To What Extremes?

I think everyone who stays home, whether it's with the kids or a work at home situation, reaches the point of "cabin fever". Those walls just start feeling tight, fresh air sounds good, etc. Now that Darth Punkin has started school, I think I've found my out.

Last week, I conquered the book fair. That went over so well, and I made it clear "...oh, any time you need a hand....I'm home all the time..."; well, today was picture day. Yes, I spent my morning in the gymnasium of an elementary school helping kids pose awkwardly for school pictures. With my helper.

The boy, he's two, was unleashed upon a school. A school with a lot of little girls. There has never been a question concerning what side of the bread this boy butters. He can make professional male adult actors feel limp-wristed. I have personally witnessed - in addition to half of my wife's family - work an entire pool of thirteen year old girls ----- successfully and simultaneously. He's a machine on a mission. And Kindergarten came first.

So, besides trying to reign in the testosterone of my rabid two year old, my job is to make sure all the kids are lined up from tallest to shortest. They go in and have their individual pictures taken, then come out to me and Casanova, and get lined up for their class picture. Try telling a five year old she's not tall enough to be next to her friend........not easy. Then throw in the Boy throwing his little Tigger at only the girls. Of course they'd pick it up and give it back to him...with a little smile. If he happened to launch it and it landed near a boy, he'd have to run over and get it quickly!

After surviving the book fair, I let the other volunteers know that I could only hang until the Boy truly was going nuts. Having started around 9:00, I knew 10:30 would be tops. He would need to crash after getting that much whiplash. For some reason that I don't understand, they did bring in the Kindergarten first, followed ten minutes later by one of the Pre-K's - not the one Darth Punkin is in. The other two volunteers were in charge of the paperwork and making sure the kids were lined up and combed properly - leaving me my job, knowing I would not be there for the long haul. Each class for the little kids had an assistant in addition to the teacher. The assistant could and would do my job when I left.

Then came Darth's class. It took her a good five minutes of watching the boy run around before she realized I was there. The funny part was watching her before she noticed. Over and over again.."There's Tommy...", "Look at Tommy, he's got Tigger", "There goes Tommy..."; she was priming them for him! Then she noticed me and just went silly.

Of course, I had to run over and make sure her hair was combed - with our comb. We're rural, lice are common - no public comb for her!!! Besides the meal ticket would've killed/fired me!

We hung out until her class had it's picture taken and left the gym. The Boy was insane at this point, so over-tired and drunk on school girls it became too much. We both needed naps! Everyone understood us leaving and thanked us plenty. Extra good-byes to the Boy of course.

It's just really nice to be accepted in these situations after being shunned at so many others. Ours is not a community that's open-minded to stay at home dads, amongst other things. To be accepted as the dad at these mom dominate events has been appreciated and eye-opening, to say the least. They now have my number, and realize that if they call I'll show and actually work; plus bring the Boy. :D