Back in Black

I’m usually on top of most things in my life. I like to plan ahead and make lists and, if I’m unprepared for anything, I tend to start dry heaving. There is one exception to this rule, however, and I’ve never been able to get my act together in this particular area: my kids’ concert band attire.

For six years now, my kids have had to wear the same outfit combo for every band concert — all black. Black button down shirt, black dress pants, black socks and black dress shoes. And every single fall, about two days before their first band concert of the school year, one of them says something like, “My band clothes from last year don’t fit and I need new ones.”

Now I’ve known this fall concert was coming for months. In fact, I put it down on my calendar in August when all the paperwork comes home with them. But for some reason I have a mental block when it comes to getting them the appropriate clothing for the concert.

In the past, this has meant speeding to Macy’s the day before a concert and picking out black pants and black shirts in a variety of sizes, praying that one such combination will fit my kids when they try them on after school. Then I have to make a second trip to the mall to return all the black clothes that didn’t fit them. It’s really annoying.

But this year, I tried something different, and it’s either genius or will be my downfall. Last night I ordered their all-black attire off Amazon. Since we have Prime, it’s all scheduled to arrive Friday night, with the concert being at 8:30 am on Saturday morning.

Will the packages come on time? Hopefully. Will the clothes fit? Doesn’t matter, because I will force my kids to wear them anyway, because we will be completely out of options by that point. What can I say, I live on the edge.