How Not to Plan a Valentine Party

Back in September when the school year was fresh, I attended a meeting with Jacob's teacher where she discussed all of the year's activities and doled out responsibilities. I, thinking February was sooo far away, chose Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day snuck up on me, man.

So, I've been planning the heart-filled fiesta for about a month now. I have attempted to get the other parents on board, but not much luck. I held a meeting hoping I'd get some help and only two mothers showed up. I emailed and posted a list for families to sign up for small items to bring the day of the party and so far I have one bag of chips and some napkins. The one lady who was going to bring three cans of frosting stopped me this morning at drop off to tell me she was having her home remodeled and didn't have any place to keep the three cans of frosting so, yeah, she won't be bringing any frosting. I guess they must be living in her yellow Hummer if it doesn't have enough space for three cans of frosting.

I just doled out eighteen bucks on the craft supplies and I'll be up Wednesday night baking cupcakes for Jacob's classmates AND their siblings. Apparently I'll have to bring the rest of the supplies as well.

This makes me mad and let me tell you why:

In early September I took Jacob and his best bud to the park one day after school. While we were there, the boys started talking about parties and stuff and Jacob and Best Bud told me that W was having a party that Saturday but he told Jacob and Best Bud that they weren't invited because his mom would only let him invite the kids from last year's class. Rude, but hey, it's their party. So, I meet up with Best Bud's mom later in the day and her kid shares that little tidbit with her and she let me know that the school kept all of the other kindergarten classes together but split up last year's half day class among all of them. Jacob and Best Bud and two little girls are the only "new" kids in that class. That makes absolutely no sense to me, but whatever.

So anyway, there was a lady in charge of the Christmas party and she did do a good job throwing things together, but every Mama in the class was at the meetings, donated cash and supplies, and crowded into the room for the party. That Mama was from last year's class. Guess who is bringing the chips and napkins? The half-day castoff Mamas.

Why in hell are these women like that? I thought once the kids meshed into this year's class things would be different, but it really isn't. Jacob and the half-day three are still excluded from birthday parties and when the parents come together for chapel or field trips last year's crew huddle together and talk amongst themselves rarely giving a nod to any of the rest of us no matter how hard we try. If this is normal, I'd hate to see what it's like at a non-Christian school.

I am so very tempted to just show up on Thursday and let the kids eat bare cupcakes and chips on their festive napkins and leave it at that. I should do that, but I can't do that to Jacob or his classmates. Sure their parents suck, but the kids can't help that.

So, the poor lady in the beat up, crowded car will foot the bill for the rich kids while their Mamas are off gossiping at the spa. I may live in a crappy house, in a crappy neighborhood and occasionally wear my pajamas to drop my kid off at a school, but as G*d is my witness, those kids will eat frosted cupcakes, dammit!