Stay-at-home mom blog

This Thanksgiving was rough. K and I were getting over a cold and A was coming down with one. I was up until midnight the night before baking pies. I made fifteen  pounds of garlic mashed potatoes.  Cut, boil, mash, mix, collapse.

Every year we drive an hour west to visit both my family and Mike’s. It’s nuts, but we no nothing else. Every last Thursday of November we pack up in the morning to a noon meal at my Grandmother’s. We fill our stomach’s to overflowing while all the kids have a cousins reunion. They laugh and play out it Gramma’s huge backyard.

After we are done eating an an embarrassing amount of food, we kick a back for an hour or two. We talk with cousins we only see once or twice a year. It’s good to see everyone. Well, almost everyone. There were a few people this year I could have lived another year without seeing. Seriously.

At 3:30 we have to round up and clean the kids up. We go around and give kisses to Gramma, Nana and Papa. The cousins always have to be pried apart. There is whining and hasty sleepovers arranged. It never fails. Just as I think I have everyone geared up and ready to move on, someone is missing. I have to run back in the house and root the straggler out.

Then we go to the in-laws and do it all over again.

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, schools need PTA Moms. Growing up, my parents always had a deep disdain for the PTA Board members. Granted, it was more likely based in the fact that these women were raging psychos but it stuck with me nonetheless.

So when my elder daughter entered Kindergarten last year, I vowed to never become a member of the school PTA. Never say never. I worked over 60 hours at the elementary school last year. I was there so often, many staff members joked that I might as well work there and get paid for my time.

I spent a lot of time with the members of the PTA board. They were nice, somewhat normal women. That made it hard to hate them. They always thanked me for helping. This wasn’t supposed to happen. How could I hold them in disdain if the were so likeable?

I am sure you can see where this is going.

When first grade rolled around, there were vacancies on the PTA board. Gulp. I am a stay-at-home mom. I have the time. I am at the school more days then I am not as it is, sigh. I did not jump at the chance. At back-to-school night, two weeks into the school year, the positions were still open.  I reluctantly told the PTA president that if no one else came forward before the next meeting, I would step in. I told her I did not want the job that requires excessive amounts of phone calls. I barely return my voicemail messages now.

Of course, no one came forward. I was installed as Membership Coordinator a month ago. You know what? it’s not that bad. sure, I have 41 plus hours on the books already but I would have been there anyway. I now have to keep track of members and log new inductees into our computer system. I am always at my computer anyway.

You should try the PTA, you might like it.

This Veteran’s Day 2008 has me reflecting. I have been thinking about how many Americans have sacrificed family time to serve our country. I live in an area with a large number of military installations. Every day, I see how much the families of military service members sacrifice as well. I think it is very kind how so many corporations are getting on board to honor these people. National Parks are allowing all military active duty, reserve and veterans in for free. Golden Corral restaurants are giving free meals to vets. President bush spoke at the USS Intrepid. Vice President Cheney laid a wreath at the Tomb on the Unknown Soldier this morning. Arlington National Cemetery is a touching place. The former home of Robert E. Lee has become a symbol of our country’s resolve to be free and democratic.

Thank you to all who serve, who have served and to all those who love those who them.

My daughter is a first grader. We limit her TV time to 30 minutes a day on school days and nights. On the weekends, when we’re home TV can be a free for all. She loves Spongebob Squarepants right now. I think it is because she has never been allowed to watch it before. I didn’t feel it was appropriate for anyone younger than six.

I am not concerned about the influence of animated aquatic creatures as much as I am the other shows on kid’s channels at dinner time.  Most of the shows on when she has TV time available are geared toward tweens. She is not ready to hear about going out on dates. When she asks why she can’t watch  iCarly or Hannah Montana, I tell her “they are talking about things that first graders do not need to worry about.” She is fine with it.

I want my girl to keep her innocence as long as possible. I am not going out of my way to shelter her. When she asks the big questions, I give straight-forward answers. She has a grasp on the birds and the bees, at an age-appropriate level. I never thought keeping her mind free of adult themes would be so much work.