Our school has a spring fair every year.

We live in one of those neighborhoods where the school is very supported: very supported by the parents, tons of volunteering and lotsa money being raised. They spend the money on a lot of things for the kids (science programs, artists in the school etc) but a ton of it goes towards anything Green and Eco. But I feel like there are some serious misses. For example, there are close to 800 kids, and they have to play in a yard that is half concrete (good for some games) and pretty much a field of dirt with the occasional blade of grass. Having four boys, I think the state of our fields and sports programs need some serious attention.

But, there is no winning against anything Green and Eco these days.

So in the past couple of years, I’ve sorta dropped sending in all the “extra fundraising” money. And I’ve sorta been annoyed at the constant rising cost of fundraising.

Take the spring fair.

They used to send home every kid with 10 raffle tickets to sell. Of course we all live in a tiny school radius so it’s not like you can sell them door to door, because your whole class lives on your street. So who ends up buying them? Us. So 10 tickets, at $2 a piece? $20 for the lot. Except I’ve got 4 kids selling them. $80! Then of course when you go to the actual fair, you drop another $100 (MINIMUM) on food and games. It’s no wonder that the fair raises $50000!!!! I know, I know, it all goes to a good cause…. But this fun day is now costing me a pretty penny.

But this year, they sent the kids home with double the tickets!!!!!! So now it’s $40 a pack!! I have 4 kids – so you do the math!!!

The other day I heard the buzz that these tickets were coming home and I dreaded it. My poor kids. Their horrible, unsupportive Mom. One by one they handed me the pack that I would have to get back to the school so they don’t go to waste.

I asked Zach where his pack was. He said, “Oh, you’re gonna be happy. My teacher handed them out and when he gave them to me I told him not to bother because my Mom would just throw them in the garbage.”

“What?!?! You didn’t!!” C’mon on. I don’t throw them in the garbage. I return them to the office where they redistribute them to better families.

Zach continued, “My teacher said I should let you make the decision and bring them home anyways. I said, ok, and then walked over to a girl in class who likes to sell them and gave them to her.”

Oh my word. Of course my next question to him was, “Did he see you do that?”

I wonder if this year I’ll be nominated for “Mom of the Year” at our school?