Just Say No

I thought we were done with this shit for the year, but here we go again. 

Another daycare field trip is on the schedule for Friday.  Apparently when they informed us about the three field trips per year, they meant more like six or seven and we failed to read between the lines. 

If you remember, each of the previous outings was the source of great stress and debate in our house.  Okay, more like in my mind.  But, still.

The first was resolved when my mom volunteered to accompany Punky on a trip to a local campground for the day.  The second crisis was averted when, after we went ahead and signed the permission slip for her to go to the children's museum, she backed out herself because my parents came for a visit and she wanted to stay home with them instead.  I was able to get the day off from work to go with her on the third field trip to the county fair in August and, after witnessing first hand the chaos that resulted from a complete lack of organization on the part of the daycare, I was so relieved we wouldn't have to deal with the issue again until next summer.

When I found the permission slip in her cubby, my stomach instantly turned.  This time they are going to a pumpkin patch for some autumn/halloween activities.  Once again they are looking for parents to volunteer to provide transportation, which means Punky could end up in a car with someone we don't even know, let alone trust, because neither of us can take the day off to go with her.  When you layer on my experience with the last field trip, saying I'm hesitant is a gross understatement.

Her dad and I talked about it for nearly a week before finally signing the paper.  Okay, I talked about it and he nodded a lot, tossed out a few supportive grunts, and changed the subject at every available opportunity.

We checked the "no" box.  She isn't allowed to go.

Our plan is to take her to school a little later than usual on Friday to spare her the tantrum that would surely ensue when all the kids get ready to go and she has to stay behind.  Yes, I know she's smart enough to realize something isn't quite right when most of the kids aren't there that day, but I'm trying to minimize the blow.  I'm sure she'll ask questions and I hope her teachers answer them carefully.  Punky is a sharp cookie.  One wrong answer could lead to one very long day for the teachers.   

I'm confident I made the best decision for her safety, but I can't help feeling guilty.  It's not like we never tell her no; she hears it a lot.  But, just in case she puts two and two together and realizes that all the other kids got to go somewhere fun and she couldn't because her mommy has paranoid delusions that a mildly intoxicated soccer mom with a suspended license and a minivan not capable of passing state inspection will drive them off a cliff while sexting her secret lover on the way to the pumpkin patch, I've lined up something fun for us to do on Saturday.