Class mom

I always thought I'd be a class mom, helping do whatever class moms do.

Instead I am a full time nurse, and between that and raising up my family, well I don't have time for the class mom role.

While I like to be a nurse, I am not digging the fact that I am not that class room helper I once thought I'd be.  I know I am contributing to society in a great way as a RN, however the selfish part of me wants to contribute my everything to my kids.

So because I am a working mom I do things like...

Forget to look in Ryk's backpack filled with crap important notes and such for parents.  So apparently those two bags of candy, and his $7 gift for the class gift exchange for his class Christmas Party on Wednesday, yep those were due today.

*sigh*

So he'll be that kid, you know the one kid that the teach has to fork out her own money to buy a gift for because she doesn't want poor little Ryk to miss out on the gift exchange that occurs Wed.

and we even bought that dang $7 gift!  Which was quite the ordeal of a Target shopping experience if you must know - Jovie puked all over the floor of aisle 31, right between those annoying singing Elmo toys that Kip wouldn't stop pressing the display button for, and the Sky bouncy balls that Ryk kept eyeballing.  I kept thinking to myself - just wait for it, my 5 year old will pick up one of those balls and bounce it into a light...thankfully that didn't happen.  What did happen was Kip fell on his face into the metal bar of those darn red shopping carts, while reaching up to press that singing Elmo button for the gazillionth time.  Huge bruise instantly formed.  We rounded off the trip by spilling an entire bag of goldfish crackers on the floor - and it wasn't one of the kids who did it...Such a humbling moment of motherhood that trip was.

But the trip wasn't a total bust, Ryk said a few funny things while trying to find a gift in the right price range 1)"you can't buy anything cool for $7" and 2) "I use to think that $7 was lots of monies - way back in Oregon, when I was littler." and 3) "yeah baby, mega rad!" as he finally found the toy he wanted to get.

So tonight I'm feeling bad that I am not one of those moms that has it all together, acknowledging that I didn't help contribute to the class party with my candy contribution (but in hindsight maybe I am, less candy = less potential dental cavities, and other health related complications...).  At the same time I am also thankful for those moms who have the time to be class moms and pick up the slack for those working moms like me. 

I guess I need to write on our family calendar more...

*****
and so is the saga of a full time working mom just trying to figure out how to pretend to have it all together, when clearly I'm a work in progress.

and so we just roll with it, and learn as we go. 

Ryk will bring in his gift on Wed, the day of the gift exchange, and hopefully all will be right.