I know you're all dying to know who the winner of the {TOP 5} contest is....and the big award (that is yet to be chosen) goes to my aunt Diane! Yay for you! I can't believe someone actually listens to my ramblings and even attempts to keep track of my crazy hubby's comings and goings. Dan has NOT been to Denver anytime recently, but he has been to all the other places (including Indianapolis) in the last month or so. I will be one happy wife and mother when this craziness calms down a bit...don't laugh, it might happen :)
And now a moment for myself to vent a frustration I'm having today. Let me first say that I have been really impressed with my girl's new school down here in the land of the heat. They both love their teachers and are excited to go to school everyday. And I am well aware of the fact that schools need funds to accomplish all of the wonderful things that they do, including playground equipment, teacher appreciation, reflections contest etc...
That said, every year school begins and it feels like you might as well open your purse and leave it open. After spending however much on classroom supplies and school clothes, these kids head off to school and shortly after that it is picture day! For some reason I feel like I have to buy a package of school pictures, it just seems like a required tradition to me. Even though I know very well that I will probably not be especially thrilled with the final product. (I took pictures of their school photos so you can see why I feel justified in saying that). What is there to like about these pictures (see below)? (subtract $40 from your wallet for classroom supplies and another $40 for two packets of school pictures...what do people who have 4 or 5 kids do?)
Next comes the dreaded fundraiser(s). Does anybody else want to sit down and cry when they bring home the booklet of valuable items you can buy to help the school? I was a little surprised (in a good way) when the fundraiser at Kallie and Syd's school was muffin & cookie mixes from Lehi Roller Mills. Of course I didn't want my girls to call anyone to try to sell them a cookie mix because I know full well that their own children have brought home their own school fundraiser packets. I also feel bad calling grandma and grandpa because they do have 9 grandchildren afterall who are all (ok, almost all) trying to get them to buy something or donate money to their school. So what do I do? I buy 3 bags of cookie mix from each child (so they can get the squishy dog with pop out eyes)... take another $50 out of the wallet please. But (I say outloud to my hubby) I would much rather buy cookie mixes than wrapping paper!
Now to today...I pick up my girls from school and they can't wait to tell me all about the prizes they can win when they sell stuff. What? Excuse Me? Yup...they had an assembly to show the kids all the cool prizes they get when they sell 'x' number of items. Kallie says "Mom I'm going to sell enough stuff to get the iPod ok!" How many items would she have to sell to get the iPod...oh just a mere 140+. Now do you get my beef? I haven't even gotten my cookie mixes yet and now they want me to buy wrapping paper! Why would they have a big, fun, pep-rally assembly showing these little people all the cool things that can be theirs if only they can get everyone they know to buy things they don't really want. It's not fair to the kids who have no idea how much they would really have to sell to get a slap watch or a giant 5 inch eraser. Now I get to be the bearer of bad news that there is a good chance that they are not only NOT going to get an iPod but they probably won't even get an 'oval twist pen'. Why? Because their mother already spent $50 on cookie mixes!
I don't mean to be a brat, but (and that's a big butt) am I wrong in thinking that probably the cookie mixes OR the wrapping paper should be the fundraiser of choice...NOT BOTH! And how much of the $ when everything is said and done goes toward the new playground equipment? I think they should do a silent auction where ALL items are donated and ALL the money goes to the school or something like that. And yes, I am well aware that I am welcome at anytime to just make a donation directly to the PTA (it says so on every newsletter) but maybe I should go talk to them about at least spacing these things out a little and maybe NOT getting these little kids way excited about prizes that they will probably never get...sad :(
Ok...I'm done
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
The Winner...
Posted by Norris Fam at 10:17 PM
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18 comments:
I am hearing you sister! I have the exact same "BEEF". I actually remember those assemblies, when I was in school. I remember how amped up they get about it, really focusing on how cool the biggest prizes were. It is frustrating.
I totally agree with you about the whole silent auction thing. Or my heck, go out into the community and do a service auction! People would be ALL over that! :)
OK, I know this is the longest comment ever, but I think I have needed to vent about this! :)
I also have to throw in the RIP OFF that is school pictures. I went with Mal & D, reluctantly, and totally because Ryan told me just to do it. Theirs will turn out pretty good, but mostly because I was standing there with them and the girl let me choose which one I wanted. HOWEVER, Jake comes home yesterday with a preview of his school picture...NOT EVEN SMILING! He knows to smile for a picture, and he smiles really cute when you ask him...NOT EVEN! Seriously, this is not the DMV! Take a good picture for heck sakes! LOVE that I spent $60 to get a crappy picture! OH well! Now I will leave this book that I am leaving and go run off this frustration! THANKS! :)
Amen sister. I agree with all you said and then some. But on a side note your girls couldn't look bad if they tried. Those pictures are cute!
I stumbled across a link to your blog on Brooke's blog and just can't resist commenting. People with 4 or 5 kids just suck it up and pay for the pictures. I'm like you I just have to buy them. As for fundraisers I'm am SO glad we don't have to sell anything. We have a walk and parents just donate cash, no need to buy anything and all of the money goes straight to the PTO. It's the best thing ever. Our walk is tomorrow and we have made $14,000 so far this year. Wendi Peterson
I feel your pain but I am not quite the softy that you are. You are far too nice. I got those Sally Foster packages and threw them in the garbage. I'm happy to help, but not that way.
This is so funny because both Kate and MJ came home last week saying they each were going to win an ipod too! I laughed and said, "awesome! can you win one for me too?" They know the rules about fund raisers. I buy one thing from each of them and that is pretty much it. So sad. They will survive. I donate plenty of time to their school. That makes me feel a little less guilty.
Speaking from experience, take your ideas to the PTA meeting. They are usually willing as long as they have a willing volunteer to do it.
The silent auction baskets are great. They are a lot of work getting people to actually bring the supplies in and then putting everything together. Then what do you price them. Some years they did well, other years not so well. I think it depends on the timing of when you do them.
Send your pictures back if you don't like them. They know that most people will keep them so they don't worry about the time it takes to get a good shot.
I hear you so much on the fundraisers. They have our kids out there selling their junk. Lately I've decided it is better to just donate. August and September are always killer months as far as money and school.
When you can't volunteer, they have what they call the no guilt contribution. It is great.
I feel exactly the same way!!! The assembly is the part that drives me up the wall the most! I would so much rather give the school cash, and know how much of my money is actually being used for the school!
When first scrolling through I thought that Diane was lucky enough at winning the prize to get a copy those lovely school pictures! Kallie's pictures looks much better on my computer screen than it did in real life, the camera color corected it! I am not so good at fundraisers! I forget until I find the packet 2 weeks after it ends.
When Grace brought her wrapping paper thing home, so jazzed about winning the... whatever. She took one look at my face and said, "We're not going to be selling anything, are we?" Nope. I gave her $5 to spend at the dollar store and I wrote a check to the PTA. It was still money, but at least it wasn't junk (food, stuff, etc) and money. You are a good ranter! I feel your pain. Tana
I totally understand, Joshua almost cries everytime I tell him that he won't make it to the big prize. Also, I never buy school pictures! They always STINK. My kids get a little mad though. Good luck with all the fundraisers. If only kids understood that you don't have unlimited money.
I TOTALLY AGREE! I loved everyones comments, too. When we got the wrapping paper fundraiser--it went in the garbage. Colton keeps saying he's going to get something if I put the money in the envelope...he has no idea what he's talking about this time, thank goodness...so I'm hoping he'll just forget. Haven't seen the dreaded school picture, yet...but I'm sure it will be CHEESE with his squinted eyes and fake smile
I just had to get my two cents in here. Don't just blame your PTA coming from someone who is there several days a month for PTA it is not just them. The school, and teachers also have fundraisers and they are not always specified which group is having them. I do agree though about the dumb prizes. I went to the principal and complained and he agreed and they have cut back. You may want to get involved and maybe suggest a walk-a-thon and then you just have to donate for them getting exercise. And just because it comes home does not mean you have to buy it. Pick and choose what you want to donate to.
Obviously a topic that you are not alone on. I think the best solution would be. Write a $100 check to the school directly, buy each of your daughters an ipod, take your own free pictures... Then everyone is happy...and you don't get sick from eating three cookie mixes. HA HA
Carrie, You said what we all feel! I just wish the school wouldn't get them so exiceted about prizes, at least my girls, can't win!! The only bonus in my nieghborhood is half the kids go to a different elementary school that does a different fundraiser, so we help each other out a little. I think it is crazy! However I do think you girls look way cute, school pics don't do justice, but your girls are cute anyway!
I really liked what Mason's school did this year... They asked the parents if they would prefer to do fund raisers or just donate money directly to the school. Luckily, the majority voted to just donate money and it was the best thing ever! I know my money is going to the school not to some third party who doesn't have anything to do with my kids education!
As for the pictures... I think they both look very cute, but I would have to say that the pictures you take of them are tons better! You might as well do you own school pictures next year!
I'm sorry but this whole blog made me laugh, you have summed up my last four years. Up until last year every primary kid and all ten of the youth would come directly to my door and ask for money. Last year I bought 55$ of (disgusting) cookie dough in a 3 day window because all the parent asked me to buy it. I only received 2 of them and still occasionally wonder where the third went, However, I don't really worry since the cookies were so bad I only made one batch and threw the rest away. My favorite purchase of the dough was one of the boys I bought it from (his mom was our realtor) quit the swim team a week after I bought it!!! I have tried to lay low this year since we moved and try not to get to know the youth of this ward, so far it has worked. (I know I am so very evil and will probably be struck down, but at least we will have money for the coffin:)
P.S. I am sorry you are a single mom, I know how you feel Jay was never home last year, and we were trying to sell our house. It was a nightmare, but like all things they pass. It is just not very comforting to hear that when it is you that it is happening to!!!!
I feel ya, girl. I don't buy anything of the fundraiser variety and a friend of mine takes her kids to the store and lets them pick out a small toy to make them feel better about not winning the pen with the squishy head or whatever they had their sights on. I volunteer once a week or so at school and that is what I would rather do than pay for stupid wrapping paper. Actually, now that we are in Davis county, Sasha has not been asked to bring anything at all from home to supply her classroom with! I kept waiting for the list, but it never came! Weber County was pretty bad with the lists and fundraisers and so on.
I hear ya on the school pictures thing. Once I have two kids that I am buying for, I think I will quit buying them alltogether. At least at Kiddie Kandids you can pick out what you want instead of being "surprised"! Sasha's school picture last year didn't even look like her.
People who have 4 or 5 kids just let their younger ones wear the older one's clothes (especially if they're like Isaac and don't care a whit), and they don't buy school pictures ever. They're almost always terrible and I get real ones done annually for the same price anyway. I hear you on the fundraisers too. Every year we have two school fundraisers, one soccer, one baseball, and one Allen one (to make up for how much we've paid on the other ones) per child. Last year I was too embarrassed to walk around the neighborhood with my boys yet again to sell pizza coupons for baseball and was just going to send them back until Michael secretly wrote a check and bought all of them from each boy. That's the last time we'll be doing that, and we've been having Papa Murphy's pizza ever since. Anybody need some coupons?
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