PTO mayhem

First off let me say that had I known the frustration, intense work, and general lack of volunteers and participation I would of got from joining the PTO I can honest say that I probably would not of joined. I joined in the beginning because one of the last year's members had to quit due to her parents health, also because I was basically the only regular attending parent. I went in with high expectation and hope that we (the 4 members) could turn this school around and do some new exciting.. even great things for our children's school! I got nominated as Secretary but my duties have well surpassed that of just a record keeper. I came up with what I thought were great ideas. One idea was called " change a kid's life" and what we wanted the kids to do was bring in spare change. I bought piggy banks for each classroom. Each month we would count the change and it would go into a account for helping our own families within the school. My first frustration was that I would have to do this by myself.. no one in the pto helped me. My second was when I went to collect the money I noticed that the teachers tossed aside the piggy banks. Obviously they are not into helping the families within the school. I reached out to the Media dept at our school and now have it being announced on the morning news, hopefully that will help. Another idea I had was that we could get businesses within the community to help us out via gift card, certificates, or however they could.. again this was left up to me to do solo. I don't want to sound like the other PTO mom's do nothing.. that isn't true, they all have their hands into something or another. I just feel overwelmed. I don't want to not do these projects as I think once they get going they will really make a difference, and I don't mind the work as nothing worth doing is every easy! Today my frustration is we are doing a Pantry food drive, this is a huge undergoing and it looks as once again I am flying solo! How will I do all of this alone? How is it no one sees I need help? I have meantioned how it's too big of a job but it seems as if everyone is just too busy to help.. I want to quit.. I want just give up because it's so hard, but I know that if I do there is no chance for these people I am trying to help to get help through our school. I just really wish it didn't have to be so hard to help others and to get others to help out! Also I am having a hard time managing taking care of 5 kids,being a good wife, working on the pto, 2 girls in cheerleading and trying to be there for some friends in crisis. If I were one more person I swear I could get a handle on how much work there is too do. Every time I feel like I am going to get some downtime another project has to be started. How do I manage all this.. what do I give up if anything.. where are all my answers hiding?

Post overload

Bear with me while I start this site.. many new posts!

Cheerleading; Emily season is over. Technically she has a week left but they only have a week till competition and being that she is a mascot she is not allowed to compete. She is bored and tire.. so Im not making her go! I mean she is 6, and for the past 2 months she has given up her life for this sport, Im dang proud of her! She still loves cheerleading but just is tired of practices and with it being so cold out and the division not providing warm ups for the mascots well.. she is just cold!


Kylie ....all I can say is Wow! I am so proud of her, although I did tell her she would make a good cheerleader :) She went in to cheerleading without even a back bend back this summer and now here she is with her back walkover, back handspring and currently working on her back tuck! Although her schedule is gruling for both her and the family, we are sooo proud and happy she is on the squad. Sideline cheer just ended ( last game was yesterday) now she just has to deal with tryouts and God willing she will make competition ( basketball season). Keep your fingers crossed!

A day at the farm

So the day starts just like every week day morning.. per chaos. Wake up to an alarm clock that Im sure would look much better in a million pieces, get up, get dressed, and wake up Zach and Emily (yeah right). Then I go downstairs to make lunches, today I get to make 3 additional lunches because the twins and I are going on a field trip to a Farm. Yay! As I am making the lunches I realize I don't have enough sandwich baggies.. is nothing ever easy? So I decide I will run to the store and get those single pringles you can get..ok so done with lunches at this point. Now to go rewake Zach and Emily! I have to do this EVERY morning, Zach usually a few times. I then get the twins up to get dressed. Oh I forgot to meantion that Kylie is already up and dressed because she has a game today. Ok fast forward past the yelling, rewaking, and too many numerous questions like " are you going to school barefoot today?" We are now in the car.. I drop off Zach and Emmy and am now on my way to the ortho because today is the day Kylie gets her braces (yep I am a horrible mom) so I go in let them know of our arrangements ( arrangements are her grandfather is picking her up and dropping her off at school), then she goes in and I am finally on my way to the school for the twin's field trip. Fast past the waiting to getting on the bus. Now the bus ride there was great, Quinn looked out the window the whole time, while Ashton and I played.

Trip was loooong all the way to Canton and good 30-45 min drive on a bus with 20+ 3/4 year olds. We get there and first thing mommy uses the rest room TIP don't drink alot of coffee before a bouncy bus ride!! Then we at the playground, the twins love this and play quite good. Now we move to see the animals in the barn, they have sheep, goats, bunnies, kittens, baby pigs, cows, the works.

But now we are in the barn with 40+ people and me with 2 toddler boys. Can I just say that it's impossible to watch 2 boys go in 2 totally different directions!!! Chaos breaks out.. I am now doing my very best to keep composure and not freak every 5 secs I can't find one of the boys. This field trip will be remembered by many as me calling the boys names or asking have you seen him. Finally I bail out of the barn and go out to a hill that despite is wet, I let the boys slide down repeatedly. After about 15 mins everyone joins us outside and we get to go on a hayride. But not before Quinn and Ash and Jackson (a little boy they convinced to be bad) run away chasing the tractor pulling other guests on a hayride. Finally on the hayride, and Im in blissful happiness. The boys watch what can only be described as boring scenary. We get off the ride and instantly Ashton takes off, I slowly begin to panic when he repops. We eat lunch but instead of the warm barn we were promised we end up eating at the playground.. do I need to explain?

The twins don't eat instead they inch toward the opening in the playground and eventually take off sending me to run at my fastest to catch up to them and then drag them back.. no really drag they would not walk. Ok so now its diaper changing time.. thankfully the bus driver lets us use the bus ( its warm) and we head to where they are giving horse back rides. OH but its near this quaint little play lighthouse with a slide and swings and tractor to play on... really!!!

So needless to say the twins did not ride the horse, instead I spent the remainer of the time chasing them from on thing to the next. At one point they were 50 yards away from each other and I just stood in middle waiting to see who would run. At 1230, 30 mins before we were suppose to leave I gave up and took both boys on the bus to sit and wait. So what did I learn ... never go somewhere with wide open spaces alone with the twins.

Insanity

My schedule Im sure is gonna be the death of me. This summer I spent $20 a week in gas, and no joke had some to spare. Granted I didnt go alot of places but still..Now every weekday morning I go to the middle school, then the grade school, then the twins preschool and usually back to the grade school to do PTO stuff. Add to it cheerleading one girl goes 3-5pm the other 5-7pm but on game day its 6-8 and on gymnastics day its 745-945pm. My weekends are spent due to games on Sat! My poor son is not even permitted to do a sport or hobby till one of the girls is done with cheerleading!! Im up to $60 a week in gas!!! Gah! The scary part is this is just with 2/5 children in activities.. what is gonna happen to me when all 5 are doing stuff? I am convinced I either need to start saving for Kye to have a car when she turns 16 or recruit drivers to help out!