First Communion is approaching fast

I have three more days to make sure I have everything in order for Madeline's First Communion and the brunch afterwards to celebrate.  Despite my slow start to getting the house in order this week, I think I finally managed to get myself on track this afternoon.  After the First Communion rehearsal at the church last night I came home feeling totally unmotivated to get things ready.

Sadly, I came home last night feeling rather bitter which is not the way I want to feel about this very special occasion.  Our church is small; max capacity is around 450 if I recall correctly from a previous First Eucharist parent meeting in the church.   At every single meeting the parents have been told that there would be a few pews in the back of the church where overflow guests could sit.  If you were fortunate enough to get a full sized pew, you would have room for 10 people.  We got a full sized pew, but with three sets of grandparents, the Godparents in addition to our family we have 12 people.  I've known since November or December that everyone wouldn't fit in our assigned pew, but the deacon who is the head of our religious ed program has assured the parents at every parent meeting that there would be a few empty pews in the back of the church, and to tell our guests to arrive early to make sure they get a set.  Problem solved, right?

Seating problem...this is your cue.  Madeline's group has three CCD classes.  That means the every available pew in the church is assigned to a child and his/her family.  So now I have two guests who won't have a place to sit.  We're not the only family in this situation.  The church was buzzing with annoyed parents who were all asking each other where their guests would be sitting, since no one is allowed to stand in the back or on the sides.

I am incredibly annoyed that our assigned pew is the third pew from the very back of the church.  I feel like we're practically sitting outside.  This also means that I'm not even going to be able to get a decent picture of Madeline processing into the church.  My neighbor (the one I borrow milk, bread and eggs from) said she will have her husband take pictures of Madeline as she walks up since they're in row 10 (we're 25, ugh).  We're also not allowed to stand up to take pictures of the kids walking in, so that means at best the picture I am able to take of Madeline as she walks about 9 feet towards me will be a close up instead of a full length shot.  The deacon tells us that the pews were randomly assigned by pulling names out of a hat. I think this random assignment stinks.

Then the kids practiced the song they're singing at Mass.  They decided that the best way to line the kids up would be to take the tall kids and put them in the front.  As a parent of one of the shortest kids, I have a problem with this.  Someone tell me why my neighbor's son who is about 9 inches taller than my daughter needs to be front and center blocking short kids behind him?  Every single very tall boy was placed in the front row so the kid in the back was eclipsed.  Surely I can't be the only parent who noticed this.

I also got the great news that they now want the kids at the church a full hour before Mass for the group photo and for the line up to process in.  Two months ago they told us to be there 30 minutes early.  That extra 30 minutes makes a big difference when you have to be at a 9:30 Mass and you have to put your daughter's hair in an up-do in addition to getting yourself and another child dressed and ready.  Madeline's hair will take me about 45 minutes to an hour to do. 

Chances are I'm going to lose my mind before Saturday.  I'm trying very hard  not to let the assigned pew, the fact that I won't be able to see my daughter singing the song, and the impending time crunch on Saturday morning get me down.  I've been looking forward to Madeline's First Communion for several years now, so I don't want these unsavory details to tarnish the significance of the Sacrament.

For now, I'm going to focus on getting the house cleaned and I'm going to pray that the cake does not turn out to be a cake wreck.  Bryan is picking up the cake and brunch items that I ordered from the bakery.  

Madeline is counting down the days until her First Communion.  She's clearly excited.

On a happy non-whiney note, Ellie was just too delightfully cute for words today.  Her preschool class made Mother's Day presents and Miss Susan told them to hide the present until Mother's Day.  Ellie is so proud of herself for making me this gift and hiding it under her bed all by herself.  She wouldn't let me open her backpack.  As soon as we got home she ran her backpack up to her room so she could hide her present for me.  The look on her face when she came back downstairs was priceless.  I wish I had a picture of it.  It was one of those melt your heart moments.

Ellie also got into one of her evil makes her giggle moods.  Somehow she pulled Bryan's arm out from behind him while he was lying on the floor and made him fall backwards.  She had the most infectious mischievous giggle.  She's such a funny kid.