Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Oops I did it again

Overcommited myself. And as usual I am insisting on doing everything over the top instead of just letting Walmart (or one of the fishies) do it. Let's see how I can simplify the next few days:

Commitment 1
Prepare fried ravioli with marinara sauce and some sort of Italian dessert for One Fish's end of the year "Italian Feast." Although we've already established that she must be so very gifted (or at least in the running for one of the coveted gifted spots for next year), she does not have an Italian language class. Just a regular ol' first grade class. Querries about why it must be an Italian feast instead of just an end of the year hoo-ha must wait until another day. I.Will.Go.Off and I just don't have time for it today. Hmmm. Perhaps pick up a cheese cake at the grocery and apologize to the teacher for agreeing to be over the top with the ravioli? Sounds easier than a fry daddy and homemade cream puffs.

Commitment 2
End of the year teacher gifts. This is a yearly obligation that I always have grand plans for and sometimes actually pull off. I won't even tell you what the plan was for this year because in hindsight (ie- now that I am able to see that there is no way in hell that it can happen between now and Friday) it seems absurd even to me. If you didn't laugh, I'd lose respect for you. Perhaps a terra cotta pot from Walmart with herbs in it?

Commitmet 3
VBS. For all you Protestants out there, you know what I'm talking about and what an undertaking it is. Somehow I got roped into coordinating the teachers for this. I'm supposed to have a meeting with them on Sunday. I bet they'd like me to have something prepared to talk about. But I'm just guessing.

Commitment 4
This is where it gets out of control. I failed to mention in #3(because it's almost too terrible to even speak about) that I also agreed to write the curriculum for said VBS. I can hear you gasping and it's not helping my feeling of overwhelmedness AT ALL. Why don't we purchase curriculum, you ask? Because apparently my church and I have a good bit in common and the church cannot just "buy curriculum." We do a big, huge hairy deal called "Marketplace" and "we" write our own curriculum every year so that it can be just exactly what we want. As long as we want shoddy, short, and theologically questionable, it looks like we're in luck for this year. Since the big hoo-ha starts in a week and a half and exactly a day and a half of curriculum is currently written. If I were Baptist, I'd blame the devil for making the "I'll do it!" come out of my mouth at the meeting where all this was decided. But I'm not, so I'll just have to chalk it up to (very) poor decision making. Most of my friends are Baptist (and good ones at that if you can ignore the wine consumed at my house) and I'd appreciate no comments about how awesome Baptists are. I already know.

Commitment #5
The Scientist is off at one of his "work" events again. He is teaching a class at a nearby college that is not nearby enough for him to commute every day. I actually felt sympathy for him until I discovered that he and his scientist cronies were being put up notsomuch in the dorms I had described to everyone. Nope. They are "roughing it" in a 4 bedroom cottage with amenities. He's driving a car that is not his own which comes with a gas card. His every meal is prepared in the "cafeteria" which is, as it turns out, very different from the college cafeteria I remember from Clemson. This one sounds flat out gourmet. It is a statement about my life that I would really love to spend a weekend in a cottage and eating out of a cafeteria. It sounds like vacation. I'd even dissect a shark if they wanted me to. I wouldn't go "gill netting" though. That involves a boat, which means that for me it involves hours of nausea. I've digressed ...He's coming home tomorrow and I bet he'd really appreciate it if the house is not still in the condition it is in currently. If Clemsongirl lived here she'd come over after the kids were in bed and help me clean if I provided the wine. I do not have a suggestion for how I can alleviate this commitment. No snarky comments about how you'd just let him do it when he got home, please. That is not how this Fish Tank rolls. Besides, I'll think so much better if I can just get things under control a little bit.

I do have more commitments I could list. But they are somewhat petty and all of them- every single solitary one- is on my list because I put it there. Which makes them harder to swallow, don'tcha know? More later. I'm off to find things to do other than write curriculum.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

This list stresses me out and for the love of all that is HOLY, please purchase the VBS stuff for next year. I find that whole fandango overwhelming and I get preprinted, bound instructions (but not the costume--that I have to find). Back in the day, i.e. when I was little, VBS was lemonade and vanilla sandwich cookies, macrame or potholder art and learning to sing Jesus Loves Me (and I am not exaggerating AT ALL!)

STK

Melissa said...

I did VBS for the first time last year. My boyfriend runs the rec program and I help him. We basically pick a game from the booklet, get the supplies, and tell the kids how it connects to the Bible passage of the day. You are doing a ton of work on yours! Good luck! I bet you will do great!

clemsongirlandthecoach said...

Dear God. That is wearing me out.

Calling you ASAP.