Busy, that is. Yesterday afternoon, I received a call from the 4th grade homeroom mother. Today was the 5th Grade graduation ceremony and reception and apparently, 4th grade parents are required to work that.
Buddy is in 4th grade and the homeroom mom and myself are the only two moms in the class who don't have "outside" the home jobs. But, we DO both have younger children. Her youngest is 4 and only in preschool and Sissy is, of course, only 2 and not in preschool. So, we have to drag our young charges around while helping out.
I managed to get myself ready and then get Sissy out of bed about 7:50am. I had to be at the school by 8:15. I'm only just under two miles from the front door of the school, so it doesn't take me long once I get out the door.
But, I had to get Sissy dressed, changed, fed, etc. She was also not in a great mood upon waking so I had a sense that my volunteer time was going to be interesting.
Sissy was actually amazingly well behaved.
They had a big sheet cake with all the 5th graders pictures and names on it (there are only about 12 or so kids in the class - it's a small school). And, we made 7-up punch with sherbet. After the graduation ceremony, the kids and their families came by for cake and punch. There was enough cake left over that I could give Sissy a piece, we put the rest in the teachers' lounge, finished with clean up and got the heck out of there.
See, by that time, Sissy was in full meltdown mode. I was soooo embarrased. But, what can I do? If they want volunteers, they have to deal with the fact that I have a much smaller child, too.
W'e're home and I'm trying to catch up with my blogs and etc. I'll post something else later today!
LOL, when dealing with a 2 year old meltdowns are to be expected. Any leftover cake for me? How about a deep fried cheesecake???
ReplyDeleteThere's no getting away from the occasional meltdown when they're that age. Surely those people know that. I know when I see a two y/o under the throes of one, I always assume it must be getting close to naptime. I never think it's a parenting issue.
ReplyDeleteOh, I sympathize. Mine are 9 and 12 now, but when they were younger , I always felt like the mom with "bratty" kids vying for attention or whining at the *worst times. And they were pretty flexible, but once thye get to full melt-down, mode, what can you do. Just smile and know that everyone goes through it.
ReplyDeleteI think I dragged them to too much sometimes, because I *wanted to be able to help out; even though they were tagging along. Sometimes, tho, you just gotta say "NO"
If they woould stop doing silly things like "graduating" from the 5th grade, they wouldn't have to worry about hauling poor volunteers in to serve superfluous cake.
ReplyDeleteI know - I'm a curmudgeon... but I graduated from High School, College, and Graduate School.
That's it.
I was not given a ceremony when I left kidnergarten, nor the 5th grade, nor the 8th grade. It's not like those are levels at which you can say "I Graduated! Yay! I'm going to go get a job!"
OK, there's my rant for the day.
Ron and BB - I agree, and considering I'm around other *parents*, I think they also understand, but I still just want to die! LOL.
ReplyDeletekwr - I do say NO most of the time, however, being only one of the few stay at home moms, I also feel more obligated to help b/c not many can and, you know, "if I don't do it, who will?" guilt!
NCP - Yeah, I kinda thought that too, but I guess this gives the kids a sense of accomplishment of what they've done thus far. But, it is kinda silly. I didn't even attend my college graduation.