What a Relief

Many of you know that Duane and I are very active in the PTA at the boys school. I love the families I've gotten close to through PTA and I love knowing what's going on at the school, but sometimes it's a big ball of stress.

We have traditionally done a small "carnival" for our school families each year called "Fun and Frolic." The turnout is always great, but it's easily the most stressful and nerve wracking part of the year for me. The older kids say the games are lame, do we have to try and keep them fresh, which is really hard. The timing is hard because those of us involved in PTA all have kids that play soccer and we always end up needing to be in two places at once. We never get enough volunteers from the school or the community and inevitably those of us running the event don't get to spend any time with our own kids.

This year we made the decision NOT to hold Fun and Frolic. While it was a huge relief for the PTA, there were a few negative comments - of course from people who can't be bothered to help out. Instead we spent money and hired a company to come show a movie last night out on the playground. We encouraged families to bring blankets and snacks and had a food truck there for those who wanted to buy food.

I was a little disappointed by the turnout, but in all fairness it was a pretty chilly night. However, as far as I'm concerned, it was a fantastic event because we didn't have to do a thing except write a check and enjoy it. I hung out with my friends, ate good food and my kids ran around to their hearts content. I didn't feel resentful or bitter about having to work it and everyone there had a good time. That's a good event in my book.