taking the road less frenetic...

i cannot be the only one. i refuse to accept that. the only mom who is disgusted and disenchanted, disheartened and in total disbelief in "the system". i am referring to the notorious pta, of which i am sure you are well acquainted with.

the only way to believe this is to read it. with your own eyes. so, i am literally cutting and pasting an email i received from a room mom and then i'll add the "extras". without further ado...

Monday:
1. We'll need a parent to hand out leis at the classroom door that morning
to the kids and teachers. (Leis will be provided by the pto)

2. We'll also need a parent volunteer to come in and take a photo of the
class with the teachers against a beach backdrop that will be provided by
the pto. This parent will also need to have the photo printed (2 copies)
We'll be giving them to the teachers on Friday.

3. Could someone donate the 2 frames - probably just for 5x7 sized photos

4. Students will be asked to bring a card to school that day to give to the
teachers. They will also be allowed to wear Hawaiian shirts that day.

Tuesday:
1. Students will be asked to bring a flower to school for teachers and
tutors. We'll need a parent volunteer to stand at the door and collect the
flowers into 2 vases.
2. A Keva Juice cart will be there. If you want to help with the cart, email
Miriam Shambach at shambachsm@msn.com. They need 4 volunteers total.

Wednesday:
1. Students will be asked to bring fruit or healthy snacks for their
teachers. A parent volunteer will be needed to stand outside the classroom
door to collect their snacks and should be put into some type of cute
basket, bowl, gift bag, etc.

2. Can someone donate the 2 baskets, bowls, gift bags, or whatever you think
would be cute? You can incorporate the Hawaiian theme or just do something
different.

Thursday:
1. Teacher appreciation luncheon - I don't know anything about this. I'm
sure we'll be getting an email asking for help with this as well.

2. Specials/Staff day - Most classrooms will have been assigned a Specials
or Staff person to do something special for them. We will need someone to
make a card for whichever specials teacher or staff member we are assigned.
The kiddos can all sign the card and then maybe a couple of kids can be
asked to deliver it. We can do anything we want for this person, so if
parents want to send in small gifts as well, that would be nice.

Friday:
1. This is the biggie. This will be the day our room can come up with a fun,
creative idea all our own! I think it would be fun to do a luau at the end
of the half day. Does anyone have creative ideas? I'll send out a separate
email about that when we've decided what to do.

still with me? there's more. first off, multiple that by two for ethan and olivia's classes. then add this:

a green t-shirt for the 3rd graders in the Spring Concert, a red/white t-shirt for the 3rd grade Field Day to the tune of $8 (cash only) which requires a trip to the ATM and then a store to break the $20 bill with 5 children in tow, a royal blue t-shirt for 1st grade Field Day, a luncheon for the 3rd-5th teachers, a note sent home regarding Teacher Appreciation week with a daily task for the entire week (see below), a separate email requesting food for a teacher luncheon on Thursday May 6th, in addition to what we'll be doing each day as a class. This on the heels of two field trip volunteer forms and volunteer forms for two Field Days with requests for hundreds of filled water balloons, just for starters. and then add this: a separate teacher's luncheon for the 8th grade teachers, the Dinner Dance volunteer/baking requests, and a request by a teacher to supply 100 post it notes by the very next day or they would be penalized.) This teacher later apologized for being so insensitive to families for her last minute request.

so. how am i? i'm heartbroken that my children are being sucked into this frenetic pace of life that has become the norm. it's this huge machine in motion, it doesn't stop and no one even hears the deafening noise coming from it. if there is one thing i have always had, it's a God given perspective to earthly reality. and this ability has left me feeling like an alien most times, on a completely different planet.

i'd love to know how often these women get quiet and look around at their life. what state are their marriages in? what is their prayer life like? how often have they actually cooked dinner this month instead of pulling through a drive through? how many times have they snapped at their kids "just a minute" while phoning and emailing and shopping in preparation for all the hoopla? to be the best wife and mom i can takes lots of work. it takes saying no to invaders of my space. it does not influence people and win friends. but that's just not my goal.

i know very few balanced people. i know even fewer balanced moms. i think "balance" is nice idea in theory, but it's not practiced and becomes the faux mantra of already overwhelmed people trying to justify what is going on around them, rather than standing up and being "that mom".

i just emailed the entire school board, principal and president of the pta. i am "that mom". and i am so okay with that.