Aloha

I guess I still have an exotic vacation on the brain.

Just think about it, one of those all inclusive deals: a beach or pool, a lounge chair, good reading, food I don't have to prepare and a room that I don't have to clean. Oh, and fruity drinks with fruit garnish and those little umbrellas. Totally cliche, I know. But still rather hard to resist.

I don't even drink alcohol, but I think I could be encouraged to try a fruity drink. Or a mojito! I think someone should make me a mojito. It might loosen me up a bit.

Even though I have vacation on the brain and a huge desire to move back to Hawaii (can you blame me?), the reason I'm spreading the aloha is because Caroline's school is having "aloha" day on Friday. And for aloha day, one must wear a lei. Grass skirts are optional.

As it so happens, the Dollar Tree next to my gym is brimming with luau party gear and many, many leis. I promised, no pinkie swore, that I'd get Caroline a lei for Friday's festivities. Somehow I've led her to think that I'm flighty and won't remember things like that. On the contrary, I excel at remembering the little things. Just don't ask me to remember to gather her lunch money every other Thursday for spaghetti day. That requires a few verbal reminders and a note on the calendar.


Thanks to my (nearly) steel trap memory, Caroline will be appropriately accessorized for Friday's aloha day.

And this is where I tell you some stuff that will really make you think I'm strange.

Remember how I posted Caroline's birthday wish list and made reference to the fact that the list was created a bit prematurely? Well, I have a confession to make: we've also been planning her birthday party. Not full out, party planning mode, mind you; we're just casually throwing around ideas. Brainstorming. We decided that since January in Virginia can be a tad bit barren, bleak and freaking cold, wouldn't it be fun if we had a luau party in the middle of the winter? Everyone wants a warm, coconut scented refuge from the ice and bare trees, right? Who wouldn't want to put on a lei and eat some pineapple at the end of January?

Exactly.

Are we brilliant, or what?

A casual plan has been put into place; we have an idea, and that's about it. The details, as we've determined, will be hashed out much later in the year; her birthday is still 7 months away, after all. Party planning stresses me out so it's nice to know that I have such a long time to obsess over every detail.

Except........

Um, yeah.

Evidently, it's never too early to start obsessing.

It's hard to resist Dollar Tree decorations. So, I didn't resist. I bought some stuff for a theoretical party we *may* throw in seven months. Is that strange? Do you think I'm odd? On the other hand, I figure it would be far easier for me to find a bounty of affordable luau decorations in June, rather than waiting until January. In January you find picked over Christmas decorations, snowflakes and Valentine's candy, with nary a lei or grass skirt in sight. Perhaps my purchase today was prudent, after all?

As for now, the decorations are tucked away in a drawer in our guest room.

They shall not see the light of day for many, many months.