El Presidenta

We had a cheer meeting last Friday. To show you just what a good cheer Mom I am, I actually didn't even know we had a meeting. What I did know was that someone in our squad had arranged to have a bake sale/garage sale and that I was going to be out of town during it. I missed competition and now the sale? I could just imagine how that was going to go over.

So my plan was to run by the store, grab some brownies or something and drop them off somewhere. I don't look like a completely bad Mom, they've got goodies to sale and all is well. So I sent a quick text on the way home asking where to drop off.

That's when I got the "You can bring them to our meeting tonight." Meeting? What meeting? Oh. I missed that text.

Meeting in 30 minutes and I haven't even made it home yet? Perfect.

That's when I also learned that one Mom had made 4 banana breads, 6 pumpkin breads, 6 cakes, 6 pies, 60 muffins, 72 cupcakes and TWO HUNDRED cookies. TWO. HUNDRED. FREAKIN. COOKIES.

And my idea of picking up some store bought brownies slowly deflates and crumples like an old balloon.

What? Is this Mom trying to start her own bakery or something? Seriously? Two hundred cookies? She totally broke Mom Commandment #5: Thou Shalt Not Be Such An Overachiever That It Puts Other Mothers To Shame. That one, it's an important one.

Crap.

Now I have just enough time to change and hopefully find something for the garage sale. Because I am sure as hell not showing up with some day-old brownies from Homeland. And I have nothing. Nothing for the garage sale. Well, actually - I have a ton of junk I could donate. What I don't have is the time to go through and dig any of it out. You know, because I was kinda banking on the whole brownie thing...

So as I'm changing I look over and see some of my old purses hanging in the closet. And there are some cute purses...I debate for maybe half a second and then grab them and just go. If I think about it, I may change my mind.

At the meeting we learn that the cheer association has decided that all funds that we raise as a squad will go towards paying for the 5th and 6th grade competitions - because our squad has sought out and secured sponsorship and because those squads aren't interested in finding sponsors or fundraising. And apparently, it's unfair if we work to raise money and don't share. Interestingly, the President of the association is also the 6th grade coach.

You can imagine how I felt about that. I have no problem contributing to a community fund, if everyone is working to contribute. But you're not just gonna sit back, do nothing and reap the benefits of the work our squad has done. Because, you know, it was SO hard to grab those purses...But it's the principle - that's wrong.  And when I think something is wrong, I just can't let it go.

So I didn't. And I ended up walking away as the President of our newly formed parents association. I'm not sure how that happened. I tried to respectfully decline several times. Because sometimes people confuse loudness with leadership. Yes, I'm vocal and opinionated but it by no means makes me a leader. It just makes me...loud and opinionated.

And don't think for a second that the irony of the "disengaged" Mom end up "leading" the association was lost on me. People, I was the one that was going to buy brownies, remember???

I give it two weeks before they change their minds. In the meantime, I've got to get to work on my baking skills. Mom Commandment #6: When Another Mother Puts Ye To Shame, Thou Shall Work Thou Ass Off To Get Better.