I Am Not My Mom

There is a running joke in my household.  Somewhere in Newport Beach there is an affluent couple with a brown haired, brown eyed boy.  He's almost nine, usually sickly, withdrawn and not doesn't have many friends.  He avoids the spotlight and doesn't excel in school.  The parents wonder if their child wasn't switched at birth because this can't possibly be their child.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Orange County; there is an amazing blonde haired, blue eyed monkey who is everything that child is not.  This is my child and I too wonder if he was switched at birth.  Never mind the fact that he was with me in the hospital the entire time and he is my mini-me.  Seriously - the kid is my mirror image in boy form.

I was nothing like him at his age.  This kid has drive.  He has a passion for music and acting. He has a core set of friends.  His teachers love him and he is an over all good kid.  He is your typically over-scheduled child with his acting, his singing and his martial arts - yet his grades don't falter.  He is nothing like me.

The problem with having such a social child is that is make ME have to be social.  I'm not social.  I don't like dealing with people.  Texting is a godsend to me because I don't actually have to talk to the person on the other end.  Those moms at the park that I avoided like the plague when he was a baby now know me and worse - know my name.  They make small talk with me because now our kids go to the same school and my son always has a major role in the school plays. They know us.  

I have had to accept that I need to be friends with his friends parent's because it takes a tribe to raise a child and sleepovers are a big thing at this age.  That mom is going to be the one to pick up your kid when you can't make it to the school on time just like I will take their kids when they need that kid free night out.  It has been an interesting dynamic and well - I actually love these moms.  I have a dope tribe.  I don't really remember my mom interacting with my friend's parents until I was much older,  It was a different time.  They didn't helicopter parent and the hour long pedicure with your kid's best friend's mom to get away wasn't a thing in 1979.  I mean my mom knew my friend's parents, but they never hung out.  

I am not sure if my mom went and ran the fruit and veggie stand at lunch time that a huge number of kids would have yelled "HI KATHIE" HI Kathy's mom!".  I got exactly that when I ran my son's veggie bar only I got "Hi Kathy" or HI Gman's Mom.  Calling "Kathy's mom" would have been awkward.  Back then it seemed like it was only the eccentric moms that volunteered in the classroom and at the schools.  I know my mom didn't and I can't recall any of my friend's ever doing it either. If only I had a picture of me rocking that hairnet cap and gloves doling out watermelon.  I might not have looked hot, but my kid was proud.

Lastly - I am sure there was PTA back then,  Heck there was the movie and song Harper Valley PTA, but my mom was never part of that.  Again - it falls back on the times.  Our parents for the most part didn't volunteer.  PTA was where I drew the line.  Sure I made mom friends - but I am not one of THOSE moms.  I mean that is way above and beyond the grounds of social.  I am not alone in this thought because I have plenty of mom friends that say they will volunteer at different activities, but no thank you to being on the board.  That was the hard line I took,

Yeah, we all know where hard lines and I stand.

"Mom. you HAVE to join the PTA.  If they don't get enough board members then there won't be a PTA" "Not my problem kiddo."  "Mom, that means no Halloween Hoot.  You can't let that happen."  No son, you are right - the hoot is important.  It really is the social event for the kids  So the next thing I know - I'm on the board.  I wasn't going to be the reason there was not Halloween Hoot - I have enough mom guild thank you very much,

So insread, I tried to get myself kicked off the board. I have attended only a handful of meetings and I don't think I have produced a single news letter.   I only went to the last meeting to get myself unelected off the board.  I even announced that I wasn't going to be back.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

That's all fine and dandy except the President has done her two terms and has to take a different position.  The Vice President is coming back at all and the Treasurer doesn't want to do it anymore either,  Nobody who was already happy in their position wanted to step up and there was no fresh blood in the water.  The only option was a mom who might be willing to take my spot.  So what did Kathy the Wonder Mom do?

You guessed it.

I put my name in for President and after a couple of drinks - convinced two of my tribe moms to take Treasurer and Vice President.  Booyah.  Now my dope tribe will be running the PTA with me.

Can I handle it?  I have no idea.  Will I ruin the school?  Quite possibly.  I am I going to be the most awesome PTA President?  You know it!  I guess my days of nobody knowing my name. 

PTA President is something that my mom never would have done.  That's OK though, because I am not my mom because my son is not me!

UPDATE - I am not going to be President after all.  This is why I don't like stepping up,  We suddenly went from OMG WE ARE GOING TO LOSE OUR CHARTER!!!! to oh, well the Treasurer who was quitting decided she wants to be President and our President who was going to head up Membership now is going after VP.  So my dope tribe is no longer needed.  As much as I want to quit - I have to stay on to prove to my son (who gave me a very healthy lecture about quitting) that you can't quit because you don't get what you want.  It was a fun dream,