Whose schedule gets priority?

Son #1 and I celebrate birthdays just a few days apart. This year, my mother wanted to come down and take us out to dinner, but the whole Waste of Time Gang was ill for Birthday Week. So, we put it off.

Mom was ticked that we had the nerve to get sick, because my sister had planned a day off of work for it, and everything. But, um, germs come when they choose, you know?

So, it's been a few weeks, we're all well, Mom & Dad went on vacation and returned, and it's generally just getting far from Birthstravaganza. Mom wants to come down and take us out to dinner. So she called tonight and named her date.

Unfortunately, the Sons have school during the day and sports practice every weeknight. So we are unavailable before about 7:15. I suggested getting together over the weekend, since we are less busy then, but my sister works then.

Mom kept pushing for me to shift something...anything...so that we would be available on a day my sister is not working. She finally decided that the only time that suited her was a weekday lunch. The Sons and I will lose half of a day of school, and my father will skip his physical therapy appointment, because Mom has Halloween clutter in her car that she insists we need.

I suggested that she wait until AFTER dad works out and the Sons and I finish school, but no go. Because, you know, my sister has off during the day.

I can't imagine my sister is that committed to spending her precious day off at an applebee's lunch with a bunch of people who have other places they absolutely need to be. So, really, it is just my mom's box of stuff, deciding for us.

Some people, most people, might drop it off at the post office and schedule a get-together at a time that actually IS convenient. But, not my mom.