The Faire

So I mentioned that I co-chaired the faire at Zachary's school this year. That thing was a lot of work! It is a huge event and fundraiser. I'm happy to report that we earned almost $30,000. We were $5000 shy of our goal, BUT we were still almost $9000 over last year. And that's not bad. I know I bitched and complained about it the whole way, but the truth is, it really was a lot of fun. My co-chairs, Courtney and Julie, are amazing, fun girls and we had way more laughs than we did complaints. We worked well together, balanced off each other well, and were a great team. And our committee chairs were fabulous! They came up with new ideas; they questioned the way things had been done in the past and made them better; they were creative and innovative. They were awesome! The whole thing was a huge team effort that had all these separate pieces that all came together to make for an incredible day. In the end I was really proud! But I definitely felt a little weird when it was all over -- like a what now? kind of feeling. I miss seeing Courtney and Julie every day. And it was great to really feel like I was doing something to really help.

The whole volunteer thing is really quite new to me. I have done little things here and there, but nothing major like this. And that phenomenon is really an amazing one. It amazes me what people will do for no money, no paycheck, and often barely a thank you. Maybe it's because of how volunteering makes you feel -- like you're really making a difference, really helping someone out. I know for now it makes the most sense for me to be focusing my efforts locally, on my kids' schools, but I hope as they get older I will reach far beyond our community, and bring my kids along in that adventure. I can imagine how powerful that will be for a kid. Who knows where these volunteering gigs will lead for me. Perhaps someday it will land me a paying job doing fundraising for a non-profit. (I'll certainly build up quite a resume in the meantime!) Or maybe I'll become a "professional" volunteer, like my mom. So far I have found the experience really rewarding, and I look forward to my next assignment, whatever that may be.

On My Soapbox

We started out today by getting the treats prepared again for the Skidettes. This was our third time and the kids are definitely getting the hang of it. I think Zachary's issue is mostly that he can't mulit-task. And since he pretty much talks non-stop, it is difficult for him to count and bag cookies at the same time. Regardless, I think the kids are getting something out of it. Last week we even got to see the home for battered women and children where we donate our used clothing and toys. It was great for my kids to see that real kids are benefitting from their stuff. As we went through Annalise's clothes last week, I noticed that she was much more willing to part with things than in the past. Hopefully it will be eye-opening to her that others are in much more of a need than she is. Maybe she'll learn that the t-shirt she wears once every couple of months would be more useful to a kid who would wear it every week. (By the way, for those of you in the LA area, this shelter is always in desperate need of children's clothing. So if you have any gently used clothing, toys, nursery items, etc. to give away, please bring it to my house and I'll arrange to have it delivered. These families arrive often with literally just the clothing on their backs. They are in need of everything. For those of you not in the LA area, there is a great need for donations at all shelters, especially in these tough times.)

When we took the train down to Olvera Street a few weeks ago, something caught my eye as we passed through Chinatown. We saw the offices for Homeboy Industries. Homeboy Industries was founded by Father Greg Boyle about twenty years ago as a means to get kids out of gangs by doing something as simple as giving them jobs. They started out small and have expanded greatly to include a bakery, silkscreening, a cafe and other small businesses. All the employees are people who are trying to find a life outside of gangs. Our church has been selling their bread and using their services for years, but I had never seen their headquarters. So today my mom and the kids and I took the train to the Homegirl Cafe. It is a small restaurant, but it was completely packed. I suspect that most people come to have lunch there while at a break from the courthouse or other nearby businesses. The food is healthy, delicious and really inexpensive. Much of their produce is grown organically in the Homegirl garden. The kids wolfed down their chicken tacos and then picked apart my mom's salad, eating green peppers, zucchini, jicama, mango and more. I was too busy eating my salmon taco and carnitas and apple taco (SO good!) to share. We also HAD to take home some cookies and brownies for later. While I was wandering with Juliette in the Bjorn after I was finished (and so was she!), I noticed a sign that said that their headquarters would be closed on Friday because of a furlow day. Apparently their funds are really low right now. Check out their website at : www.homeboy-industries.org. (Wow! That just turned purple on me. How cool is that!?) They are having a virtual carwash right now to raise funds. And the next time you take the train from Pasadena into Union Station, take a quick detour in Chinatown (You'll see it from the platform.) to have a delicious, helathy meal or grab a tasty treat. You'll be helping out a great group of people.

Grrrr

I try to be a proactive parent. I like to anticipate the times when behavior won't be at its best and make a plan. I try to give lots of positive reinforcement when I can, use a calm voice, dispense lots of affection. Notice I said "try". There are days (lots of them) when the calm voice and anything positive goes right out the window. Lots of days I feel like I'm just trying to keep my head above water. Today was one of those days. (And it's only 4:00!) It was one of those days where I feel like I'm just spinning my wheels -- unload the dishwasher so that I can load it again; strip the sheets so I can make the bed again; clean up the toys so we can scatter them across the room again. And let's not even mention the yelling, hitting each other on the head, tormenting babies, etc. As Alexander says, "Some days are like that. Even in Australia."

We started off the day with our first attempt at volunteering. My mom has been involved with a group for thirty years or so that makes lunches for those in need. My younger brother used to go with her every week, starting when he was three years old. My older brother and I would go to help when we were on vacation from school. It was a simple, easy activity, but one that is very fulfilling as well. I've been wanting to do some volunteering with Annalise, in particular, for a while, but with all three kids, it's tricky. I needed to find something that we can all do together. So today, we gave it a shot. My mom arranged for us to do the sweets for the bagged lunches to be made tomorrow. (The group meets earlier than they used to and the idea of all of us in the kitchen was less than desirable.) All we had to do was bag cookies and treats in plastic sandwich bags. Annalise was a machine. She loved it and did a great job. Zachary bitched and complained the whole time. "I'm tired. I want some water." (We were there all of 45 minutes.) Meanwhile he kept explaining to his sister why she couldn't have a cookie. "These are for people who don't have any food. You have food. These aren't for you." And then jumped at the chance to have half a cookie himself. (At least he got the concept.) Juliette sat in her Baby Bjorn, kicking her little legs and making pterodactyl noises. So it wasn't a huge success, but we got the job done and both kids said they wanted to do it again next week.

The rest of the morning consisted of hitting each other on the head, screaming at each other, some slammed doors, waking up a napping baby, some threats, a screaming mommy and two kids being sent to their rooms. Some days that is the only way to get things back on track. Tomorrow I'll try again with the calm voice and positive reinforcement.