Another Therapy Bullet Point
Yesterday afternoon, I forgot to pick up the kids at school. You heard me right. I flat out forgot to pick them up.
What with the school holiday on Monday, and Valentine's Day on Tuesday, it seems that I was completely unaware that yesterday was Wednesday, and both kids get out at 1:20, instead of the usual 2:30. Yep, my kids sat in the office, probably bickering and pouting until I laller laller lallered my sorry hide onto the campus at 2:00. I muttered something about cold medicine* making me lose track of time to the office ladies, and peppered my children with kisses and stammered apologies all the way out to the van.
See, I spent the morning gleefully tossing things into the dumpster I ordered to do yet another clean-out** of the garage and yard. My allergies were in full snot and headachy glory and I took a little sudafed to keep myself from dissolving into a heap of mucus. Let the dragging-butt begin.
By noon, I was in a stupor, and settled down to watch a little Nick Jr. Sudafed makes my lips feel like they are inflated, and I gave myself a nasty case of cotton mouth while I snored, giant-feeling lips carp-like, drowsing in and out of sleep with my three-year-old scrambling over my lap.
At 1:20, I should have been fetching my kids. Instead, I was making a cup of coffee in my kitchen, and pondering how to spend my last hour before picking up the kids. Which would have been fine, if it was any day but Wednesday.
At 1:45, I made a little pile of things to take to the school, in case I saw my friend there. I thought I'd call her to see if she was home, and then as I looked at the clock, calculating whether she would be at the park or not, it hit me.
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Wednesday. It was Wednesday and I was LATE and my kids were sitting somewhere, maybe crying, definitely angry, waiting on ME, and I totally forgot and the school hadn't called me to see if I was coming (which was good) but what if that meant that the kids weren't in the office and they were wandering around (which would be very very bad) and I fuh-reaked out and grabbed my youngest under one arm and raced to the van.
As the van door slid open, the dog took advantage of my frantic state to leap into the van and start barking like a loon. After a few failed grabs at her collar, I threw up my hands and shut the door. To the sound of my dog's hysterical barks and my toddler's whining about having to leave when Blue's Clues was on, I drove to the school. Screeching to a halt in the bus circle, I leapt out of the van. I managed to unbuckle my youngest with one hand while restraining the dog with the other. I closed the door and sprinted with my three-year-old slung on my hip to the office, where my two children greeting me with baleful glares.
From the office, I could hear my dog barking her fool head off in the van. Yeah.
We headed home, me apologizing over and over and over in the front seat, and my children shooting me daggers everytime our eyes met in the rearview mirror. I gave them giant bowls of ice cream, and apologized some more. My son forgave me right away, but my daughter is still angry. I abandoned her. I forgot, and I'm flawed and I can just stuff my apologies into my pants and do a silly dance because she is holding a major grudge.
I've decided that she's entitled to hold her grudge as long as she wants. And I've also decided that I will double check the calendar every day. Also, I'm going to start working on my apologies-in-the-pants dance. Which is pretty stinking funny, if you ask me.****
*The office ladies probably think I have a drug problem, I mean, come on. Who FORGETS to pick up their kids because of antihistimines? Besides me, I mean.
** Who in the world can fill entire dumpsters less than two months apart? Clearly, we are destructive packrats who accumulate material objects and trash them with abandon, creating a wealth of rubble. I am slightly horrified. But I also love having a dumpster to threaten the kids with.***
***No, I don't threaten to throw the kids away. I threaten to throw their stuff away if they don't pick it up.
****Maybe it's not that funny, but the Afrin makes it seem that way. Woooo!
Comments
Don't beat yourself up. I've done the same thing. And it looked extra bad because I'm the PTA president.
In fact, I did it right after I had just done a flyer to remind the other, irresponsible, slacker parents that the following day would be a minimum day.
I'll never live that one down with the office ladies...
Posted by: sweatpantsmom | February 16, 2006 11:35 AM
Man I did that just a few months ago. I don't generally pick up the kids on Wednesdays but due to a schedule change with their father, I was suppose to do it. I forgot early release.
I got there and found two small girls sitting outside with someone who works at the school. Not a principal or a teacher, a man who directs traffic and helps kids cross the street and such. Have I mentioned the children go to a magnet school? And it's smack dab in the middle of a minority neighborhood?
Nothing worse than arriving almost an hour late to pick up small children - I'm the mom who is NEVER late for pick up. Almost always 10 minutes early. I don't DO late. I was upset with myself for days and truth be told I'm still upset with myself about it, months later.
Posted by: Denise | February 16, 2006 11:59 AM
Oh my God you are hilarious! I am totally sitting here at my desk cracking up!
Don't beat yourself up - you are only human. Multiply that by the fact that you are on drugs, and no wonder you forgot! :-) It's all good!
Posted by: Snickrsnack Katie | February 16, 2006 12:19 PM
Who forgets to pick their child up?
*Shamedly raises her hand*
Twice. Shut up.
Who doesn't realize the first day of school is Wednesday and DOESN"T show up to work?
Yep, you betcha. Only once. Laller laller
Posted by: Jenn2 | February 16, 2006 2:47 PM
I applaud any mom, woman, or person who is smart enough to get a dumpster and use it. Your kids will forgive you. Eventually. :)
Sorry I won't be seeing you this weekend. You're understandably busy. That much is obvious!
Hope you feel better soon.
Posted by: Mary | February 16, 2006 3:19 PM
I tried to pick my son up EARLY one recent Wednesday, which is really ironic as I am the one who is always whining about how the boy needs to go to school MORE and be with me LESS--but somehow I got confused and showed up at 11:30 on a day when he stays at preschool until 3:00. Thus wasting a good 45 minutes of my child-free day. Ha ha ha so not funny.
Posted by: Susan | February 16, 2006 3:25 PM
If this makes you feel any better, and it should, I forgot a two-month-old baby under a table in a restaurant once and then had to go back in and get her with everyone looking at me. I was so used to just having one child, who was three at the time, that I just went about getting her into her coat and hat and mittens and boots and headed out to the car, and when I got there, I thought, something is missing and then it hit me!!!
I was soooo embarassed and sure I was the worst mother in the world. Actually, I probably was at the time.
Posted by: Debby | February 16, 2006 4:24 PM
I'm surpirsed more parents at your school don't forget their kids on early release day. They have one every week? That is crazy. Its like they SET YOU UP! Yeah, thats it! Shame on them, trying to take a great mom and knock her down a few notches. They're probably just trying to make themselves feel all smart because they knew about the early release day. Don't let The Man get you down.
Really, though, forgetting once, no big deal. Tell them you were testing them to see if they would know what to do and how proud you were that they did the right thing. Too late for that? I would keep piling on the ice cream. No one with a belly full of ice cream can hold a grudge. Its impossible.
Posted by: Em | February 16, 2006 6:42 PM
OOOO! I have never thought about getting a dumpster! I have been know to grab the huge garbage can from the side of the house and drag it down to the kids rooms - amid shouts of child horror. Just think of the fun (and threats) I could have with a whole dumpster.
And as long as we are confessing here - yeah, I forgot to pick my daughter up from school too. I don't even have an excuse. The Hubs had asked me to pick her up only 20 minutes before I got home. I forgot about her in only 20 minutes! (shame faced mommy)
Posted by: Crazy Lady | February 16, 2006 8:39 PM
Why didn't your kids call you from the office? Or why didn't the office ladies call you. We've all forgotten (I left one kid in the office for HOURS on a half day I forgot about once) but they should have called you. Isn't that policy?
Posted by: margalit | February 16, 2006 9:49 PM
AAAAH!!!!
Sounds awful, but I have to say it made for a very funny read.
Dust does the same thing to me. Ack.
Posted by: meghan | February 17, 2006 5:27 AM
I have to admit, I was glad to hear you forgot to pick your kids up. Because with three in three different schools, I'm constantly worried about doing that myself!
Posted by: Lucinda | February 17, 2006 4:32 PM
mmmmmm. afrin.
Posted by: steph | February 18, 2006 2:54 PM
Oh dear Lord. Well.. it hasn't happened YET. But I know my mom forgot me more than once. Why, I'm not sure!
Posted by: holli | February 20, 2006 1:21 PM
Delurking to say, "I'm so glad you wrote this!!" The same thing happened to me about a month ago - that is the worst feeling!
Even worse, when people try to make you feel better and they say, "Oh, that could happen to anyone ONCE," or "It's ok, it only happened once," and then you think - what? I've used my free pass for the rest of my *life*?
Posted by: Monica C. | February 20, 2006 5:30 PM
I've forgotten my step-son a few times. And I wasn't high on cold medicine! I was at the grocery store with the babies and I got to the check out line. I'm standing there filling out the check and realize the date! I said, out loud, "Oh, f*ck! Sebastian!" That was the longest 3 minute drive home! He gets off the bus and doesn't have a key! He was sitting outside for an hour before I got home! I forgot it was a half day! I've done that several times. You'd think I'd learn to write this stuff down!
Posted by: jenni | February 23, 2006 9:09 AM