Keeping Up With the Joneses: Life Is Sweet In the Belly of the Beast

Remember when I posted on Facebook about going on a field trip with Zachary? Oh, you're not my facebook "friend"? It's probably for the best. But this is what it said: "What have I done? What have I done? Find a deep cave to hide in! I just signed up to chaperone my fifth grader's field trip!" Yes, I was referencing a Nightmare Before Christmas song. Kudos for picking up on that! It got eleven responses. No, wait. Two of those were mine. One friend said, "Could be worse, it could be to host a party at Chcke E Cheese" Yeah. That's just gross. I've never done that. Maybe if I had unlimited amounts of cash, I would cave when my child asked for that, but I looked it up. No way. My favorite comment was my sister's. She said, "Oh, stop it. It will be fun."
I don't volunteer at my children's school. There. I said it. I admitted to the horrible truth. I know. I heard that gasp of shock through my computer. I babysit everyday except Wednesday. I don't have my own car, and I don't enjoy dealing with other people's children. I barely survive my own when they come home after school, so on my day off, I really just want to enjoy some peace and quiet. I've been lucky so far this year, too. Every time a permission slip has come home asking me to sign the life of my child away to the mercy of the school district's bus drivers, I have had to work the day they were going on the trip. Zachary would look at me with his beautiful, brown, puppy dog eyes, and ask if I could volunteer to go. I'd look at the date, and say, "Meh. I have to work that day. Sorry." Even though I wasn't really all that sorry.
This time, though. I had no excuse (other than the one I usually use: I don't want to). It's a good excuse, but this time, he looked at me with his beautiful, brown, puppy dog eyes, and I said, "Are you sure you really want me to come?" I mean what kid really wants their mom at their school? "Yes, please, Mom! Please!" Wow. I couldn't say no to that. I agreed to go, signed the form, checked the "Yes, I can chaperon" box, tore it in half, wrote at the top of the permission slip in big bold letters, "YOU VOLUNTEERED FOR THIS!" (so I wouldn't forget), and stuck it on the refrigerator. Then, I immediately made the previously mentioned Facebook post.
Yesterday was said field trip. We went to the symphony and then to the Natural History Museum. His teacher put me in charge of seven children. I would have been happier with one. Maybe two, but I suppose seven is manageable. To someone who has a higher level of responsibleness about them maybe. I was terrified the whole time that I was going to loose one of them and I couldn't remember K's name. I kept wanting to call her Ally. Which of course, she did not respond to when I called her as she was wandering away from me. The symphony part was easy. We pretty much all sat together. Then came the museum. One wanted to go here, the other wanted to see that exhibit, and we only had 45 minutes to see it all. Oh man, it was the best trip ever. Except my near panic attack every five minutes. Seriously. We needed rope or something.
I really did enjoy the symphony, though. We got to hear Petroushka by Stravinsky. Every once in awhile, Vladimir Kulenovic (who conducted the orchestra with the grace of a dancer), would turn around, and explain to the children what was going on in the story the music was telling. In my research for this blog (so that I spelled stuff right), Google is telling me that Petroushka is also a ballet. That explains why the whole time I wanted to see dancers. Projected on a big screen behind the orchestra were pictures drawn by other fifth graders also telling the story of Petroushka, the poor little puppet. Zachary told me he really liked it, too. But he doesn't want to play an instrument. Sigh. I think they played part of the Superman theme at the end, too. It was lost on the young man sitting next to me. He cared nothing for the symphony and all the children in my group wished they could have spent more time at the museum than the symphony. Sigh and a head shake. Both places were amazing, and both should be appreciated.

I told him, he didn't have to sit by me on the bus, but he insisted that I sit by him and even gave me the window seat.

I think he's excited or something.

Ah. This music was anything but boring. It was lively and there was a carnival and even murder!

Zach's class. If you look closely, you will notice there is a girl in purple tights. That may or may not be the girl Zach has a crush on. I can neither confirm nor deny that this is the case, and I will not tell you that the source of this information may or may not have come from Zachary's progenitor after said progenitor questioned said eldest child. And I will neither confirm nor deny that I have pulled out my thesaurus for this particular caption. It shall remain a mystery. ;)

Why, yes. Those are butterflies in the wall of the museum. I know. It's freaking awesome.

Apparently, this is my gem. Here's how I know"

"Spodumene, var. triphane, 'The Melissa,' 1,240 carats", said the plaque on the wall. I never would have found it if I hadn't volunteered to chaperon this excursion!