How Do I Get Myself Into These Situations?

This weekend both of my girls are in a school play production. There are also 118 more high school students and 50 middle school students involved in this show. That makes a total of 170 kids. Last year when my girls were in the spring musical I approached the director to offer any last minute help she might need and she asked if I would contact a local restaurant about donating food for the cast party. I of course replied "SURE, no problem." So I handled the food procurement and that was that.

This year the director contacted me and asked if I would once again handle contacting this same restaurant about food and I replied "Sure, no problem" and I did. I have been working with the restaurant and I had offered to the director of the show that Mark (the hubby) and I would also pick it up. That was it, clean and simple, "Glad that's taken care of!" UNTIL, last night when Aly handed me 11 parent sign-up sheets and told me that these were the parents that had signed up to help. HELP? "Help what?" I asked. "Help with the cast party Mom, I don't know?" "Ms. Walls just handed me the sheets and asked me to give them to you!" There was about two more minutes of us snarping at each other because I was panicking and Aly was not appreciating my panic being dumped on her. At that point I decided I would just untwist my panties and throw on a pair of my big girl panties and step up to the plate…or party.

So here I am this morning emailing parents and fielding information and suggestions as I try to pull off a cast party in three days. No biggie, it is just 170 starving kids and 400 chicken wings, not a problem at all! Today not only am I going to have to mooch more food from local restaurants, I am going to have to stay calm and organize this moving target. In my defense, I was not actually volunteering, but in fairness to the director, I know when no one is stepping up to help you out even the tiniest offer of assistance is like a beacon lighting your way and you latch on. I guess I should be flattered, and perhaps after I recover from the initial shock I will be. Right now I am just getting my footing and hoping for clear (big girl panty wearing) sailing and thinking to myself "How do I get myself into these situations?"