It’s 7 p.m. on a Tuesday night, and your child says, “I need to dress up for theme day?” The look on your face is blank, you’re exhausted, you’ve cooked dinner, loaded the dishwasher and have avoided folding that basket of  laundry for a week. Now you need to come up with a special suit of some sort for this school theme day..Seriously?!!

I learned that Theme Day was created by a group of people who forget about the tired parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends that help you and your kids at 7 p.m. on a Tuesday night; they are only thinking of the fun the kids will have. It really shouldn’t be harder than finding an outfit to wear to your friend’s wedding..but it is..sometimes it’s harder. We as adults make it harder than it should be…it’s just what we do.

Now this is when you are forced to spring into action…like tactical warfare style. I’m not kidding, you must be ready to put your 5th grade art skills to use, because it’s about to get real!  You will start off using, sound judgement and compassion, but it will end with frustration, and tears.

All theme dress like something that makes no sense drive me crazy, because even if your kid brings home the note a week in advance (this never happens) you will never be prepared for the tasks, frustration, tears, and more tears that will occur.

Superhero day, stray animal day, clown,day, 1920’s day (seriously) left-handed princess day, golf attire day, crazy hair day, right-handed athletes day, history day..blah blah and my all time favorite is try to make another kid and parent join you on TWIN DAY!!???

I’m a mom of 2 kids, I have a few notches of theme day on my belt. I’ve learned to work with what we have, and only go to the store as the very VERY last resort.

• I’ve turned tulle, a cereal box and feathers into a bird.
• I had to use old shirt, felt, fabric paint and $1 gloves to create superheros…ooh and a don’t forget the bikini bottom over some leggings..superheros always have on undergarments on top of their leggings (Sounds crazy but kids like this  stuff)
• I hot glued a bunch of fabric..cut slits for fringes and my daughter was an instant hippie

Don’t forget about Crazy Hair Day. Because kids who wake up with just enough time for car line or catching a school bus have plenty of time to grab lunch, eat breakfast, remember to get that permission slip signed and now they have plenty of time to spare to do their hair…umm no! Unless you and your kid want to wake up 2 hours earlier , than you are like me and frown on this day as well.

One time I took a bunch of plastic floral items and a $1 mini picket fence and attached a garden to my daughters hair for crazy hair day…did she win the contest…NOPE she lost to the kid who wore her hair in 3 buns! That mom got off easy and quick, meanwhile I woke up 2 hours early to put 100 bobby pins in my daughters hair, she was cranky as hell, she yelled every time I stabbed her in the scalp, but she thought it looked cool.

I’ve spray painted my son’s hair red, and used eyeliner to draw spider webs, another crazy hair day, now he=me won and rightfully so! Anyone that can make a 4-year-old sit still for a million lines and don’t get red spray dye in their sons eyes deserves a shout out!

I need to confess a few things to anyone who thinks I’m this artsy Suzie Scissorhands, who knits sweaters by the fireplace and sews patchwork blanket.. well guess what….I ain’t that chick.period.

I don’t sew, I’m not an artist, I still draw turkey hands at Thanksgiving, and all my drawings include stick figures. I try, I struggle and I try harder, because  to me it’s not about winning first prize. (I’ve never won anything  besides a $2 lotto ticket)

To me it’s about the memories, it’s about the thrill of using my hot glue gun, it’s about using the creative part of your brain and of course it’s about the  priceless look on my kids face when they glance at themselves in the mirror. It’s about having them  get excited when it’s time to go to school and they think they look awesome. Kids just want to feel like they are apart of something so important such as dress like a whatever the Theme Day is.

Now I’ll admit, in a moment of frustration and lack of time, I sprayed my son’s hair green and wrote  “Hi” because he told me as we were leaving to school..it’s Crazy Hair Day…I panicked, and I was ticked off he waited to tell me..so I sorta got revenge in my own motherly way… LOL I got a good laugh, and so did the teachers.

So save old shirts, extra fabric, felt,fabric paint, and keep a hot glue gun close by, because you never know when you will need to make a cape, a turtle shell, or a pirate hat.