Amazing PTO Parents

The kids' school is blessed with a very active PTO.  It seems like there are about 8 new fundraising opportunities every week.  I don't actively participate in the PTO, but I volunteer when I'm asked to do something that seems reasonable.  Baking cookies is not in the list.  Volunteering at the school library IS on the list.  Helping with book fair at the library in October is definitely on the list.  And yesterday helping at the fundraiser at Barnes and Noble was on the list.  Hmmm...I'm getting the sense of a pattern here.

The activities, planned by the PTO Wizards, included book readings by several teachers and the principal.  In between the reading times they had puppet shows planned.  The Zoo Lady (our local magnificent face-painter) and The Balloon Guy were scheduled.  I volunteered to do an activity which was not actually specified at the time of my agreeing to do the activity.  It turned out to be helping at the Arts and Crafts table. 

When I arrived, a little before the book fair was scheduled to start, two PTO moms were sitting at a table  looking shell shocked.  The teacher who was supposed to read at 1:00 was there but was not feeling well.  The principal had been sick the day before and no one knew if he would be reading or not.  The puppeteer had to cancel because he had a fever of 104.   The Zoo Lady and Balloon Guy had been in a car accident on their way to Barnes and Noble and were not coming.  The Art Table, which was supposed to have an activity actually prepared by Barnes and Noble had nothing but white bookmarks and crayons

After a few minutes, Amazing PTO Mom number 1 got up out of her seat and started giving instructions to people around her.  The next thing I knew there was a real art project for kids to do (turkey puppets!  Sierra put herself in charge of that, while I stayed at the bookmark coloring table, much more my speed).  Next she left and reappeared with two bags.  She opened one bag, pulled out some supplies, and began painting kids' faces herself.  A little later, some helicopter-boomerangy-type toys were being assembled by some of the older kids.  Someone called the principal and he appeared on time for his reading. 

We had ourselves a real live book fair after all.