The Anti-PTA Mom has been conformed (or she has lost her mind...which I'm thinking may be the case)

OK, so I'm not really anti-PTA. I just always looked at the organization through my stereotype glasses and saw moms who had nothing better to do with their time than sit at their kids school all day and try to get their way with the administration. And bug people to volunteer for bake sales. I had not been part of the PTA, outside of volunteering in my kids classrooms, until this year. We were at a new school and the head crazy mom (aka PTA president) asked if I'd chair the hospitality committee. It sounded like a fairly painless gig, and I did want to meet some moms at our new school, so I said ok. During the year, I began to see that not all the moms were crazy, power hungry, helicopter moms. Actually, they were very down to earth, lovely ladies who were just trying to help the school help their kids. I like that idea of helping the school help our kids. So I slowly took on more and more responsibility. Well, wouldn't you know...the end of the year is here and I was approached to be the head crazy mom for next year. I declined immediately. How could this once anti-PTA person, who used to roll her eyes at "those" PTA people, now be in charge of "those" PTA people? But alas, they have conformed me. The PTA is actually a really great organization when it's members don't abuse the idea and try to run the school. I am so fortunate to be with a group of moms in the PTA who truly are wanting to help the school, not run it. They want to honor the teachers and their profession, and they want the school to do all it can for all the children it serves. Not just theirs. It's pretty cool. And I'm looking forward to being a part of it. I still haven't decided if I have completely lost my marbles in doing this, but it helps to know that in this new gig I will be a part of a group that really does all it can for the kids in our school. That's a pretty good use of my time. So I guess the moral is, don't roll your eyes at the PTA moms...one day you may be one.

Surprises ROCK!

So, we love messin' with our kids. It keeps them on their toes. We had the best time surprising them with a family Disney day of Friday. They were clueless, which made it all the sweeter. It's fun when surprises actually work. Their reaction to being at Disney, when they should have been at school, was beyond delicious. It was so much better than if we had formally planned it all out with them. And seing their faces (as well as the reactions of people passing by) when the grandparents emerged was so cool too. It was magical for them. And I loved it. We try so hard to create lasting memories for our kids, and I think this time we hit the jackpot. And can I just tell you how FANTASTIC it was to walk through the entry check point at the Magic Kingdom without having to stand in line for a bag or stroller to be checked! We went to Disney for an entire day without bringing one item other than ourselves. How cool are elementary age kids! I'm loving it.