A bit of this and a bit of that.

It's that time of year!  PTA responsibilities are in full swing.  Allow me to share the things I've involved myself in:
1.  Membership Chair-  It was a surprise that I was the chair, since I only volunteered to help input names into the computer.  However, this is a position that needed filled since we will be losing our person next year.  Best to have a year of grooming.
2.  100 Book Challenge Board Updates-  I did this last year.  I started in early February when our person who normally covered this was extremely pregnant and the principal was afraid that she'd fall off the stool while posting names.  I spent 2 1/2 hours setting the board for the year.  I stapled 520 names to the board and they were kind enough to have everything in rainbow order, class and grade order.  Lovely!  Last year, the children's names were stapled to the board as they reached their 100 line goal.  It was very difficult to find the matching names when an update needed to be made.
3.  RIF-  Though funding has been cut from the government on this one, we still have some remaining funds as a carry over from last year.  I helped with RIF last year and believe that it is very important that a child be able to take a book home of their very own.  It was a wonderful thing to be able to give books away.  We were able to do it three times last year.  This time we will only be able to do it once.  Still, I love it.  It's a one day gig, so it isn't bad.
4.  Post Office Cookies-  Our local post office has a Thanksgiving dinner for all people in the area that don't have a place to go on Thanksgiving.  Our elementary is responsible for donating the cookies and pastry for the event.  All I do is bake a bit and drop it by.  No big thing.  Oh, and it is a one time thing.
5.  Santa Shop/Winter Wonderland-  We have a day long festival for the entire school and families to come and celebrate the holiday season.  The kids can go to the Santa Shop and purchase gifts of a reasonable cost ($1.00-3.00), the gifts get wrapped and they are handled.  They have crafts, photos with Santa, games and it is very little money involved.  For this, I will be going on Friday to haul the merchandise to the school and help to set up.  I will be attending this event.  I will not be working it.  I work holiday retail.  I don't need another day of it.  A one day thing.
6.  Field Day-  End of the year day of games for the kids.  It's a day long thing, but a one day thing.
7.  Community Building Committee-  Working on our new school building design with the school board, staff of the elementary, architects and fellow parents.  I love that I have a voice that can be heard and will affect something that will be used for our children and for many years to come.
8.  Garden Fair Chair-  The chair will be moving on and this position was available.  She was sweating who would take it over and it is only a 2 time thing.  I told her that I would be happy to do it.  I spent 10 years in 4-H.  It takes me back to my county fair roots.  Shall I have a garden fair king and queen?  (Kidding.  Only kidding!)

In other news, I made a rockin' pot of chili earlier on in the week and made a crock pot of chicken-veggie-barley soup today.  It is nice to have a meal that will feed us for a few days.  Leftovers in the freezer are also a grand thing!

K- used her voice today to discuss a situation with a friend and it is all resolved.  It's hard for her to stand on her own two feet.  She's always afraid of losing friends, but in the end, it all worked out fine.

I'm going to be brave enough to take K- to the Take Care Clinic at Walgreen's for a flu shot tomorrow.  Our pediatrician won't have them in until probably early November.  Knowing that the swine flu hit us hard in about mid October last year, I'd rather just take her to the clinic tomorrow.  The good thing?  They take our insurance!  The bad thing?  K- has a phobia towards shots.  I know that technically she could probably have Flu Mist, but I will not do it.  She's had a compromised immune system and for us, it is just not worth it.

Despite the rain, I still got three miles of walking in today.  I would have had four, but a friend drove me home from the school after the great bulletin board bit. 

We had a lovely play date after school.

All of K-'s papers that came home today were perfect.  One was a math test that she scored 100% on.  :)

Smiles in my day:
-  Above!  :)

Have a great weekend!