The Ugly Bug Ball

I can't believe I'm about to post this for the whole blogging world to see.  This is absolute, unequivocal proof as to how weird my family is.  When I was probably 11 or 12, New Years Eve happened to fall on a Sunday night that year and my parents wouldn't allow us to go out with friends to celebrate.  When we all complained, one thing led to another and somehow we ended up planning an impromptu family party inspired by the following Disney Song, "The Ugly Bug Ball" from the old classic movie, "Summer Magic" - take a quick listen to the first minute of this song clip.

Soooo, naturally my family decides to all raid the costume closet and come up with our very best bug costumes.  We each had to pick a song to dance to in our costume and then it was followed by a big family dance party with of course "The Ugly Bug Ball" as the grand finale.  That first year was hysterical and so much fun!  We didn't do it every year, but through the years that followed we would occasionally throw another Ugly Bug Ball when we were all together.  One memorable ball was held when my sister April brought home (then boyfriend) Devon to meet the family for the first time.  He is one of 2 children and has never been around a loud, crazy family like ours, so imagine his shock when my parents came out in black spandex and reenacted an interpretive dance of a black widow spider eating her mate.  Yup.  It's a miracle he still decided to marry into the family! :)  

Seeing as we were all together on New Years Eve this year, we naturally had to throw an Ugly Bug Ball.  We all took turns sorting through the assortment of strange costumes Mom has collected over the years and here were the resulting themes and performances for each family. 

Mom and Dad were Japanese Beetles (my Dad served his mission in Japan) this year and started out circling the room to a soothing oriental song when suddenly they switched to, "I'm Proud to Be An American" and flung off their robes to reveal patriotic pants and American flags that they waved vigorously as they belted the chorus!  Ha ha!

The Kirby family sported diapers on their heads to show that they were the "Stink Bugs" and I can't remember what they danced to, but it was fabulous!

The Murphy fam dressed as Ninja Bugs and Maia (ever the queen!) was a lovely Cutie Bug dancing to "Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting".  Devon had flown home to California the day before to paint the house without kids there, but I think the real reason he went home early was to avoid seeing my parents in spandex again! :)

The Bush family (of the Irvine variety) were so creative and tied extra shoes to their clothing and then paraded around the room in a line like a giant caterpillar.

The Ridings were an assortment of bugs with Cassie acting as the Lorax who speaks for the bugs!  Dan looked WAY too convincing as a girl with that wig on and Millie's flower head piece was too funny!

Gabe was kind of on protest about this tradition, so he didn't dance, but instead composed an original little tune about how he was a bug with a secret and the secret was that he was BALD as with a dramatic flourish he ripped his wig off to reveal Grandma Bush's old 1960's swimming cap underneath!  It was hilarious!  If Ellen hadn't flown back to D.C. the day before I'm sure she would have choreographed something memorable.

Unfortunately, I began to feel quite ill that evening, so inspired by my sickies, we went with the theme of the "Flu Bugs".  I was the patient, Daphne was the doctor and Burke was the nurse.  I kind of think Burke looks like Michael McLean in the picture below with that wig on!  We danced to a silly rap we found on youtube about the flu and I was happy that I had enough energy to bust out my sweet moves.

Finally, we finished up the ball with a round of limbo using Cassie's "Thneed" secured to the heads of Elijah and Cassie for the limbo stick - as if you needed any more proof of our weirdness!

Such a good time.  Sometimes I wonder if our kids will think that they had the coolest extended family ever or if they will look back at these pictures and think, "Can you believe I had to visit my crazy Aunts and Uncles and do stuff like this growing up?!  What were they thinking?!"  Well, you're tied to us whether you like it or not kiddos! :)