Super Parent Award, Part One

So it never fails, at least once a year I do something to award myself the Parent of the Year trophy.

I feel like this year it’s being awarded a little earlier than normal since it’s only March so I hope I can make it to next December without being considered for any additional Super Parent awards because these two dorkball moves I just recently pulled are some doozies!

Last week I was belly-aching about being crazy busy and having multiple lists going on all at the same time so that’s what I’m going to blame the first snafu on. I totally and 100% missed the fact that it was Grandparents Day at my youngest daughter’s elementary school.

Every year, with each daughter, I’ve always invited my mom or dad to join them at their Grandparents Day festivities at their school and from what I can recall almost every year, one of my parents has made it.

Well, this year, the final year that she will ever celebrate Grandparents Day at school, I completely spaced it. Glanced for a second at the note sent home weeks earlier and then threw them in recycling and never thought about it again.

Suddenly popped back into my head when I pulled up to school to pick her up on Monday and saw all these grandparents walking out of the school. Crap!! I forgot to ask my folks! Ugggg! Too late now!

When my trusting 5th grader jumped in the car, I had to stupidly ask her if it was, in fact, Grandparents Day and then ask her if we missed it.

Not knowing how inconsiderate her mom really was, she reassured me by informing me that it was for the 4th graders that day but not her grade. I had to ask, because I had no clue and threw the paper away, “Is yours tomorrow?”

She said she thought so and then asked the dreaded question I didn’t want to face, “Who is coming, Grandma or Grandpa?”

Well, honey, your rude, loser mother, who forgets you have a life too and puts your needs lowest on her totem pole, forgot to ask your grandparents so you will have NO ONE coming tomorrow and will sit alone and watch all your classmates with their loving, invited in plenty of time, grandparents. That won’t make you feel embarrassed or neglected at all, right?

Okay, I didn’t really say, that but that’s what I was thinking. Actually, I apologized over and over and then explained that I had forgotten when it was and that I had not invited her grandparents this year but I would love to find a replacement or I would come myself if I had to.

Then I asked her to think about who she would like to invite instead, neighbors, church people, her sisters, me or dad?? With the late notice, she reluctantly said me or dad would work fine. Not very excited that her grandma and grandpa wouldn’t be there to join her.

The next morning I dropped my daughter off and happily told her I would see her later that afternoon! I might have forgotten about it, but she wasn’t getting ditched! An hour later, I called the school and asked what time to arrive that afternoon and what I needed to bring.

As if I didn’t already feel like an idiot parent trying to make the best of an unfortunate situation, the school secretary informs me that the 5th grade Grandparents Day was actually the next day. Oh geesh! Can I be any more of a slacker?

So … with a one more day to plan, my neglected 11-year-old decided that it would be way cooler if her big sissy came to Grandparents Day the next day, instead of me.

And so she did. Big Sister filled in for lame mom and little sister was proud to have her there and all ended well! But I felt so bad!

But not as bad as the next snafu, only one day later …

To be continued.