More Mop Woes (But Not The Way You'd Expect)

Operation "Make Friends at Church" has been going on for a while now with limited success. We are at a point where we recognize faces and know a few names. Our names appear to also be known by a few. So there's progress. Slow, to be sure, but still some forward momentum.

A few weeks ago I went to the choir open house thingy. It was fun and I would enjoy it, I think, with two small issues. They made a huge deal about not missing practice and being punctual. Huge deal made. And I can't guarantee that. Sometimes Tim works late (take tonight, for example, it's unlikely he'll leave work til around 7, which would mean there's no way I could be at choir at 7 with the kiddo going to bed around 7:15), sometimes he's out of town, and so on and so forth. Really, with a small child who can't participate in any of the activities himself - and I'm not going to foist a past-his-bedtime toddler on the nursery workers, it just doesn't seem to be in the cards for right now. Plus, they never really said when practice started up again after the summer break. So...I'd have to look into that if the other bits weren't an issue.

Regardless, when I was there, the director of adult ministries and the pastor's wife were both oozing about how I "just had to sign up for MOPS." Now, I had seen the ad for MOPS (stands for Mothers Of Pre Schoolers - and we won't even get into how the acronym isn't grammatically reasonable nor will we mention how oddly offensive I find it that a group of primarily stay-at-home moms are referred to as a cleaning implement) in the bulletin. I thought about it, but the way it was worded it seemed...odd. And I mentioned this to the two ladies and the paused for a moment before nodding and reluctantly participating in the following conversation:

PW: Well...there's room for you, definitely.
DoAM: Oh yes, definitely.
PW: It's just your child that would be the problem.
Me: Huh?
PW: Well, we have a hard time finding childcare workers for when MOPS meets.
Me: So...not really room for me, then, since he and I are a package deal.

It went on for another five minutes with them assuring me that I should still come and me dragging my feet and finally giving the pastor's wife my contact info so the head MOP (would that be the Steamer? The Swiffer-in-chief?) could call me.

Well, a few days later she did, indeed, call. So that she could basically reaffirm that no, there isn't room for me right now, but she'd be happy, nay thrilled! (you could hear the perky smile over the phone) to add me to the waiting list and did I have an email so she could send the registration form and as openings became available they call down the list so this way I wouldn't be too far down the line.

I gave her my email. I filled out the form and sent it in. But even if they call...I really don't see me going. The whole waiting list thing is just an incredible turn off...and I just can't get around the fact that I feel like I'm supposed to be grateful that they're willing to extend to me the opportunity to possibly have a chance to get to know them and come to their little exclusive mommy club. Because that's what it feels like, an exclusive mommy club - because a church ministry surely wouldn't have a waiting list. Add in the fact that one of the major mommies in the club is the lady with enough faith to have a baby and I doubt I'd really fit in anyway.

Ah well...it's not like this is the first time I've had issues with mops.