The Thought of Hosting Playgroup Puts Me in a Foul Mood

One thing about Rexburg moms is they are conscientious. Like, to a fault. I have developed a severe complex about not being as conscientious as the moms around me, to the point where I panic when some German college student comes to my door selling children's books and tells me "Mrs. So-and-So from next door bought these for her eight children and loves them."  I usually end up signing up for the books, coming to myself later, calling the company, waiting on hold for half an hour, and then going through a complicated process of taking my name off their list and having to rip up a check. This is all hypothetical, of course....

So Rexburg moms like to put their children in play groups and preschools and gifted and talented programs.  Part of this may or may not be because Rexburg moms have ten children each and maybe they need a little break sometimes, but I can't be certain. I think it's also because they just genuinely want to do lots and lots of things for their littl'uns. There's quite a culture of being an awesome mom around here. It can be hard to keep up.

I got totally sucked into the playgroup scene this year and it's killing me. Don't get me wrong, the other moms are so nice and super awesome. Their kids are cute and good and fine and not really hard at all. It's just, I forgot two important things about myself when I signed up for playgroup: I don't like doing things and I don't love kids. There are a few exceptions (friends and family, if you are reading this, then please know that your kids are the exception), but generally I am not a lover of children. I used to be, but then I had four of them and it's enough to love them, let alone be all "I'm the fun mom whose house everybody wants to visit" all the time. I'm in "circling the wagons" mode right now.  It's nothing personal. I just have so little left to give!

So I have to host playgroup three times. In 15 weeks I have to host three times. I know it could be worse. I know I benefit from the times when other moms host. I know it's time to pay the piper. But boy, does hosting playgroup ever hang over my head until the dreaded day arrives. I've been barking at my family all week. I thought I was getting ready for my "monthlies" but then I realized that I am just in a horrible mood because I'm getting ready for my "groupies."

Tomorrow they will come. They'll show up all shiny and clean, their clothes will match and the girls will have braided hair. The boys may be wearing something in seersucker fabric and the girls will probably be wearing adorable mary janes in soft leather.  Their moms will drop them off on their way to Zumba and they will wear cute exercise clothes. And I'll get that pit in my stomach again, thinking that I should be exercising, dressing my kids in cute clothes, and braiding their hair, too. Rexburg moms! You gotta admire them.