Operators are standing by
I missed International De-Lurking Week, and I blame myself. I also forgive myself, however, because 1) its founder was on a prolonged hiatus, 2) I spent a lot of time last week ensconced in conversations like this:
Robert: I want to start a Wearing Your Shirt Backward Fundraiser.
Me: Did you say "fundraiser"?
Robert: Yep.
Me: Why do you want to raise the money?
Robert: Because we need to buy a car.
Me: OK. But how exactly is this fundraiser going to work?
This is where you come in. If you can shed any light on how a Wearing Your Shirt Backward Fundraiser would funnel some dollah-bills into our car fund, please delurk and spread the wisdom.
I say you make up some signs, put a post on your blog and create t-shirts for you, Robert and Two-Bert then everyone will be forewarned.
On the proscribed day, anyone who isn't wearing their shirt backwards owes you a dollar. Just go down to the park with your shirts and signs and let people know they owe you $1 each.
The Berts will be so cute, you're bound to raise $5.
Posted by: MammaLoves | January 16, 2007 at 12:26
You have mad design skilz. Make a t-shirt that somehow addresses wearing it backward and sell it on CafePress or one of those sites. People love cool t-shirts and the fact that your kid came up with the idea is beyond adorable. Your adoring blogger fans could pimp the fundraiser on their blogs so that you get instant viral marketing for free.
vroom vroom!
Posted by: 21stCenturyMom | January 16, 2007 at 12:59
1) I use a feed reader and therefore would have missed your sick little body count in the upper right had I not come to leave a comment.
2) In my experience, behavior contracts can be an excellent way to get kids involved in household saving. For instance, "Robert, you may either have that $5 toy/commercial smoothie, or you may wear your shirt backward on Saturday and put that money toward the Family Car fund." You have to be absolutely conscientious about respecting the contract and the Fund for this to work, though. I can do this, but a friend of mine cannot, and so her kids won't play along. If it works it's a beautiful thing, because they feel like they're simultaneously getting one over and doing a good thing, and you're not spending any extra money to save for your acquisition. Stop laughing, I got my kids fired up about a fancy allergen-sucking VACUUM-CLEANER, and it worked. Anyway...
Posted by: Liza | January 16, 2007 at 15:03
You print on the shirts 'Give us money, you bastards, or we'll release the mice'.
Posted by: shula | January 16, 2007 at 22:31
Start a petting zoo. For one dollar you can see the mice, for five dollars, you can play obstacle course with them. If you catch the mouse, it costs fifteen dollars and has a new home. Everyone loves found object Olympics. It's like family dadaism!
Posted by: chimera | January 16, 2007 at 23:13
Clearly, I will have to be the one who explain's this to you for poor little Robert.
1. Write on the back of a shirt, the following question: Ask me why I am wearing my shirt backward?
2. The entire family wears the shirt's as often as possible and people will inevitably ask: Why are you wearing your shirt backward?
3. Say: For one dollar, I will give you the answer.
4. They hand you a dollar.
5. You say: Thanks! I am having a Wearing Your Shirt Backward Fundraiser to purchase a new car.
I am sure he has explained the setting up a booth on a street with lots of pedestrian traffic part.
The kid is a pure genius.
Posted by: Suzy | January 17, 2007 at 10:29
I know, I send in a pic of me wearing a shirt backwards, and people bid to save me from frozen hell (Wisconsin), take me in and feed and clothe me.
Posted by: nick | January 17, 2007 at 13:29
your bodycount worries me. only 1? traps should be pushed hard up against the wall with the pressure sensitive part facing the wall - most mice will die because they are prone to 'hugging the wall' when they wander about, and having the trap this way catches them while they are on their way to or from the mousedisco.
good luck!
Posted by: damian | January 17, 2007 at 21:42
You can always pair the tshirts up with the First Annual Backwards Run/Walk for Transportation & charge some dollars for participation. Either walk backwards or wear your shirt backwards, your choice.
Delurking in honor of DeLurking Week and to assuage your guilt at missing it....
Posted by: annie | January 18, 2007 at 10:03
a car? in that part of the city? maybe it's time you explain to robert just how much it costs to park in the city, let alone the insurance. can i recommend a move out to queens first? not as many mice, more room to run and i hear our property taxes are going down!
Posted by: pnuts mama | January 18, 2007 at 11:32
My mother is the only one who would actually pay me NOT to wear my shirt backwards. So I say YOU and the Roberts wear your shirts backward (they have to be shirts with collars) and maybe Moxie, out of sheer embarrassment, will start giving you a dollar to turn your shirt around the right way. That could be $3 per day... more if she got desperate.
Then, the neighbors have to catch on. "Please! I will give you FIVE DOLLARS, if only you turn your shirt around!!! YOU ARE EMBARRASSING THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD!!!! EEEeeeeeaaa!!!!!"
They might even buy the whole car just to get you out of there occasionally...
Posted by: Kathee | January 18, 2007 at 15:49
I have no ideas about shirts, but when my son was 6 he was convinced that he was going to make and sell enough felted balls (it's a Waldorf thing. just go with it) to be able to build and operate his own train line that would save me the 30-minute one-way twice-daily commute to his school.
I like the Cafe Press idea and I would even buy a shirt.
Posted by: karen | January 18, 2007 at 21:34
You are just not creative enough to understand the creativity in it. Why, I think it's just crazy enough to work!
Posted by: Mom101 | January 18, 2007 at 21:38
I'm in for $5. How does this work again?
Posted by: alkali | January 19, 2007 at 14:30