Room Mom, Election Day, and Pumpkin Pie Chex Mix

Since, Goofy started school, I have been pretty active in his class room. Actually, both the Husband and I have been active in our kid's school life. The Husband volunteers with classroom activities and field trips and I bake and attend class parties.

Goofy's school, last year, had a lot of parent involved activities but now that we are in a new school (because we moved ten houses away from the district's imaginary cut off line) there is not as much planned for his class as there was in the previous school. It could be that he is now in first grade and they don't need as much help as they did as kindergartners, it could be he is in a much smaller class or it could be the demographic for his school is different. I honestly can't tell, yet.

At the previous school, standing in front of the school, waiting for the kids to come out was a mini social hour.  Add a bar or barista and it would have been the perfect mid-day hot spot.  There moms and dads where dressed nicely and chatted freely.  I am not social by nature, but I even greeted strangers other parents with a smile and started up a conversation (okay, maybe I am a little social - or nervous talker, whatever).  I even made some mom friends - who I never see anymore since we switched schools.

The new school, no one really looks you in the eye unless they have to and I would not call it social time.  In fact, there are not many parents who stand in front of the school and wait for the kids to come out but instead go around back and get in the driving lane.  It seems, they drop their kids off this way, too.

Apparently, it may be that way in the participation department of his classroom, too.

I am not entirely sure of this as the Husband has actually been to the classroom a few times this year and I have not.  His schedule rotates so he is off on weekdays where I work a straight 9 to 5 gig.  In other words, I have to schedule days off to volunteer which is why I take all the class parties (there where four last year) and bake when ever needed.

When the sign up sheet went around asking for volunteers for class activities, bake sales and what not, I filled out both sheets that came home - one for me and one for the Husband.  He is signed up for classroom help and field trips.  I am signed up for parties and baking.  Neither of us signed up to be a room parent.

And then, I got the call...

"Would you be room mom?"


"Um... sure?  I guess?"


"Great!  I only got three forms back from your child's class room and - wait, is this Dad your husband?"


"Yes."


"So, we only, really got two sheets back and it would really be great if you could be room mom.... yada yada yada"

Now that I am room mom I feel an obligation to participate in things like - bake sales

My first official PTA Election Day Bake Sale 

 
Since it is a fall election I decided to make Chex® Pumpkin Pie Crunch with melted Hershey's Pumpkin Spice Kisses (mixed with Torani Brown Sugar Cinnamon Flavored Syrup) drizzled on top of the mix as it was cooling.

There are nuts in the recipe and you can add nuts but I left out the nuts. It is a PTA function and all and I would not want anyone to not buy my treat because of nuts.

*giggle* nuts. my treat. *giggle*

I realize that since I made these I should not brag but I have to say - very, very tasty so freakin' good!


If I was really clever, I would have made the Chex® Apple Pie Snack Mix since this is, after all, a bake sale that is taking place on Election Day, in the polling station (aka school gym); at the school.  Then again, I would have no reason to buy, yet another, bag of Hershey's Pumpkin Spice Kisses and add it to my *giggle* treats.

I will admit, when I heard about this bake sale I sort of shrugged and thought, well - nothing.

It is what it is and gave it very little thought other then what to make.  At least until, I was browsing the NaBloPoMo entries and notice one from a blogger/friend I follow - Random Handprints -The Last Time I Voted: 2008.  Besides, the ridiculous cute pictures of @RandomHandprint's daughters, she actually pointed out something that never occurred to me: 

I also wondered to myself if the bake sale was "fair" - wasn't the reminder that the public schools lacked funding and therefore needed to raise money via these bake sales, a subtle nudge in favor of the left?

She and our PTA are geniuses!  Geniuses! And, totally fair!  I am now a bigger fan of the PTA and PTA sponsored baked sales on election days than ever before.

So, on this Election Day, may you go out, vote and buy a treat from our under funded school's PTA because not only are you supporting them, your school and your country, you are helping to boost one mom's standing in the PTA and as room mom!  Oh, and probably helping to buy juice boxes and pay for the field trip that little Johnny so badly wants to go on.

Chex® Pumpkin Pie Crunch 

Ingredients

¼ cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
¼ cup butter
2 tsps. vanilla
2 cups Cinnamon Chex® cereal
2 cups Wheat Chex® cereal
2 cups Honey Nut Chex® cereal
8 oz pecans

Directions

1. Combine brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Microwave butter on High about 30 seconds or until melted then add vanilla.
3. In a large microwavable bowl, mix all cereals and pecans.
4. Pour butter mixture over cereal mixture, stirring until evenly distributed.
5. Add sugar and spice mixture and stir until coated. (I did not use all of it…)
6. Microwave uncovered on High 5 minutes or until mixture begins to brown, stirring every minute.
7. Spread on wax paper or a cookie sheet to cool.

The First Day of First Grade is When?!? #BacktoSchool

Can you believe that summer is coming to an end?  It seems like just yesterday I was lamenting over sending my soon-to-be-first-grader to summer camp and here we are at the start of the new school season.

Where has this summer gone!?!

sigh.

School starts officially tomorrow for us and not only is it First Grade but for my sweet boy - it is a new school.  A new school you ask?  Yes, it is a new school.. It seems that our move this summer put us just shy for the cut off for the school he went to for kindergarten.  Like, a dozen or less houses shy of the border.  I'm upset; he is excited.  I love that about him. 

How are we getting ready?  Besides the normal trip to the store for school supplies and new underwear we are taking field-trips to the new school.  Checking out the school before going there for the first day has him even more excited.  Since, I found out a week ago  that he would be attending this other school I took advantage of a weekday off (which I took to be with him on his actual birthday) and took him to the new school to play at the playground.

Yes, this seems like such a simple thing but it was nice to be there to get a feel of the new grounds.  They happen to have a day camp there so while he got to play for a little while without other kids and it was just us it was an added bonus to see the playground filled with kids.  All of the kids where older and none wanted to play with him because they had their cliques it was not long for him to team up with another boy who was not part of this group.  Turns out... he will be a first grader at this school, too.

The best part, so far about this new school?  The swing set.  His "old" school did not have one.  Odd seeing as the school itself is new but...  The school he will be going to I use to walk by every single day on my way to school and I wanted more then anything to swing on those swings.  Our school did not have a playground.  We had a parking lot and two basketball hoops, minus the nets, of course.  I went to Catholic school and playground equipment was never in the budget.  I swung on the swings with him while we were there that day.

We then made a trip to Target and our local market for lunch box snacks as well and fruits and vegetables to take to school.  Letting him pick what he wants for lunch, especially that first week, takes a lot of pressure off myself to try and figure out what he wants and gives him some say in his lunch - the whole let them think they have power thing.  For my soon-to-be-first-grader, it is watermelon, grapes, baby carrots and tootsie rolls.  Not all on the same day except, of course, the obligatory PB&J but all the same he gets a great variety as well as a sweet treat.  Luckily, our school is not nut free because that boy only eats PB&J and only on round thin bread. Every.  Single. Day.

A great tip that I learned...  pack an extra sweet treat to share with a new friend.  Oddly enough, he won't eat that little extra treat if he does not give it away and I only do this the first week back to school and the first day back from winter break.  Something to break the ice and never anything with nuts.

Another tip that I will share that I had to do was to soak my dried looking baby carrots in water for a few hours.  I noticed that the carrots that I just bought where looking dry (white and shriveled could be another way to say it) and I knew they where good.  Well, baby carrots are just carrots that are shaved to shape them into bite size goodness and they just need a little re-hydration to make them looking tasty again.

Lunch box notes seem to be a given so I make a few up a head of time and can't help but chuckle every so often at the preschool teacher that told me that my boy got made fun of because I use to draw on his baggies that I used to pack his carrots and sandwich.  Yes, you read that right.  Prior to using reusable containers I packed his lunch using baggies - oh and my son's preschool teacher said that the other kids teased him because I doodled on the baggies.  I think she was just jealous that she did not think to write a note telling her children that she loved them but I digress... 

I still can't get over that it is all ready school time but it is and all though I am a little sad that it is a new school... this is also a fresh start for me and another chance to more involved.  All though I was pretty active in my son's room and I am pretty proud of my little "Volunteer Parent" award now I will try to broaden my reach.  I will get out of my comfort zone, do more for the school as a whole and maybe, just maybe actually attend a PTA meeting and not just pay my dues.

How do you or did you get ready for school?