karma

I am the kids' room mother along with one other mom.  She has boy/girl twins, too.  We divided up some of the responsibilities for correspondence early in the year.  I took the Fall Festival and she took the Volunteer Classroom positions.  No problem, right?  No problem, if our other class parents would step up.  I do not mean to really talk ill of them, but very few parents helped contribute to our festival fund raiser.  Each class fills a basket to be raffled off.  My CFCNY people know all about putting together awesome baskets.  Well, you guys would be proud of the PTA's fundraiser.  These baskets are filled with amazing things like video game consoles and games, local museum memberships, meals and other freebies, camping gear, local college sporting team packages with tickets, grills, food, and other tailgating gear (we are in Tar Heel Country as well as Pirate Country for those who follow college sports.), there was a fire pit with tons of s'mores makings, one basket was totally chocolate - tons of chocolate items, a fall decorating one, bicycles and one class does a Money Tree.  I mean hundreds of dollars as a prize.  Last year was $500!  This year was only $200 on that tree, so maybe they had trouble getting families to help this year as well.  Our class theme was Arts & Crafts.  The teacher donated a lot of stuff for us and we ended up putting together a pretty cool basket of art supplies and kits.  (I have to roll my eyes at 2 workers at the local craft store... when I asked for those looms and loops to weave pot holders, neither one knew what I was talking about.. and they were older than me, they should have known.  Both said they didn't have them.  So, I went to Hobby Lobby instead and found them... only to later be back at the first store and found a huge display of them!  Oh well.  I spent my money across town.)

Here's our basket...

We also had to run a game booth all night.  I sent out several emails and even one paper mailing asking for 2 parents to volunteer for each 30 minute time slot so that we could share the booth and give everyone a chance to have fun at the carnival with their kids, too.  Not one single parent offered to help me.  A few emailed and said they couldn't help because they would be at the festival with their kids.  Thankfully, the lady coordinating the games secured me a college frat member and he took over the Twister game for the evening which gave me some time to have fun with Frick & Frack.

We couldn't stay to the end to hear the raffle basket winners because the kids had a baseball game from 8:00 to 10:00 that night.  Earlier that day, Lew read to the class, then we both stayed for lunch with the kids. Then, I just hung out at school because it wasn't worth going home before I needed to be back to set up for the festival.  Lew & Carl were supposed to go camping with the Boy Scouts, but because of the festival and baseball, they couldn't go on Friday evening.  Lots of other kids were involved in the fall festival.  Anther school had theirs that evening, too.  Then, Saturday morning - after being up until 10:30 playing baseball, we hit a couple garage sales in our neighborhood.  It was the big neighborhood sale and one of my friends told me she had some camping gear.  Well, we got 2 sleeping bags, a tent, binoculars, a new baseball glove for Gretchen, 2 lawn chairs, a toy, a hat, a few other camping containers... all for a total of $10!!!.   Following that, the kids had their final bowling league day.  It was bowling and an awards ceremony.  They each received a trophy and a certificate.  That ended at noon - and then Carl & Lew took off for camp... about 2 hours away.  They arrived in time for an afternoon scavenger hunt, cook out and some of the campfire.  Then, rather than stay over, they drove home!  2 nights of being up until 10:30.  (While the boys were gone, Gretchen and I picked up some dessert for Sunday's meal out and enjoyed ourselves for dinner at IHOP.)    Then, Sunday morning, at 11:00, they had baseball practice!!!  That evening, we went to Lindy's for supper, too!  Somehow we survived that weekend!

Anyway.... back up to the part where I said we couldn't stay to hear the raffle winners.....  when we got home, I had a message on my answering machine that I had won the girls' bike and helmet!!!  Awesome!!!!  So, I figure that was a little karma after all the stress and effort I put into the event.  (Carl informed Gretchen that she was not tall enough for this bike and he could ride it until she was tall enough.  He forgets that would mean he must learn to ride without training wheels.  He won't have any part of that.)

So, remind me next year not to sign up for room mother.  Oh - by the way, the other mom has gotten not one single volunteer for her classroom volunteers either.  Not all teachers allow parents to have these volunteer roles in their classrooms.  I wish some parents would take advantage of the opportunity.  I can continue to volunteer with the room and PTA,but I don't think I want the stress and disappointment of being room mother again.  Oh cripes, you know by next August I will forget all about this and sign up again.