Mommy’s school board adventures
This is the story of Mommy’s school board adventures. If you know me, you know I am an advocate and I use my voice for good whenever possible. So I have been gathering ideas on how best to use that locally to help adoptive families and those struggling with demands of special needs adoption.
I mean it’s not always enough just to have a loving family. You have to also have a family of champions willing to stand up for you. Anyways enough serious stuff – this is the story of Mommy’s school board adventures.
Ever have one of those days? All dolled up last week. Cute new H&M spring coat in coral colour. Love it. Lovely new Liz Claiborne capris. Tan in colour. Also love them. Feeling pretty friggin’ awesome adoring even my hair on this particular afternoon when child care arrangements and school schedules have come together perfectly to permit me a small adventure. And by small I mean boring but essential in a mommy takes on the world kind of way.
So there I was listening to school board chit chat, sitting in very important school board meeting, feeling pretty good about myself. I made some connections. Secretly, or not so secretly now, I am trying to get on special education committee as the public school system is in a shambles and I feel the need to get our groups – The London Coalition of Adoptive Families and the FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) Caregivers – represented on this level.
Act 1: School Board Adventures:
Cute coral coat gives me powermommy kind of vibe and big confidence boost. Am feeling hopeful, am in fact awake – a very big bonus – as kids often wake lately in middle of night with some complaint. Nightmares. Needing to pee. Dry throat. Window is open I want it closed. Window is closed I want it open. I dreamed you all moved away and left me. (UGH) And naturally they seldom wake father and enlist his help in middle of night, but that’s a different blog entirely.
Anyways yes, the sun is shining outside and am really doing well following numbers debate. Definitely getting to know the players on Thames Valley District School Board. Taking notes thinking this is going great. Darn right they shouldn’t cut the budget for special needs children when in fact enrollment is going up and needs are greater than ever with this group. I am noting to myself which trustees I will vote for next time around.
Typically this is the point in my day where the phone call comes from Payton’s school or Ainsley’s support person telling me one of my children is sick, or has eaten entire lunch and snack for first break or forgotten lunch, or is having big sensory meltdown, brought on by the sensory processing disorder, or on rare occasion is tap dancing on a stove. But no phone rings on this day. Instead I cross my legs look down and almost fall off my chair as I make realization that hair on my legs is actually almost long enough to braid.
Gah. Winter wheat is not cool.
Eyeballs scarred by my horrible realization I furtively look around to determine if anyone else has noted said disgusting legs. Man nearby suspiciously looking at a spot on the ground. So I casually uncross legs and sit uncomfortably for rest of meeting. Naturally cannot concentrate despite best efforts as I am occupied thinking when was the last time I shaved my legs? I know I had a moment or two back in April. Surely I must have shaved them since then? It is in fact now June. Two months? Can that be right?
LIFE versus legs
Must make quick exit and go home to do this immediately before I forget. And that luckily is when the phone rings. Payton is in the office not feeling well, can I come and get her. Of course she is, I think. But then again I did get half a day of Mommy’s school board adventures.
Life trumps legs once again.
