Vegan Compost, Pumpkins, and Fundraising, Oh My!
Yesterday was a big day. I met with waste management officials and some of our public school’s amazing staff and it looks like we are going to be composting at school for the school garden. And when I say we, I mean the school staff and students, not me. But I made the calls and did some legwork and I’m stoked. It’s not that complicated but it will take some effort to build the habit of putting food scraps into yellow buckets instead of the garbage can. Our science teacher says some of the student counsel members will educate the rest of the school on what can go in and what can’t, and she’ll run the student counsel reps – awesome!
Basically we’re going to do vegan compost – veggies, fruits, uncoated paper products (paper towels, napkins), and that’s about it. Apparently we could compost bread but not if it’s got oils like peanut butter on it, so crusts would be okay but not a whole sandwich, and we could compost a little dairy and meat, but not too much, and like that.
I said those grey areas could be the downfall of the whole enterprise. I can see Ax debating at length with some 6th grader about how much peanut butter is too much to put in. So it’s vegan compost for us, for now, I think. I’m not in charge. Maybe they can handle subtleties better than I think they can, better than I could. But it’s happening. And I’m part of it and it feels great.
Today is going to be another big day. I get to drive some of Ax’s classmates to a local garden and pumpkin patch for our class’ first field trip! Our school doesn’t have a bus so five or so parents are shuttling the class. I am pretty excited, but not as excited as the kids seem to be.
And this week has been the first week of our school’s big fundraising push. The goal is 100% participation, and already our class is at 60% in the first week. As class mom and fundraising liaison I’m supposed to help spread the word and I’ve been doing it which is super-uncomfortable for me, but I’ve been doing it. I’d rather just invite people over for brunch but that can happen too.
Anyway, I’m not trying to brag I’m just amazed that I seem to be, for now at least, That Mom. I didn’t really think about it, but if I had thought about it, I would have assumed I was going to be That Mom, not That Mom. That Mom, the one with the messy messy house, the one whose kid wears the same shirt several days in a row, the one who never knows when Parent’s Night or Teacher’s Conference or sign up for anything is, you know, That Mom.
But instead, or rather, in addition, I seem to be, a little bit, That Mom, the one who shows up to support the school community, the one who knows all the kids’ names, the one who runs at morning assembly even in flip flops, the one who smiles around campus because she’s happy. That mom. That’s me. I’m gonna keep going.