It should have been a great day today.
It was finally time for the first session of the new playgroup I'd been asked to run! I had the cookies ready, the play dough made, the leaves collected for the autumn themed craft. Heaps of people had "expressed their interest" to the Centre staff. I'd signed the key out from the officious desk lady and we were all set.
I hustled Peanut and Bug through their breakfast, and rugged them up against the Canberra cold. We hurried round the corner to the playgroup hut and I waited nervously for the hoards to arrive.
And waited. And waited....
No one came.
No one.
It was hard not to take personally, even though the whole thing wasn't my idea, and no one actually knew I was the coordinator. (Would that have helped? Maybe next week I'll have huge real estate-like signs printed out, with my grinning mug on them giving a thumbs up, advertising the Most Awesome Saturday Playgroup Ever, RUN BY MRS ACCIDENT!! Then at least if *that* doesn't work, I can take it to heart!)
Looking on the bright side, my girls had an excellent time dominating all the playgroup toys without competition, the playgroup craft cupboard is now the cleanest and most organized it has been in years (I got a little bored while waiting) and we have enough playdough to last until Christmas.
Christmas 2019, that is.
And it's all orange.
Oh, and also? Panzer is here!! Photos soon, but I will say, she is a one pound dog in two pounds of skin.... Adorable.
Have a good Sunday, everyone!
Oh, that's so disappointing. So much work and then ... nothing. I hope you enjoy the play dough. Offer some to Givinya, she loves the stuff. ;)
ReplyDeleteLoves it in her carpet, loves it caked in her kitchen utensils?
DeleteOh you poor love, I know exactly how you feel. Last year I ran the playgroup at our school with another lady. But for most of the last term I had to do it on my own and its hard work. Anyway on the first Tue of every month I would make a cake and we would have tea and coffee. So I got every thing set up and waited and waited and in the end it was just me and my little girl. I was so annoyed but she didn't mind having cake and milk with just mum. Better luck next week, try the flyers and signs it will work xx Jodie.
ReplyDeleteGlad it's not just me! From your story, I see it can clearly happen to the best of us... but I'm sorry it happened to you too :(
DeleteI was surprised how much my kids enjoyed the empty room. I was NOT surprised how much they enjoyed the cookies....
Get out of here....? No one at all came?....that's rough....but yes, the playdough is a plus ....I have none made, I would take some of your hands gladly.
ReplyDeleteNevermind, maybe because it was a Saturday? People may have forgotten? I am sure it will improve....goodness, the playgroups are all closing around here due to the new dumb kindy increased hours , so any new playgroup would be more than welcome for us....
I reckon it was because it was on Saturday. the Centre was trying to run it for people who work and those who's partner's are away (the weekends can get awfully long).
DeleteMaybe you should start one yourself! Not that you're not busy enough... ;)
I use a no-cook play dough recipe, do you want it?
Yep, post it, I love play dough any way I can get it.
DeleteYou TOTALLY should have let it be known you were leading. Then you should have guilted everyone into coming so "you wouldn't be the only one showing up."
ReplyDeleteAt least that's what I do if I'm supposed to lead something.
Oh, and I had an electrician here the other day. He saw our golden retriever and got all sentimental as they had one for years and years. He said, "Don't ever let her near play dough. It's toxic for dogs. That's what killed our golden, when our grandkids left it out and she ate it."
So sad. Watch out with that new squishy bundle of love!
God, that's horrible! Poor pup!
DeleteWe make our own play dough, so hopefully it's not so bad. Archie's had a lick before but didn't show much interest, hopefully Panzer is the same, but I'll be keeping a close eye out now! Thanks!
Oh no!! That's a bummer...I agree, you should definitely have let them know you were leading ;) But at least you made the best of it, in true Mrs. A style :)
ReplyDeleteThat must have been so frustrating! A Saturday play group sounds great though - where in Canberra is it? (we are inner north)
ReplyDeleteJule, it's close to you! Send me an email and I'll fill you in :)
DeleteHugs my dear. It is hard not to take it to heart. I have had the same thing happen to me. It is word of mouth and getting them there that is the hardest.
ReplyDeleteYou can not go and hassle their children through their breakfast. I find that winter and the cold is the hardest time to start something new or a new routine.
Can I ask why it is on a Saturday? I think that it is a great idea for where you live and knowing the hours that the boys live, but you will not get the ones with older children.
If still lived in the house up the road that we lived in 9 years ago I would be there in a flash.
Oh heck, it if happened to you too, then I most certainly won't take it to heart! Your playgroup sessions would be incredible!
DeleteIt's Saturday so the working peeps can do something with the kids, and the families with a deployed / field parent have somewhere to go on those bloody long, dragging weekends. I was kind of questioning it's sticking power myself, but they needed someone to run it so I just volunteered. Someone's got to do it!
If you still lived up the road, I would be a very happy lady :)
Oh, how disappointing. Maybe it was the cold weather keeping people at home as well as being a weekend. At least your girls still had a great time at playgroup.
ReplyDeleteOh what a bummer. You need my number in your phone, i'm only 20 minutes away & sure my youngest child is 8 but i never let them experience mother's group when they were children, at the time, i couldn't think of anything worse on an Army base, it was so so awful, the few i trialled, but yours sounds aces. With actual supervised children, rather than women dumping their children in the middle, whinging about DHA while chugging back on cigarettes while showing off tattoos - shudder, i'm scarred!! Orange play dough, my favourite. Autumn leaf craft, yes please. Lordy i missed out didn't i?? Back in the day it was all about rank & i was shunned because of the way i spoke & had been to Uni, i know, forget the fact we were all equal housewives!! Love Posie
ReplyDeleteOh that is so sad! If I wasn't in Sydney, me and my brood would have been there.
ReplyDelete