I'm Just Getting in Deeper--March Madness

And they called it puppy love . . .

Let's add a new puppy to the mix. Let's see if I can push myself to my very limits, and do the most irrational thing imaginable within the course of two short weeks. Let's consent to be PTA president and let's put money down on a purebred English Springer Spaniel pup. Why not? It's March Madness. I seem to have come down with a full-blown case of it.

I hate to think what next week might bring--tattoos, a mid-life crisis, adopting a baby from Haiti, selling my house, selling my kids and husband, going to work at Claire's at the mall cause all the earrings are so pretty, actually sending a manuscript somewhere. Who knows what I can achieve? Some one please knock me out for a week before I do any more damage. At least March will be over by then.

Oh, that little boy puppy has won our hearts. Talk about love at first sight. We are buying puppy things, reading puppy books and fixing the back yard fence. (Well, Darren doesn't know he needs to do that yet, but I'll put in on the schedule for Saturday.) We picked him out on Monday and were back visiting him Wednesday to take photos. He has the silkiest hair ever. It is like, well, silk.

Sammie, Nate and Leah have been asking for a dog for years, literally years. And of course we needed a boy because we have only one of those at our house. And since Darren has taken up rapelling down mountain cliffs, I just had to do something (or two?) equally bizarre and emotion-based.

Ok, honey, I'm up two to one, how about we just stop this insanity and call it good?

There Goes My Life as I Knew it

I have no idea what I just go myself into, but it looks like next year is going to be one of the busiest of my life. If I had any idea what I was doing, I probably wouldn't have done what I just did.

H-o-l-y C-r-a-p. That is about as eloquent as I get right now.

I have consented to be PTA president next year. It's been mulling around in my mind for months now, the thought that I should do it. I have been waiting for the right moment, however, and it looks like it's finally come. First, I said yes, and then I said no and now I've finally said yes again. They are probably waiting for me to back out but this time I'm in for the long haul.

I had to wait for the right principal, one who thought along the same lines as me in terms of activities and goals and vision. It had to be someone who was leading the school on to better things, and making it stronger than in years past. Gratefully, that is happening now. I only have one child left in elementary school. And it seems like it's now or never. So I said now.

I took the plunge into the icy depths, the vast sea of PTA. If it has anywhere near as much red tape as the Boy Scouts I'd better resign right now. Given how I feel about bureaucracy, I am surprised I took this on. There are rules and bylaws and budgets (not my most shining accomplishment, budget keeping) and seconding motions and lots of papers to keep track of. We even say the pledge before meetings. At least I know that by heart.

I'd better go to Staples and by myself a big, fat PTA binder and plan on getting lost inside it for the next year or so. I will try hard not to lose it! But I am not promising anything. That was not part of the deal.

Everyone keeps saying that I'm not in this alone. That the president this year stays on next year to help in a leadership role to support and counsel. And, that delegation is the name of the game. I am good at telling people to do things. Just ask my husband, kids and siblings. They think I am a bossy britches. Hopefully, however, the PTA board will be more responsive to requests than them!

Yes, there are the rules and headaches involved, just like in every big organization. But there are all the people, an entire community of them, including 500 elementary school kids. How wonderful to get to know all of them. The thought of that is thrilling to me.

That is why I said yes.