Remember Jan, my co-room mom from last year? I know she was a favorite with some of you. Well, guess whose child is in Laura's class again? So we don't have to say goodbye to Jan after all. A couple of weeks ago, when I got Laura's teacher assignment in the mail, I sent out an email to all the parents of last year's class to say, "Hey, let's all tell where our kids are going." Jan wrote to me to say that her daughter and Laura will be together this year, and to ask me if I was thinking of room momming again, and would I like to do it with her again, because we were such a good team. She said, "Plus, if I don't look busy, my hubby will make me go back to work!" Then she favored me with an emoticon.
I won't lie. I missed her over the summer. I missed her insecurity masked with brittle spunkiness; I missed her free-flowing, oversharing, email-epic confessions; I missed her way with a smiley face. I told her that I wasn't going to be a room mom again, but that I would back her candidacy.So at open house, when Laura and I went in to meet the teacher, I only signed up for some minor duty--I think at some appointed hour I'm supposed to think happy thoughts about the class or something--but I remarked on Jan's name on the room mom list. To Mrs. H, the teacher, I said, "Oh, Jan is great! I was co-room mom with her last year. She does crafts!" And Mrs. H got a gleam in her eye and thanked me for that bit of information. Then I broke my own Rule for Ladies--Never Apologize, Never Explain--and said, "I need to take a break this year, I've got my hands full." Which is Southern-speak for anything from "This would interfere with my bunco" to "My husband is the governor of South Carolina and also we have bedbugs." So Mrs. H clucked and demurred like, "Honey, don't fuss yourself!"
So I got my absolution and we're cool. And Jan is in line to help pull off another year of wall-to-wall crafts, auction baskets, and melon kabobs. God bless us, everyone!
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15 comments:
I will miss Jan. You'll have to keep an eye on her and let us know of any room-mom drama :)
That was a close one. I'm sure you'll still have plenty of updates from Jan.
I'm planning on being the room mom in Graham's class since I want to know what's going on there and they keep me in the dark. Maybe I'll bring wall to wall crafts, you don't know.
Rules for Ladies? More, please!
I'm with Jenni. You really need to post about the Rules for Ladies.
I can't help it... I always think, "And then she favored me with an emoticon" when I get an email with a smiley face. Hilarious.
I also would like to hear more about these Rules for Ladies. I need more rules like these, I think.
Hmm, you know, my Rules for Ladies have never been written down, but I will see if I can codify some of them.
Casey, being a room mom is a good way to know what's going on in the class. And I think teachers are big on crafts for G's age group.
I didn't think anyone but librarians used the word codified. Nice!
my oldest is starting kinder this year so i now have a model of whom NOT emulate. but i probably will be overbearing and over involved in everything pertaining to G's school. why do they have to grow up? waaaaaah!
I will miss Jan! I have a soft spot for the ol' gal.
Bex--speaking of overbearing, I *almost* friended Ava's young Kindy teacher on Facebook the other day. Ha! I bet she woulda been THRILLED about that. I could be all, "Hey, Miss_____, that looked like an awesome party you went to!" LOL I entertained myself for awhile with those kind of thoughts.
And yes, a future post on your rules for ladies is desperately needed.
"Oh, Jan is great! I was co-room mom with her last year. She does crafts!" -- Becky, you are positively evil! ; )
This will be an interesting next school year with old Jan at the helm. Keep us posted!
I can't wait to hear about who gets paired with Jan. So many possibilities.
You've got my vote for Rules for Ladies.
I'm sure Jan will be looking for help...you'll end up being a pinch-hitter Room Mom. After you've dealt with those bedbugs.
You're going to die...but....I think I'm going to be a room mom this year. I KNOW. It's my sons last year in elementary, figure I need to step it up a bit. Pray for me, will you?
Well good for you. You did a year's hard labour and now you've been released on good behaviour. It's as it should be.
I'm a first-time homeroom mom...my oldest son is in Kindergarten. I'm using the excuse that I don't know any better so that's why I signed up. I fully expect to be gladly handing over those reins next year.
I LOVE your rule about not apologizing for our decisions. People have heard them all and I myself would rather just hear, "no I can't help right now..." than "I've got soooo much going on and my husband's out of town and my youngest was sick for three days and my mother had surgery and my grass needs mowing and the plumber's coming to fix our leaky toilet and..." OH MY GAWD...we all have stuff going on and we're all busy so just save it.
Enjoy your year of freedom and saying no. : )
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