Okay, so I’ve done it again. I’ve let one sneak up on me.
Has it ever happened to you? In all your lists, calendars, post-it notes, organizational tools, and attempt to keep it all together — you forget something important? In this case, important to one of your kids?
And it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. Harper Houk – role model 6 year old. Gets himself up and dressed every morning. Packs his own lunch and snacks and meets me at the door with his papers to sign for the next day. He hates to be late and he likes to get things right. He follows the rules. He starts on me 2 weeks before field trip money and reminds me daily until I do it early to get him off my back. Harper is the one who when offered candy, will say, “No thank you, I don’t care for any right now.” The other 3 are happy to zoom in like vultures and take his also. Faithful, reliable, polite Harper.
I DID send the field trip money in. I even sent it on time AND put the date in the computer calendar. I also kept the part of the announcement that tells you what to bring, what to wear, what time the bus leaves/returns, etc. It’s even hanging up on the bulletin board. What I didn’t do is remember to look at any of that!
In all fairness to me, we’ve been on Spring Break. We’ve been repainting and moving rooms and getting our new Caribbean themed family lounge together. In the midst of that, 9 family members came to our house for Easter weekend. We pushed the paint buckets aside and threw mattresses on the floor. We partied hard – had a great weekend. School was out on Monday, too, so we kept a niece a nephew a little bit longer and returned them yesterday.
Harper woke up tired yesterday, likely from all the fun he’s had all weekend. Forehead was a little warm, had a tiny cough, said he had a “throat” (which means a sore one), and in general just wanted to stay home. He also wanted to go with us to drive my nephew and niece back (their Spring Break just started). He’s in a pre-First Grade class – what could it hurt? So he snuggled in, went back to sleep, took cousins home, went to bed early and all was good.
I sent him out the door this morning with his excuse, his signed papers, his backpack and a hug and kiss. Then I, recovering from an extra on-call shift last night and returning at o245 am, went back to bed and quickly back to sleep.
Phone rings at 0740. That can’t be good. Collectors and telemarketers usually wait until after 0800. It’s Haper’s sweet young intern teacher apologizing to me for not calling to remind me yesterday. What a nice gesture, but let’s face it: I’m nearly 38 years old with 4 kids, 2 dogs, multiple jobs and a household to run – should I really need a reminder? The field trip is today. Guess who has no lunch?
Mr. “I would have packed it myself if my mom had only told me!” Harper T. Houk has no lunch! The field trip bus departs in 15 minutes. Even if I gave up brushing my hair and teeth , I couldn’t throw something together, fasten Brady in the car, and get a lunch there in time. Plus, I’m downright scary with my bed head and the luxurious 3.5 hours of sleep I got. Never mind that Brady is not dressed and is sound asleep next to me and Dad’s at work. Impossible. Can’t happen. Harper will have to remain lunchless.
Kind, precious Ms. Meek tells me that they will be happy to put him together some crackers, snack, and a juice box, etc. – will that be okay? Heck, he loves that kind of food. It will be better than okay…IT’S CERTAINLY BETTER THAN WHAT HIS MOM PACKED HIM — NOTHING! Ms. Meek is still apologizing and I’m assuring her that I’m the one who should do all the apologizing here. I am as low now as the lint and dirty (or is it clean?) laundry scattered across my bedroom floor. I have let down the kid that asks for nothing extra – my Harper.
I just finished writing the apology note I will hang on the door for him to see when he arrives home in the next 45 minutes or so. He’ll forgive me – he’s also sweet and caring like that. Will I forgive myself? Probably. But today I feel pretty rotten about it. It’s a symptom of having too much going on, when we forget something that is small, easily do-able, yet really important.
And yet another year passes that my nomination for “Mom of the Year” will have to be revoked. It will go down on the record books with the Halloween Party I forgot when Marlee was 2 and the lunch money I took to the wrong school a couple of years ago and similar incidents that are regretfully painful reminders that I really can’t do it all.
That’s okay, who needs an award. I just need Harper T to come home so I can tell him HE is important to me, despite my Bad Mommy behavior earlier today.
