This week is crazy, as usual. And it’s pretty much a result of poor planning and too much enthusiasm on my part.
Soccer season ends this week and as team mom - for both my children’s teams - I have to coordinate the end of season parties. I’ve written before about the doubt and anxiety I suffer when it’s simply a matter of pitching in and bringing the snack to the weekly game, so imagine what I’m going through now. I was dreaming about who was going to make the cupcakes earlier in the week! Clearly I’m much too involved (or just neurotic). I’m doing my best to delegate jobs to other parents - and I slept much better after I got a volunteer from each team to make cupcakes!
Not only am I worried about providing a suitably festive menu, but I worry about what the children and the other parents on the team will think of what I’ve organized. I tend to be a simple-is-better sort of person when it comes to things like this, so my plan is to have the team party at the field immediately following the last game. Everyone is very busy these days so it seemed to make more sense than trying to regather everyone at a later time. I was confident in that plan until I heard that some other team moms were planning more elaborate dos at Pizza Hut or their country club. What?? Even if I wanted to do something like that, I don’t have the time. So, it’ll be a party at the pitch and if the other parents aren’t impressed they can volunteer next year!
The other thing I volunteered to do was host a party at my house on Thursday night. A good friend of mine had the idea that what we really needed to do was to have a monthly ladies wine night. In theory we would sample different varieties of wine and learn a little something about each one - even if it was just a matter of “I like this one” and “I don’t like that one”. But since the variety of wine one is able to procure in Cairo varies wildly from month to month, mostly we just get together and drink and chat and have a great time. It floats from house to house and this month it’s my turn.
The date was my mistake choice. Can’t actually recall now why I didn’t choose last weekend - there wasn’t so much going on just then.
My friend is a brilliant multitasker and hugely energetic so she’s a great partner to have in such a venture. My job mostly boils down to bundling my children off to tennis lessons and dinner out with my husband and making sure my home is presentable - which some days is no small feat. Having wine night on Thursday could be good timing actually - surely a couple of glasses of good wine and some laughter will help me let go of any remaining soccer party anxiety!
