Hours 1 thru 5, roughly

Today - PTO work officially got underway. I will choose not to record the non-sequential hours spent thinking about thinking about PTO related business (that's not a typo). There are so many things I must remember for one event lasting 2 hours: Make the spotlight bucket, make the tri-fold display board advertizing and building up the PTO, make sure I have all the volunteer sign-up sheets, making meeting date cards, making the new-parent pamphlet, contacting our rep for Market Day about open house night, contacting our apparel coordinator about selling T-shirts the night of, wondering about table placement, buying paper for copies, and so much more. Not to mention that I have been in contact with the Welcome Back Brunch committee members to get them going. It's kind of like moonlighting. I mean - it all seems so simple. Right? But, who knew it actually takes a lot of time and concentration to plan the littlest of events. Here's one for you: I had a nightmare a few nights back. It was open house night and I was dressed nice, made sure the Market Day rep was set up and good to go. My treasurer was all set in the computer room to help get people set up with Scrip. The girl scout and cub scout leaders were all set up and sitting pretty in their little chairs behind tables full of flyers and forms. Children and parents stood eager at the doors destined to end summer boredom, or for the parents, destined to end the complaining, whining and constantly having their kids underfoot. . . and then I realized - I hadn't set up any of MY stuff! No spotlight bucket I advertised, no display boards, not even a single volunteer sign-up sheet! Ugh! I woke up with my heart racing. LOL! So, today I worked on changing the outcome of that dream. I spent roughly 5 hours working on much of the above mentioned tasks that need to happen in order to pull off a successful - simple open house. Now, somehow or another, I sincerely doubt the teachers go through so much - ummmm. . let's see - anticipation, preparation, stress, or emails (which I now think of like rubber balls bouncing off walls) - for a two hour 'show.' No - I'm sure they go through a lot more in preparation for hours, days, weeks, and months in order to pull off a success in educating my kid, and all others. This is not the sound of me complaining. I am simply gearing up for the road ahead. My goal is to take it easy and not freak out at every event - but the best way to do that is to make sure all the I's have been dotted, and all the T's have been crossed - behind the scenes. So, here goes. Wish me luck!