Volunteering

Way back when Buttercup was in 1st grade, I signed up to be a volunteer in her class. The teacher assigned me to come in every Thursday and read with Buttercup's reading group for an hour and a half. For me, listening to little kids read, including my own, is akin to nails on a chalkboard. Ugh, I am not sure what it is, but at the end of each session, I would want to put sharpened pencils into each ear. It was also rough because TD had to come home at a particular time for lunch so he could watch Fiona while I was gone.
It was the next year that Fiona was diagnosed and I had absolutely no time for anything else. Of course, it wouldn't have helped that Fiona didn't want to be watched, most of the time, by anyone but me. For the two years of her treatment, I wasn't willing to be locked into a specific time or activity because I never knew what could be happening on a specific day.
I told TD that I would be taking the 2008-2009 school year off from everything around the day of Fiona's diagnosis. I knew, from looking at the treatment schedule, that I would be exhausted, and rightly so.
This year came around and since we were in a different school district from the last time I volunteered, I started paying attention to what was available. I figured that I would have a much more enjoyable experience if I picked what I like to do and worked that into my time with the girls. That really has made it much more fun for me.
For Fiona's class, I signed up to read to them, NOT the other way around. I even told the teacher that I would read what she picked out to make it even less stressful. I absolutely love it. She has a really well behaved class and it makes me think, even more, about becoming a librarian somewhere.
At Buttercup's school, I signed up for the library (shocker!). I volunteer during the time that Buttercup's class is in there. I shelve books and also make recommendations for the kids picking out their reading books. I love that I get to see what books they are reading and check out ones that I think Buttercup would like.
No longer to I dread the days I volunteer. I really look forward to being in the girls' schools with them, interacting with their peers and getting my hands on books. I am glad I have these opportunities to combine what I love with hanging out with my girls.