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Wednesday, December 3, 2008

The Cool Moms, Take 2

Well. As I mentioned in a previous post, there was some stuff that went down in Grasshopper's class between myself and the Cool Moms regarding him not getting a goody bag at the class Halloween party. As most of you will remember, he was the ONLY kid who didn't get one, and I mentioned in that post that the class Thanksgiving party was coming up.

What I did not mention was that A) I thought at the time that I got the party schedule (created by the Cool Moms, don'tcha know) that a Thanksgiving Party seemed kind of strange and that B) I had been assigned to make goody bags for said party. Oh, the joy! See, it's really easy to find cute, cheap crap to fill goody bags for 2 year olds for a lot of holidays. Thanksgiving is not one of them! I ended up driving all over the freaking city looking for stuff and then ended up ordering it from Oriental Trading. To the tune of $35. For 9 goody bags. And then thinking to myself, "Well, at least I did this far enough in advance to not have to pay for expedited shipping."

So anyway, as we got closer to the holiday, it occurred to me that I had not heard anything at all about the party since the beginning of the school year when the party assignments had been handed out by the Room Mothers (aka Cool Moms). I said something to Grasshopper's teacher about how hard it had been to get the goody bags together, and she said that she was sorry I had gone to so much trouble, and that Thanksgiving is not one of the holidays usually celebrated with a class party. But that as far as she knew, it was happening. After all, that's the department of the Room Mothers, not the teacher.

Well, the weekend before Thanksgiving rolls around, and still, no word from the Cool Moms about the party. I am beginning to think that maybe the party isn't happening, but no one told me. However, I already bought all of this stuff, opened it, and made the goody bags, so it's not like I can send it back. I just threw it all in a box and took it to his classroom during morning drop off. That way, the kids would get them whether there was a party or not. I don't know about you, but I sure as hell don't need a dozen Thanksgiving-themed rubber duckies cluttering up my house!

So Grasshopper's teacher looks at me when I walk in with these goody bags and says, "Oh God, I haven't heard anything from the room moms and I don't think there's going to be a party."

I explained (very calmly, yeah me!) that I had figured as much, but I already had the bags made, so the kids might as well enjoy them, and went on my merry way. Okay, so I wasn't exactly merry. Sue me.

Later that day, I picked Grasshopper up (at the usual time) and his teacher said that the kids loved the goody bags, in spite of there not being a party and that she had sent home a note to the Cool Moms to tell them what had happened and to ask that my responsibilities for the Christmas party be assigned to someone else. I love Grasshopper's teacher, have I mentioned that?

So a few hours later I get a phone call from one of the Cool Moms. One who has never deigned to speak to me in the past. She wanted to apologize for the confusion and said that she and the other Room Mother had forgotten that they decided to have a Thanksgiving party. What the F@*K?!? And then she tells me that her younger child has been sick. Whoop do freakin' do. Apparently that was the best she could come up with as an excuse. Then she deliverers the best line of the entire conversation, "You poor thing, you thought there was really going to be a party and then you came and were the only one there, I'm so sorry." Like I was clearly idiot enough to show up a half hour before school ended (the usual time for class parties) thinking that there was a party only to find myself alone and dejected, the Mommy equivalent of a wallflower or something.

I didn't bother to correct her about what had happened. I just didn't see the point.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

omg that is infuriating just to read! I feel your pain...I just moved to a VERY small town and my kids go to a VERY small school (75 kids total in grades K-6) and I feel very much like the outsider. It seems that every mom is the "cool mom", and every mom is involved and knows what's going on in the school but me. That's why I almost had to laugh when I stumbled upon your blog (via Notes From the Trenches)...this entry is so timely! I just found out today that I am "hosting" craft hour for the after-school program next week. Nevermind that I signed up 2 months ago and not having heard anything, assumed I was off the hook. Now I have to come up with a craft and get all the supplies by next week. I hope I have a happier ending then you did though! (no offense!)

Good luck with the mommy cliques. I'm right there with ya! (and enjoying your blog btw!)

natasha the exile on Mom Street said...

Thanks nuzzie!

I hope that your adventure in crafting turns out MUCH better than my adventure in goody bags.

Please keep reading, and tell others to do so!

Dysd Housewife said...

I wouldn't have corrected her.. I would have hung up on her. Oh yes. I would go there.