Last Minute Mothering

Warning: Bad Mommy Moment coming up…

It’s been a tough week at work. Inventory on Monday wiped me right out. I was very physically tired and yet sort of wired. It was ugly.

Yesterday was a bunch of waiting, which is just as tiring as being busy. You just end up being a different kind of tired.

So when Alyssa announced last night that today was the day of their class pen pal party, I think I lost my mind for a little while.

I distinctly remembered her giving me the form asking parents to contribute food/drink to this party as well as asking if parents were willing to attend the party and help with activities.

This was at least a month ago. I remember signing the paper, saying we’d bring drinks and I’d love to attend the party. Off it went to Alyssa’s teacher.

The very next day, I came to work and filled out a vacation request for the day of the party.

And then I forgot about it all.

Except, I sort of, in the back of my mind, though about the fact that later this month, I have a vacation day coming up so I can attend a party in Alyssa’s class.

Then, last night, she was telling me it was today. And I was SURE it couldn’t possibly be today. I mean, I’d KNOW if it was today, wouldn’t I? I’d put in for a vacation day and everything and I was just positive that the teachers must have changed the date on us because, duh, I’d know if I had a vacation day the very next day.

I decided I’d run into the local grocery store (where everything is more expensive than the Walmart that is 18 miles away instead of three miles away) and bought two jugs of Hawaiian Punch and 100 paper cups. I’d wanted to get small bottles of water because I really do think it’s better than sugary beverages but…this grocery store didn’t have the smaller bottles at a decent price and I wasn’t going to spend almost $5 for 24 full-sized bottles of water when I knew the kids were more than likely going to waste it anyway.

I told Alyssa I’d take the drinks to the school this morning, talk to her teacher about the party and head to work to get a least a little work done before the party.

She seemed okay with that.

This morning, my phone rang at 6:05. Two-hour delay due to fog. Whoo-freaking-hooo!

I made a deal with Tom. I’d take Olivia to my mom’s if he’d take the punch to the school later today. I’d call the teacher for the details of the party, if it was even still happening and we’d all be happy.

I got to work and looked at the calendar…d’oh…I had today scheduled as a vacation day. I am such a jerk! Seriously.

But there was still so much work to do that I was vaguely relieved that I’d forgotten about the vacation day so I could get the work done and save the day for another, nicer day when I don’t have so much waiting for me on my desk when I get back.

I called the school, left a message with A’s teacher. At 8:40, my phone rang again. School was closed due to the weather. Wheeee! I called Tom, I called my mom, through me they arranged for my mom to drop O off at home at noonish.

We’re hoping the pen pal party is rescheduled and if it is, Alyssa and I are going to write the date on our calendar together, so I won’t be caught in another bad mommy moment like last night.

But hey, even though I feel like a big jerk, I do take consolation in the fact that while at the grocery store last night, we ran into three of Alyssa’s classmates and their haggard-looking mothers. Perhaps I wasn’t the only one who forgot to write the date of party on the calendar. Misery does love company after all.