Our lower division compatriots joined us in the book fairy theme, but they kicked it up a notch by sprinkling people with glitter.  I wish they had told us about that!!!  I would have so done it!!

We had to have a silly shot of us all being fairies and standing on one leg.  Coach got disgusted and wouldn't look at us.

It seemed like more of the faculty participated this year, more of the student body, too.  I like that.  Halloween at school makes me happy.

The library crew with some of the English teachers who were punctuation marks.

And I kept my Mrs. Frizzle hairdo all day!!

Corn Maze and Acorns

Today we took a drive out to Bradenton to Hunsader Farms because we thought that their Pumpkin Festival and Corn Maze would make the perfect exposure for our Southeastern guide dog puppies Bo and Coach. It is located at 5500 County Road 675 in Bradenton, FL.  You will need to pay $5. for parking, but there is plenty of space for parking.  

We arrived about 10 am and it the festival started at 9.  Of course, Coach was ready for his 10 am poo, which arrived right on time and just a few yards from some port-a-potties, so we were all set to enjoy the corn maze, poo free!

Melisa and Cheryl stand with Bo and Coach in front of the pumpkin patch.

 We were all prepared to pay the $8 entry fee, but we got a very nice surprize at the gate:

"Guide dogs get in free."

"Really? Thank you!"  We were all amazed.  We are used to getting hassled or questioned.  This was the first time we actually got a perk from having a puppy.  Go Guide Dogs!!

Fred and Melisa walk the puppies up to the corn maze entrance.

The corn maze is an extra $2 (puppies were not free 8-), and it takes about 20 minutes to go through.  The corn is about thigh high at this point.  Some areas had corn shoulder high.

Melissa and Fred are following Bo Peep's lead.  After all she found her sheep.

At first I lead, but I hit a dead end, so everyone called for me to quit leading.  Boo!  Then we let Bo lead for a while.

We came upon the tower to help guide walkers who are lost.  We asked to have the dogs come up and take a photo.

 As we rounded the North side of the maze we came up on the tower where two boys were sitting in hopes that someone would get lost and they could shout instructions to them.  I called up and asked if our puppies could come up for a photo.

Melisa is getting Bo settled for a photo on the wooden tower.

I think they were bored.

"Sure. Do you want us to get down?"  He called back.  I was thinking that would be a dereliction of duties so I assured him that he could stay there.  I just wanted a photo.  I didn't want anyone to "DIE" in the maze!

Bo and Coach peer out through the slats of the tower as the boy maze guards (?) watch.

 We hurried off the tower as a group with kids was coming up behind and their kids started up the tower as if it was a part of the maze.  Sigh.  People following people without thought.  Doh de doh.  I didn't want our nice maze guards to get in trouble for letting us up for a photo.  So we hurried on.

Moving on down the maze.  The children are finally coming off the tower behind us.

As we made it to the far North end, we stopped for a photo.

Fred and I and Bo and Coach at the far North End.

Then we moved on to the South end and trying to find out way out.  We let the dogs decide a few turns, but Coach took us in a big circle.

Melisa leads us again with Bo in charge.

 Then we saw the great pumpkin in the distance.  It actually held a wild bird show, so we didn't get to go inside, but it looked really cool!  There was also a pumpkin cannon that went off every hour.

As we walked to the South you could see the Great Pumpkin Tent in the distance.

 We passed a few people who grumbled about us having guide dogs and how they thought that was cheating or could they just follow us.  But Bo did lead us out.  Good girl.  

We've spotted the exit.  I raise my arm in joy.  

 It was hot work, so we got a drink after it all.

Everyone needed a drink after.  Here are Bo and Coach getting a drink from  Melisa.

There was a stilt walker outside the maze, but there was a long line, so we didn't wait.

There was a stilt walker.  Bo didn't care.

We saw some strange things happening in the distance and we headed over there.

We came upon the bubble kids area.  This is where small children were placed in inflated bubbles.

 What we saw was parents and grandparents stuffing their children into plastic bubbles.  They were inflated, sure, but then they would roll them around like Veruca Salt in Willy Wonka.  You know the blueberry girl?

We tried to get Bo and Coach to look at the bubble kids.

 Surely, the dogs would like this.  But no.  They couldn't care less.

Bo is staring away from them and Coach is staring at Bo.

 No matter how I tried, Coach would not look at the bubble kids.

Here I am instructing Coach on why he should care about the bubble kids.

 Even direct pointing and cajoling didn't work.

Bo is still staring in a different direction and Coach is ignoring me.

He was obstinate.  They just weren't interesting.  Bo agreed.  Acorns on the ground were much more tasty and interesting.

Finally, when a kid appeared upside down, he was partially interested and Bo looked over as well.

Finally, a kid came by and made it a little fun.  But he quickly grew weary and looked for an acorn.  Sigh.

Coach didn't care about the spinning water people either.

 He had the same opinion for the people in the spinning water bubbles.  So what?

Can you see the acorns on the ground?  Well, that's what Bo and Coach were interested in .

 Acorns, though!  OMG.  The acorns at the farm were AMAZING!  And they were everywhere.  I had to pick them out of his mouth all the time.

Bo is interested in Dinosaur land.

At least Bo liked Dino land.

Melisa and Bo at the tie dye stand.

 They had over 100 vendors at the booth area.  I got some cute Christmas presents.

There was a petting zoo.  Bo and Coach got close to a deer.

 Then Bo and Coach got to see a deer.

Stiltwalker with Melisa and Bo and Fred and Coach. 

And take a photo with a stilt walker.

Coach and Bo look at some llamas as a little girl tries to pet Coach. 

 They did find the llamas and the ponies interesting.

Coach sniffs at the ponies.

 Especially the ponies.

Bo and Coach are fascinated by the ponies and the llamas.

 Bo like the ponies as well.

Here we are with the Hunsader sign!  Come to the corn maze!

So, they did get interested in something at the end.  Corn maze at the beginning and ponies at the end.  It was a good day.

Halloween Reading!!

This week Coach and I had some dates.  We had dates with kindergarten and first grade for reading time!  Being a librarian in the upper division doesn't allow me many opportunities to show off my dramatic flair, so every now and then Mrs. Edwards, our super fabulous, lower librarian invites me down to read a story and I bring Coach along.  (I think they all prefer Coach! I, however, like to think it is my wonderful story telling skills! 8-)  

So on this day I was set to tell the story of Miss Smith and the Haunted Library!  Yikes.  Seems like rather a scary book.

I am sitting in an upholstered rocker with Coach in coat at my feet.  Mrs. Edwards is on my right hand side and the children are seated in front of me.

I liked this book because it had a character with red hair (I have red hair).  The librarian was wacky and had a funny voice (so I got to do a funny voice).  And there was a dog in the story: the hound of the baskervilles jumps out of the book.  So I could point to Coach and yell, "OH NO, the Hound has escaped!"  Or something silly like that.  Coach would run with it.   

This photo shows the whole group watching me read the book .  You can see the backs of the students and me and Mrs. Edwards facing them.  

 So I started telling the story and immediately all the kids got really into it.  It's a very enthralling tale.  Coach wasn't so enthralled.  He rolled over.  He tried to bite someone's shoe.  Then he did a flip.

Here I am showing them a page in the book and reading something dramatically.  Coach is yawning and Mrs. Edwards is smiling.

Still, I continued with the story and the kids stayed with me.  Thank God for small children and their love of stories.  I would ask, "Where is Frankenstein?" and they would yell, "Over there behind the bookcases!"  I love little kids.

Coach decided he loved the story time rug.  He took a bite.  Mrs. Edwards, who was in charge of Coach wrangling, pulled him back to the center.  He sighed.  The story ended.

Then everyone lined up to pet him.

One little girl told me in a very serious voice, "You have the most beautiful dog."

"Why thank you.  I agree."  There were several who told me about their dogs as they gave Coach a body pat and moved on (they were in a single file line).  Then there were three little girls at the end and they didn't really want to pet Coach, but they also didn't want to not pet Coach.  It was a dilemma.

Finally, the one girl came up and put three fingertips on his thigh.  "Thank you," she whispered. Her friends followed quickly: one fingertip, then four fingertips.  Then they were gone.

Story time was over.

Until next week.  We have one more command performance.

Homecoming Pep Rally and Concession Stand

This last weekend was homecoming weekend.  The weekend started on Friday afternoon with an all school pep rally where the upper division won the spirit stick.  Coach was not very impressed and slept through most of the cheering.

Coach is sleeping on the bleachers.

We also got to hear the awesome Highlander band play.  Coach was not disturbed by the pipe and drum band, but listened thoughtfully.  No howling.  Then it was back to napping.

Coach falls asleep on my foot.

 After the pep rally, Christina and I got ready to man the concession stand at the Straz Family Field House.  The Girls Volleyball team was playing our rivals Tampa Prep and we beat them handily in three straight games.

Here is our concession team: Emily, Jessica, Isabella, Christina, Carly, Alex with Coach lying down up front.

 We had a little bit of a panic as our water hadn't been restocked, but that got taken care of and we were good to go.

Coach finds a spot near the fridge so he can lie down and be cool.  Christina is smiling down at him.

 We sold drinks and candy.  Next time I think we will bring some other snacks like donuts and bagels as we will have the morning and afternoon slot at the headmaster's challenge.

Coach falls asleep by the fridge.

 Meanwhile, Fred arrived and took Coach to see the volleyball game.

Fred and Coach watching the volleyball game.

After the concession stand session was over, we cleaned up and then Coach, Fred and I went to the football game.  That was a bittersweet game.  We had great weather, but CCC was a tough opponent.  We lost 35-21.  The first half we didn't score, but we came back in the second.

After such a long day, I didn't have the heart to have Coach come to the Homecoming Dance on Saturday!  Let the boy rest.

Coach with colorful balloons in the background.

But I did bring some balloons home for an exposure.  More on that later...