Awake-Over

I think the term "sleepover" is an oxymoron, especially when describing what went on at Irving School between last night and this morning.   A large group of Irving staff, students and parents spent the night in the school.  I helped chaperone.  During the choice activity time, I was in the library coordinating reading and board games.  Here are some scenes:

After a late night snack, the kids settled down in their respective rooms and watched movies.  I was assigned to supervise the the 2nd-4th grade boys.  Let me just say, when there are over thirty 8, 9, 10 and 11 year-old sweaty boys contained in one very warm tech room, the scent essence de locker room is a bit overwhelming.  The boys chose to watch the Christmas movie Elf, and one by one they starting dozing off.  There were some chaperones who fell asleep, and a few of us who stayed awake all night.

Highlights of the overnight hours included pizza ordered just after midnight; 2am apple juice run to Ultra Foods; Wii bowling at 3am; catching up with other third grade parents while listening to the first birds chirping as it neared 4am; watching the subtle changes in the sky as the inky black night slowly faded into dawn.

By 6am it was time to start brewing coffee and thinking about breakfast.  By 8:30 this morning I was back home and ready for bed.  I had a lot of fun chaperoning this year, and have decided that this event could be best described as an awake-over, not a sleepover.