Grandparent’s Day at School

It’s getting close to time for one of the moments I’ve been dreading since my mother died. OK, maybe it’s not all that serious, but, still: Grandparents Day at school.

It’s not that it’s emotional, it’s just getting too darn complicated. You see, we’ve gone from just the right amount of players, to not enough players, to too many players.

When the older two kids started school, my mother, and, my MIL would split the Grandparent’s Day duties, since, it was always nice to have one grandparent per kid at the classroom receptions. Afterward, they’d all go shopping and out to lunch. Slightly awkward since my mother and my MIL got along fine, but, didn’t see each other much, and, were two totally different people.

My father, who teaches school, can’t really get away from work for it, and, I’m not entirely sure he ever visualized himself doing this kind of thing, anyway. Not that he wouldn’t do it if I asked, but, he’d require a lot of instruction, and, I can’t really see him taking them out to lunch or shopping.

Anyway, when my mother became too ill to attend, my MIL did it (program and receptions) alone. It was fine, but, it meant one kid didn’t have someone in their classroom while she was in the other room. Not the end of the world, but, workable, and, not awkward.

Since I have another child starting kindergarten next year, I have always had a back-up plan in mind since my MIL is 80, and, lives out of town, and, may not always be able to come. I have a mental list of potential faux-grandparents to approach, but, haven’t really done so, because, after all, is there really a good way to say, “Hey, can you come spend the day at a program at my kids’ school, and, then take them out to lunch? Oh, by the way, I won’t be there.”? Slightly awkward.

So, this year’s edition approacheth, and, now I potentially have 3 grandparents coming. My mother’s best friend, whom I suspect was assigned to take care of me, wants to come. That is wonderful, but, the kids don’t know her very well (awkward), so, now I have to plan an outing before the outing. Then, I have to tell my MIL about it, and, hope she’s not offended in some way (entirely possible) since she, afterall, did it alone last year.

I’m still trying to figure out if my father wants to go. I gave him an out by saying that I knew he had taken a lot of time off after his surgery, and, he needed to work. But, I also don’t want to make him feel like he’s being pushed out by the addition of the new person, again, kind of awkward.

But, on the other hand, I can’t visualize him going with the friend, who has (unecessarily) gone to great lengths to avoid being suspected of the Tupperware phenomenon. Yes, really awkward there. And, there’s no way he’d go with just my MIL. That, my friends, would be off the awkward scale.

Even though I’m sure it’ll turn out fine, I’m still glad I have to work that day.