May 28, 2014
J’s birthday is this weekend. I have over 30 kids coming to a Pump it Up party–or so I think. About 10 invitees have not RSVP’d, so I have to presume they will attend. Geez. In this new kids birthday parties era of goodie bags (and can someone please tell me when this phase began?) it’s hard to believe that moms would not band together on this one and RSVP so the birthday party giving mom could plan. Eh. I’ve made 38 or so bags and brought extra supplies just in case I have to whip one together.
I decided to forgo the plastic crap available at party stores that you just throw away once you get home and instead filled bags with candy (no nuts), glow in the dark bracelets (use em, toss em), a pencil (will be obsolete before we know it)–at least stuff someone can actually use.
Yesterday was J’s official birthday. I bought (what she picked out) iced cookies from Safeway and candy for classmates and made brownies for after school care. I went to class to drop everything off during their snack time, bought a Disney princesses balloon on the way…that’s a good mommy. I bought presents for her at Target that she herself picked out while she was with me. I had grabbed an opaque shopping bag at the check-out stand on our way in, then slipped in her selections after I distracted the birthday girl to look “over there”. I whispered to the checker to ring the items in the bag (and keep them in there). We left and J hadn’t a clue what I was up to. Good mommy.
The next day, the day, I was exhausted and sleep deprived because someone wouldn’t go to bed the night before and was uncharacteristically having a meltdown …and I still had brownies to make. The day was not as it should have been, though I am still not clear about what anything should be. We snapped at each other, we cried, we hugged, cried some more and all in all I was convinced I am a horrible mommy…yep, as it should be. Even with the best intentions, we are still human and have our breaking point. I took on too much.
–SBM
Single Busy Mommy 