Monthly Archives: June 2014

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Musings of a PTA President: The Almost Impossible Task of Getting What I Want as a Parent and a Member of the PTA

I’m torn.

As a parent I have certain expectations of…well…everything. Including the PTA.

As a member of the PTA I have (potentially too many) expectations of parents, teachers, principals, and the community.

There is a tension. A tension that tugs at me daily. It’s the tension between the part of my brain that reacts as a parent and the other part of my brain that reacts as the president of the PTA. I’m not claiming there is any sort of scientific evidence that there are different parts of my brain working here. It’s just that I often have two very different but parallel thoughts.

How can I possibly get what I want from the PTA as a parent and get from parents what I want as a member of the PTA? Seems impossible.

As a parent I want to just.be.left.alone (sometimes).

As a member of the PTA I want everyone to get involved now!!!

As a parent I want people – specifically the plethora of organizations in this small town – to stop asking me for money.

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Memorandum to Funkapus and P-nut: Quit the Meowing

Memorandum # 7

To: All cats

Effective date: immediately

It has been brought to executive management’s attention that you have engaged in loud, hysterical meowing during the early morning hours. While we encourage all members of the faculty (i.e. family) to express themselves, we must insist – if not demand — quiet voices during sleeping hours.

Effective immediately loud meowing will be permitted between the hours of 8am and 8pm. Please refrain from meowing outside of these hours unless you are notifying management of a dangerous situation. Please note that dangerous situations do not include annoyance with the dog, a desire to be fed prior to 8am, or a demand to be let outside at any time.

If you must express yourself after 8pm and before 8am you are welcome to do so in the confines of the basement.

Failure to adhere to this new rule will be considered a violation of this memo. To understand what happens when you violate a memo please refer to Office Space.

We appreciate your assistance in this matter,

Executive Management (Jill & Josh)
Executive Management in training (Marlee and Lila Pearl)

P.S. We know you try to be extra cute when in trouble. Cuteness weighted against lack of sleep? You’re not going to win that one!

P-nut knows how to work his cuteness for maximum results. We are suspicious he has imparted this wisdom to the girls.

P-nut knows how to work his cuteness for maximum results. We are suspicious he has imparted this wisdom to the girls.

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Discovered in a Skein of Yarn: Life Defining Lesson

I was 5 months pregnant. My nesting instinct was raging. It made me want to do unexpected things. I created a baby and apparently this baby was going to change my life. First she took over my womb. Then she made me want to do things I never expected to do. Like knit.

With a round belly I waddled into the local knitting store and meekly asked “do you have classes?” My intent was to gather information. I walked out with a receipt that said “$40” on paper but said “life defining moment” in my heart.

The moment I declared, “I want to knit” I simultaneously realized, “this baby is going to teach me things I never imagined I could learn.”

I was stepping into a world that blends creativity and math – two of my least favorite things. Why in the world would I want to start a new hobby – one that I certainly wouldn’t like, and couldn’t do – just months before having a baby? My nesting instinct didn’t offer me a choice. It demanded I fulfill this need my baby created.

Before she was even born, Marlee pushed me out of my comfort zone into an unknown world.

Learning to knit was akin to learning to become a parent.

I learned to knit one stitch at a time. I learned to parent one step at a time. With both, I learn from my mistakes and move forward. Knitting taught me an important life lesson: be present.

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