Viva Fiesta!

The First Grade class performed a Fiesta dance this past week to celebrate Fiesta!  I specifically bought Eli's Mexican shirt and Evie's Mexican dress while we were on vacation in Mexico last summer just for this occasion.  Every year I have nothing Fiesta-related so I wanted to be prepared this time around.  And they both looks adorable in their outfits.  I loved it!

Besides the dance, the First Graders and Kindergarteners had a Fiesta parade around the school. (Eli was the official confetti tosser.)  

The First Grade theme was Hats off to Reading.  Each child had to make a hat celebrating his/her favorite book.  Eli chose The Day the Crayons Quit so we hot glued crayons onto a visor and it looked great!  

Eli's was so cute during his dance.  He had been practicing it at home so much that Evie and Eulee got really into it, too.  

Then on the Saturday after the dance, Eli's school was in one of the real Fiesta parades--the King William Parade.  This parade is very funky and family-friendly.  People dress up their dogs to walk in the parade too.  It's lots of fun, but we haven't attended since Eli was a baby.  

We got to downtown early on Saturday morning...that's the downside to being in a parade....you have to get there super early.  The First Graders were playing their djembe drums on the flatbed and doing drum circle for the parade.  Two kids were missing, so the First Grade teacher (our close friend) asked Elina to join the drum circle since she did it when she was in First Grade as well.  She was thrilled to be an honorary member that day!

Evie sat in the back of the flatbed.  I tried to get her to wave to people, but after 10 minutes she was done with the flatbed.  I was afraid she wouldn't last for the 1.5 mile parade walk, but she did just fine!  I was impressed!   Eli and Elina played drums for the entire 90 minute walk and all the drummers' hands were red and sore.  How funny!  Eulee could only ride in the stroller while B pushed her...and after an hour into it, she fell asleep.  Not too much excitement for her!

After the parade, we walked through the fair until 1pm.  We got some food and checked out arts and crafts vendors.  It was great, but by the time we got home, we were just toast.  We all took a shower, got into PJs at 2pm, and B and I took naps on the sofa  while the kids watched TV.  We told them they could do whatever they wanted to do because we had our physical activity for the day.  Ha!

The parade really was a lot of fun and it was a memorable experience!  Viva Fiesta!!