So the Ice Cream Social was a huge success, with over four hundred people attending and enjoying the ice cream and the fun stuff to do.  I was beyond tired that night, but man was it a good tired.  Slept like a rock, too.  And now I’m already plotting what we could do a bit differently next year…with the sudden increase in volunteers, maybe we could add some games like sack racing or jumproping or maybe put a few Frisbees in the mix.  I don’t want to go overboard next year, but it would be cool to add a few things that are new and different.  And I’d like to see if we can encourage people to bring their own bowls and spoons and cut down on the amount of disposable dishes that we use.

The summer reading prizes went out the day after the Ice Cream Social; so far quite a few kids have come in to collect these incentives, and it seems like my toy choices are pretty ok.  Happily, the one toy that I felt I was taking a bit of a risk on has turned out to be quite popular: pinwheels.  I was worried that pinwheels were too low-tech for today’s kids, but now I’m very glad that I did end up ordering them.

This week’s big program is Wednesday’s Tie Dye Bonanza.  I have a feeling it’s going to be insanely popular (weather permitting), but some great volunteers have popped up to help out with hauling hot water and controlling the chaos.  And my dear sister just gave me these wise words of advice to calm me down as I stressed about doing tie dye:  “Oh, come on.  If stoned hippies can tie dye, so can you.”  She’s a smart one, my sister.

And, most of all, I’ve been learning how big an effect being out sick for a week at the end of May can have.  I’m just now starting to feel like I’m catching up.  I shudder to think where I’d be if I weren’t compulsively organized.