Saturday was rainy and cabin-fever-inducing. You know, one of those days where Pinterest can save you with its 50 million ideas for how to entertain the kiddos. But I’m not really crafty.
In high school, I was in Acteens. This is basically a generic, church-funded version of the Girl Scouts. My mom ran our troop. She is VERY CRAFTY. And she liked us to make stuff for shut-ins.
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I don’t know what shut-ins are. The church ladies claimed they were old people who couldn’t drive or leave the house. Because they never came outside, I never got to see one. This left me to imagine the shut-ins having carnival sideshow-esque qualities. Which was equal parts terrifying and thrilling.
My mom tended to want to make dolls out of raffia paper for these shut-ins. What were they supposed to do with a doll? Display it on the mantle? Talk to it for company? Snuggle with it at night? I just knew there was no way in Hell I could possibly make one. I’m not even sure I know how to spell raffia. So unrolling it into tiny doll arms was pretty much out of the question. Which meant my mother always made two of everything at Acteens: the example one she created for all us girls to emulate and mine. This is probably why I only remember my mother leading our troop for one month.
Which leads me back to present day – and THE RAIN.
To kill time on Saturday, we ran morning errands. Then lunched at Chick-fil-A. As one does when one has children under the age of 10 – or one loves MILKSHAKES. This also counted as adult date time. Me and the hubs stuck the boys in the sticky jungle gym and stared into each other’s eyes for 20 minutes. Because 20 minutes is all you get before some man-child who’s over the height limit starts terrorizing everyone on the slide.
No, actually, we ignored one another and sucked down our milkshakes as fast as possible before the boys noticed we hadn’t bought them any.
After lunch, we herded the boys home for a movie and CANDY! What’s better than Owen Wilson and Cars? (Don’t answer that.)
When the credits started to roll, I realized we hadn’t done any physical activity all day beyond the Chick-fil-A kiddie maze. So I decided: DANCE PARTY!
And pulled the old crib mattress into the family room for a little acrobatics. And the YOGA BALL! for extra bouncing. And all the drum sticks I could find for EXTRA LOUD joy.
What child could resist this set-up?
Here’s my rainy day playlist and how it all went down:
1. Hey Mickey by Toni Basil
Obviously, this song would be a hit. Because it was when I was in the first grade.
Back then, I had one of those dresses where when you spin around, flairs all the way out. And the world sees your panties. Which is totally worth it. Because spinning! Your head is full of HAPPY and the fabric in your dress joins in and keeps pulling you around and around.
I wore the yellow, twirly dress to school on the day someone brought in a VINYL RECORD for show ‘n tell. (Fess up whoever you are. I want to give you a THANK-YOU KISS!)
I’m still not sure how it happened. But, you guys, we were ALLOWED TO DANCE TO THIS RECORD. IN THE MIDDLE OF CLASS. FOR NO APPARENT REASON.
Recently, I learned Hey Mickey was released 36 years ago. In other words, it was hot off the vinyl presses during first grade. And WE WERE DELIRIOUS OVER IT! (And now we realize we are OLD.)
I just KNEW my children would want me to create that same moment for them.
I don’t have a twirly dress anymore (note to self: buy one). But jeans, complete with hole in the crotch due to too many times squatting down to pick up legos, kinda fit the bill. Let’s do this!
One child dutifully climbed onto the crib mattress. Then proceeded to stare at me. The other one pulled Horton Hears a Who! onto his lap and tuned me out.
What is wrong with you children? You are not 12 yet. I’m fun, damn it!
2. Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves
What could be more fun than this VERY 80s music video? No, wait, we’re not watching music videos, we are DANCING.
3. Two Princes by the Spin Doctors
Children still staring at me. Hubby shouting something about his “bee bopping bride” and reminiscing about college.
4. Cannonball by the Breeders
ANNNNNDDDDDdddddd children are UP and dancing. Success! Because LOTS OF DRUMMING.
5. Twist & Shout by the Isley brothers The Beatles
Time to start educating the boys on Ferris Bueller. Oh, wait, NO, NO WATCHING – JUST DANCING! (Silly mommy.)
6. Tutti Frutti by Little Richard
Boys, I dare you to sit still while this song is playing.
7. No Rain by Blind Mellon
The title speaks for itself. Plus, this song gives lots of great excuses for spinning and spinning and spinning. Can’t you feel it pulling you around in circles?
Hey moms, here’s a little tip with this one. I know the bumblebee chick is adorable, but unless you wanna explain why some people are assholes, skip the music video WATCHING and focus on the music video LISTENING. Heed the rainy day, dance party rule: NO WATCHING, JUST DANCING.
8. Dancin’ Queen by Abba
No way any child can resist sitting this song out.
9. I Saw Her Standing There by The Beatles
Y’all, maybe it’s just me, but it’s never too early to start training the kids up on the glory that is The Beatles.
10. Run Around by Blues Traveler
Because the kiddos all need a little more early 90s rock in their lives.
Since I know you are dancing along with me at home with your gang, you can proudly say your little ones have discovered the joys of the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. I’ll leave you now to hunt for something equally as fabulous post 1999 – or you could pile everyone in the car to go get milkshakes.
What would you add to the list? Share your rainy day, dance party favorites below or on Facebook at MothersRest.
Photo credit: Juliane Liebermann from Unsplash.com