All that work was so worth it!

I'm the room mother for my son's 4th grade class and it's been a lot of work. Parties, baskets full of goodies to be auctioned for charity, writing a play for the GATE kids to preform in, I did it all.

I spent near $600 in party supplies, science experiments and gifts. My mother never volunteered in my class, I was the youngest of five children and she was too tired for that crap by the time I came along. I always fantasized that I would have a mommy that would throw class parties and buy fun things to give away in my class.

It never happened...When I would tell my mom that we were having a party, she would always tell me to volunteer to bring in the napkins-they were cheap and didn't need baking. She never really understood how cool it was to have that kind of mom-the enthusiastic volunteers who enjoyed their time in the classroom.

So, I vowed that my son would have a different sort of experience. I have been the room mother to his classrooms from first grade on. I also volunteer about 8 hours a week in his classroom, helping the teacher. Sometimes I enjoy my volunteering, sometimes I wish those responsibilities would disappear.

I got 32 thank-you notes today, telling me how wonderful I am. The kids from Mrs. Tidwell's fourth grade class let me know I made a difference in their lives. My son's thank-you note told me how much he loved me for coming in week after week and throwing those cool holiday parties. The Boy's friends told him how cool his mom was for buying everyone journals, pens and stickers to decorate them with. The look of pride on his face was worth all the stress.

Here's to all the parents who volunteer at their kid's school-you are making a difference and you should be very proud of yourselves!
Have a great day!