Something happened at school last week that I'm still chuffed about. I was going to write a letter to the principal, but thought I may be overreacting. Here's the scene:

I'm dropping DS off at school. Everyone has to sign in before going on campus. The head of the PTO is in the office discussing the latest fund raiser that took place the previous Saturday. It was a dinner dance with a silent auction. I think tickets were in the $25 per person range. We didn't go.

So, someone asks PTO Mom how it went. She says not so good, hardly anyone came, no one was bidding, they hardly raised money etc.

Then she says this, "C'mon people, this is your kids school. Don't you care? [Another school] had this same event and they raised thousands of dollars."

It's not what she said that bothered me, but how. Her tone was so... indignant and bitchy.

I can't tell you how many times this year I've been to Wal Mart carrying yet another letter from the teachers begging (their word) for supplies.

I've bought wrapping paper I don't need, gifts for Teacher's birthday, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Teacher Appreciation Week and the most recent request that came home yesterday for $10-20 for an end of the year gift.

There have been science projects, book fairs, pizza parties, scoop night at the yogurt shop and school pictures. We bought and filled a backpack with school supplies for the underprivileged at the beginning of the year. And I spent $6 on a fridge magnet with one of the lamest pieces of artwork my kid has ever done.


Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to help when I can. Schools are horribly neglected and teachers are pathetically underpaid. Schools need help.

But listening to PTO Mom complain that we parents aren't doing enough for the school really pissed me off. She may have no problem filling her Mercedes but perhaps the rest of us don't have access to magic wallets.

And I think it was totally inappropriate and tacky of her to say such things out in the open where parents could hear (which would have been my main point to the principal).

The school year ends in a few weeks. I'm over the donating and I would hazard a guess that by now, many other families are too. If this event was so important, perhaps she should have scheduled it in the beginning of the year before all the donation requests and fund raisers went from cute to annoying.

Am I just being touchy? Should I have sent a letter to the principal?

Proud vs. Private

I have been called obnoxiously proud when it comes my son. He is my heart, my precious cargo, my favorite. And he's totally gorgeous. (I had a pic up for a little while yesterday).

We're all a bit biased when it comes to our kids and naturally think ours are the cutest on the planet. I'm no exception. The fact that he's a beautiful person too makes him all the more attractive.

Since infancy, we get stopped by people admiring and commenting on his looks. True tales, I had one mom say she wished her kids were as cute and a tweenager said I should take her number so he can call her when he's 18. That one creeped me out. A lot.

And it just kills me not to show him off here. I want to. But I can't.

Because then Petey the Pedophile, Larry the Letch and Deviant Dave will be able to see him too.

I've said I have an overactive imagination. And my biggest fear is that someone will take him from me.

When he was little, a woman leaned over his stroller and said, "oh he's so cute I just want to take him!" It took tons of self control not to knock her on her butt.

I know she didn't mean it, but seriously? Who says that?

For those of you with photos online, did you struggle with the decision? Any regrets?