Rude People Suck

That's gonna be my new bumper sticker.

Granted that people grow up in different environments, and that Miss Manners' books aren't exactly flying off the shelves these days. Granted that I have high expectations of others. Granted that not everyone raises their children as I do.

The Little Critter had her birthday party Friday night at the pool. We rented it for two hours, and planned food, a pool relay race, a cupcake cake, and a cooler full of drinks. And, of course, her very own, first-ever sleepover, with her bestest friend, KT. I adore KT, and I adore her mom. I've helped her out when they've been amazingly busy, or ill even. Just Thursday I had picked KT up from the hospital where her mom was in the ER getting checked for a post-surgery complication. We were all excited to have KT over, just the two girls.

The pool part was wonderful. The kids were obedient, had a wonderful time, praised the food and the goodie bags, and made the LC's party memorable. Of the kiddos who came, only one's mom didn't RSVP, and I had prepared for that anyway.

Of course, just because one calls and replies, that doesn't mean they have good manners.

One little classmate (who I'll call "Mermaid" for obvious reasons) and her mom called to RSVP and the mom said "We're going to the movies, and Mermaid can't come unless we can drop her off early."

Normally, no problem. I do this with my friends and the LC's friends all the time. It's cool. IF YOU KNOW THE PERSON WELL ENOUGH TO ASK THAT. I've met Mermaid's mom exactly once. Well, I'll be running crazy the last bit before the party, but sure, ok.

THEN I get a call from Mermaid's mom the day of the party saying "Mermaid wants to spend the night."

Excuse me? Since when did that ever become acceptible behavior? Try, never.

I found out why she asked, too. KT was sacked out soon after we got back to the house. The LC was trying, but Mermaid kept her up. Finally in tears, LC came to our room and broke down. We had to hold her and hug her and cuddle her and let her pass out, after almost an hour of calming down, on our bed. And when we try to move her into her room, Mermaid is STILL awake, fooling around in the bedroom across the hall where they were to sleep. At this point it is 2:00 in the morning and I am ready to call her mother to come get her. I really should have.

Instead I set the kitchen timer for 30 minutes and passed out. When it went off, I checked her and she was finally asleep. So I crawled back into bed and muttered curses until I fell asleep.

They were up with the birds in the morning, too. (HOW do they do that?) An hour before I was taking them home, I warned everyone "Get all your things together." As we pull out of the driveway, Mermaid remembers she forgot her flip-flops. So pull back in the driveway and wait. She doesn't get out. I have to force her to go get her own shoes. And nobody comes to the door to let me know there's a grown-up home when I drop her off. She just goes in and disappears. No thank-you, nothing.

Believe me, word of that is going to get out. This poor kid is never going to be invited anywhere. And the whole thing is just topped off by the fact that, during the opening of presents, Mermaid proclaims in a loud voice "LC doesn't have a present from me."

Mom invited her daughter over early, invited her daughter to spend the night, and didn't even think of a present.

Pretty soon, I'll have to send out applications to friends of the Little Critter's. Complete with background checks. Rude people need not apply.