Open House and MrsMalcontent

Wednesday night was Open House at Mini Me and Panda's school. This year they split the Open House into two parts to avoid all that parental chaos. Since Mini Me is in 2nd grade this year and Panda is in 3rd grade, they are on different nights, so I get to attend both nights. Lucky me.
This year, Mini Me has Panda's teacher from last year-simply known as MrsSecondGradeTeacher. She is a total sweetheart and Mini Me absolutely loves her. He is so excited to go to school, that he hops right out of bed, gets dressed lickety split and is ready to head off to school. Can I tell you how happy that makes me?
So, Open House was well, Open House. Really, I would have preferred to hang at home in my pj's. Since Mini Me did not give me that option, I actually changed my mommy shorts, grubby t-shirt and sneakers for something more decent, sucked it up and went to school.
Whatever.
Every year it's the same thing.
This year, it's the same teacher (well new to Mini Me, same for me), different kid and new year.
After listening to MrsSecondGradeTeacher talk about the class rules, agenda and so forth, Mini Me and I left his classroom all chatty and happy about the new school year and his class. On our way out the door, we ran into MrsElementarySchoolPrincipal and chatted about the summer and our new teachers. While we were chatting away, another staff member, who I have known for quite some time, joined the conversation.
The conversation started out innocent enough, chatting about the summer and other mundane topics and then turned a bit uncomfortable when MrsMalcontent asked Mini Me about his glasses. It was not what she asked, but her tone and the way she asked that made me uncomfortable. Like she was grilling my child on why his mother did not buy him new glasses with me standing there.
Very passive-aggressive like I might add.
Now, for the record, there is quite a bit of history behind those glasses.
For instance, did you know those glasses were pair #17 obtained within a 16 month time frame from Mini Me's last visit to the eye doctor? And really, pair #17 was a replacement pair for eyeglass set #16 that he left on the floor in his room one day, only to be gnawed on by Chewy, the psycho barking mutt, who left some serious tooth prints on the lenses. Of course since this occurred minutes before walking out the door for school one day back in March, I grabbed the replacement eyeglass set #17, shoved them on his face and well, he has been wearing them ever since.
Oh, and did I mention that the replacement eyeglass set #17 was ALSO left on the ground and chewed up by Chewy because MrIJustAmNotResponsibleForMyThings (Mini Me) left them on the FLOOR?
Okay, glad I cleared that up.
In a nutshell, Mini Me needed new glasses, our insurance was nil, and he HAS to see an Opthamologist because of certain optical issues. Going to the Opthamologist is a little on the expensive side, especially when you are paying out of pocket and you have three kids, two of which wear glasses.
Regardless, I did take Mini Me and Monkeyboy to the eye doctor a couple of weeks ago and yes, it did cost me quite a fortune to get their eyes examined thank you very much. BUT since I am a responsible parent, who is concerned about the optical health of her children, I bit the bullet, robbed Peter to pay Paul and took the children to the doctor. Now, since I spent all of Mike's paycheck on electricity, water, our car payment...oh and the Prada shades I just had to have because I am way selfish like that, I have not ordered their glasses. And really, what is more important, glasses for my boys or those Prada sunglasses I can't wear because ummm....I don't have contacts and I am blind as a bat?
Hmm....exactly.
Sigh.
Once the electricity, food and the car payment are paid, we should be doing the multiple pairs of glasses tango.
Back to MrsMalcontent and her inability to keep her yap closed.
MrsMalcontent starts off with "Mini Me, what is going on with those glasses?"
Those glasses she is referring to are riding on his nose, the ear piece hangs over his ear and yes, those glasses have seen better days. For the record, I did not replace Mini Me's glasses after the 17th time because they were no longer covered under the year warranty that came with EACH of the pairs of glasses.
Feeling guilty and having already chastised myself for not having the funds available to run right out and purchase the $200 pair of glasses each of my boys needed, I interject that Mini Me just went to the eye doctor and would be getting his glasses soon. I did not feel the need to divulge to MrsMalcontent the fact that I had no money and could not afford to pay for new glasses instead of our regular bills because frankly, it is none of her business.
And luckily for me, Mini Me's prescription did not change drastically and only needed to be tweaked, but again, information she did not need to have.
Not her child, not her problem.
Regardless, I was a little put off by her comment and tried to tactfully end the conversation so we could leave. I told Mini Me it was time to go because it was 7:30, and we had to pick up his dad. Sarcastically, I said that I had been a slacker mom and had gotten all caught up in doing homework with the kids and working on the computer that I had lost track of time and had to leave for Open House. Therefore, we hadn't eaten dinner yet.
MrsMalcontent: "You haven't eaten dinner yet?"
Mini Me: "No."
Hey MrsMalcontent, were you listening to what I said? We were busy, lost track of time doing homework and had to go. Now we're here, it's only 7:30, not 11:00 and really, Mini Me had a snack when he came home from school, so there was not a significant lapse of time between meals. At our house, the kids get three meals a day, plus snacks. We are kinda funny like that.
MrsMalcontent however, was on a roll. She started flapping her yapper and said: "Well, Mini Me, you know the number to call to report that don't you?"
A joke?
Maybe, but in very poor taste I might add. And really, I am not the type to get offended easily, but that comment really PISSED me off. Now I'm starving my children, as well as neglecting their eyesight issues.
Yeah.
My snappy comeback?
"Ummm...for Domino's? Yeah, he can dial that number no problem."
Seriously, was that really appropriate? And how in our conversation did anything I say warrant any of those comments?
My kids are always clean, taken care of, fed, doctored and are so NOT neglected that the comments were completely uncalled for.
It took everything I had to say goodbye, walk away and keep Sybil and her 27 sisters on lockdown.
Carpool and Open House-so not working for me this year.
I am seriously rethinking attending Panda's Open House festivities next week.
Not sure if I can contain Sybil and her 27 sisters from rocking the house.
Or MrsMalcontent.
We'll see.