Friday, December 16, 2005

A refugee from the Christmas Fair

Today is the younger two's Christmas fair and I am not going. My excuse is that it is primarily for the children. I have sent in items requested and have sent the children with slightly more money than I would have spent if I had gone.
At the fair, there is about a half hour for the parents to look around and all is calm, serene and sedate. The studnets manning the stalls are unfailingly polite. Then the bell rings; the hordes of children descend. Chaos is probably too mild a word for the noise and bedlam that follows, but it is great fun ofr the children and raises a lot of money for the school. Parents retire hurt to a cup of coffee, mince pie and pained expressions.
If I went, I'd feel guilty about not helping. But I gave up doing the PTA several years ago when my dh threatened to go on strike. Making polite chit chat is okay but the mothers I would speak to are all on stalls...
So I am staying at home,wrapping presents instead.
The children will come home with tales and presents. My middle informed that it was all right because she had helped decorate the hall, put up stalls and was working on one. My youngest came home with a request for mince pies yesterday and so we baked some for the stall he is doing. The childen are doing their bit.
The wrapping of presents is getting to be a necessity. I have to find where I have hidden them all. It is no good doing my usual rummage on Christmas eve. One year, I discovered a second lot of stocking stuffers in April! Oops.
But everything that needs to be sent, has been sent. It is just the wrapping and final few Christmas cards that need to be done.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

This year I discovered brightly colored boxes that you can buy in a set. Since I'm woeful at wrapping presents, it was perfect. ;)

Anonymous said...

You've more than done your bit for fundraising - hope your kids enjoy the fair and you enjoy the break.

As for present-wrapping - not my favourite thing. No matter how I try to create something neat, it always looks scruffy! (Something else to add to my list of "things I can't do", including knitting.)

(PS the word verification was v amusing today: qaxduck!)

Nell Dixon said...

Enjoy the peace while it lasts! I gave up my PTA work this year, I'd done years of it and I could only be in so many places at any one time.