School Volunteer

In February, my son came home from a school trip and asked me if I could volunteer for the next school trip. He was so excited and he said "Mommy- other parents come, and I want you there. I have the BEST mom in the world and I want all my friends to meet you".

I know the days of thinking his mom is cool are almost over, so I didn't want to miss this one window of opportunity where my son actually wants to show me off to his friends. I asked the office if I could volunteer for the next school trip. They told me to get a criminal record check done and bring it in. I was actually impressed to learn that this was a requirement. It means that the freaks of the world cannot be around my child in the day. Not bad at all. So I went to the police station back in February and requested the check. It was completed just last week.

My son has another school trip coming up on May 23rd. So if the school board can vet the criminal record check before then, I will get to go along with him to Black Creek Pioneer Village. He is so excited he can barely contain himself.

This morning, I dropped into the school to give them a copy of the check before I send it off to the school board. The secretary smiled and asked if I really wanted to go on the trip. "I mean, you will take a vacation day from work to babysit 25 kids, and you are a single mom with no time for yourself. Are you SURE you want to do that?"

I explained to her that while she is right that I never get a break for myself, I just cannot give up the opportunity to take my little boy on one class trip in his lifetime. Just this once. Who knows- when he reaches high school, he might be the one begging me to park my car 4 blocks away so he doesn't get embarrassed by his mom in front of his friends. I truly hope that day never comes, but it is always a very real possibility.

I guess one of the downfalls of being a single mom is the guilt. You never feel like you have done enough. You always wish you had more time. You feel bad that you can't bake for the bake sales (that you BUY the cakes like I do), or you feel bad that you cannot pick them up from school every day (that's why I love work from home Fridays!), or that you have to spend time disciplining and doing homework while balancing laundry, housework, packing lunches etc.

Single moms are always wishing we could have the capacity of two people, because we have to spread ourselves thin being both a mother and a father. As a result, we sometimes have to miss out on the little things like school trips, even when we wish we didn't have to. My son has been in Montessori since he was 18 months old. And I have never been on a school trip.

So I'm really hoping I can go to this one. Despite the "work" involved, I will happily take my son on the trip. Let's just hope the school board clears the check in time.

I love being a mom to my children. They make my life complete. Busy, yes. Hectic, yes. Sometimes even insane. But I love being their mom. And I truly do have awesome kids.