There are days that I wonder why I am allowed to have my own children.
Rooster is in Kindergarten. She’s my first school going child. Joy School didn’t count as REAL school, neither did Miss Jan’s Preschool…I was paying bucks for it and that bought me the liberty of choosing when to skip school and go to the zoo on the days we didn’t feel like cutting and pasting and eating fishy crackers.
The very first day I took her to REAL school I dropped her off and it hit me. Nope, I didn’t cry, I didn’t feel sad one bit, but there was this sudden, crushing, terrible weight on my shoulders that made my heart actually hurt when it dawned on me that I actually have to take my kid to school or I could go to jail.
Okay, so I exaggerate a little, but really, if you don’t school your kids that’s like abuse and they can be taken away, right? I guess I could home school them….I really don’t know how homeschool mommies do it, my kids aren’t interested in learning schoolish things from me….so that’s not going to work. I can’t afford a private teacher to follow me around and teach my kids when they have a little free time. So I guess we’ll just have to use the public schooling system. Which I’ve found is pretty great around here, by the way, but it’s 5 days a week for what….30 weeks? Our fancy free lifestyle just went out the window. Hmmm, it went out the window the day I got preggers, but that’s besides the point. No more jumping in the car for an impromptu trip to Grammie’s house, going to the beach at the crack of dawn and staying all day or staying at Disneyland until midnight on Wednesday nights. We actually have to plan vacations around Teacher Planning Days and Spring Break.
It was then that I promised myself that Rooster would get 100% attendance, turn in every worksheet and homework assignment on time and get straight A’s. (Or at least a lot of M’s for Mastered….I guess Kindergardeners can’t handle A’s.) I also vowed to have her at school on time every day, be the first one in line to pick her up and volunteer regularly in the classroom.
Then the second week of school started. We had a hankering for the zoo and a house full of out of town guests. The 100% attendance went down the drain. I cleaned out her backpack the other day. There were worksheets that should have been turned in last month. I’m guessing the teacher hasn’t noticed but I sent them with her to school today….better late than never, eh?
As for getting to school on time – I have to say, she’s never been tardy. But today, I forgot to pick her up. Yes, feel free to hand over The Mom of the Year Award to me. I was sitting over at Chella’s house sewing some dang adorable totes and diaper covers continually saying don’t let me forget to pick up Rooster. I can’t forget to pick up the Rooster. Then the phone rings. Rooster’s in the office.
Me, thinking she’s hurt: “Oh no! What happened?”
The secretary: “Well, she’s wondering where you are. Today was early release day.”
Me: “You’ve got to be kidding me!
AAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!
I left the babies at Chella’s and got to the school in 2 minutes flat. I felt AWFUL. Really, only the crappy mom’s forget to pick up their kids at school. I had to walk into the office to pick her up and thankfully the same secretary who knows the PTA hates me wasn’t there and wasn’t the one who had to call me.
I kept telling Rooster how sorry I was and how bad I felt and how I just want to cry and all she tells me it’s okay, Mommy and to think happy thoughts.
I still feel like a pretty horrible mother.
April 19, 2007 at 11:59 am |
If this is the worst mistake you make as a mom…you are more than qualified to be “Mother of the Year!”
Although, I have experienced the same gut-wrenching panic. In fact, one day when my son was in first grade, I had gone out to do a few necessary errands before he arrived home on the bus from school. As I drove down the highway and turned onto our road, just a few minutes late…I saw my 6 year old son playing basketball with a local police man–his squad car parked in our driveway.
Breathe! I couldn’t believe it…I was only a few moments late…what had happened.
Well….Breathe now with me…..my 6 year old son had come home to an empty house (and garage) and he did what he was suppose to do in an emergency…called 911.
“My name is Sam. My mom is always home when I get home from school. She is NOT here.”
Can you hear the sirens???
Yup, they sent a patrol car and the officer was outside shooting buckets with my baby as I drove, sheepishly, into the driveway.
Lesson learned!
Thankfully, his emergency did not leave him nearly as scarred as it did me! In fact, I had to remind him for a couple of weeks later…that “No, that nice policeman cannot come and play basketball with you!”
We’re not perfect….we’re just moms!
Diane
April 19, 2007 at 7:59 pm |
I remember when I first had my son.. I was having to go back to work. I took him to daycare the first day.On my way home, instead of turning down the street to the daycare, to go pick him up, I went down the road to my street.I cryed all night, because I had almost forgotten to pick up my baby..It happens to the best of us.
I just joined MOMBLOGS. I’ll be back to read more.. Good Blog…
April 23, 2007 at 8:36 pm |
You crack me up. Trust me… it is going to take a lot more than this for you to take the Mother of the Year award away from me
April 28, 2007 at 6:34 pm |
I can hardly keep my own life together–somedays it feels like I’m walking a fine line between barely hanging on and spontaneously combusting…and I only have one toddler. I can’t imagine having more than one and trying to juggle schedules. Funny story!
May 5, 2007 at 7:52 am |
Well, I would say homeschool, but you’ve already said that won’t work. Still, your child might surprise you if you did do it, but didn’t call it school. Seriously, this early in life, who needs it? Call it what it is: life! Live it and love it and be open to the learning opportunities when they happen, which is a lot harder than it may sound. But you might be happier because then a trip to Grammie’s is not just a fun escape, but a fun adventure. But really, it all depends (sadly) on where you live and how strict their laws are.
You love your child. You take care of your child. That is good enough, wherever your child is taught.
November 27, 2007 at 5:52 pm |
[...] You don’t forget to pick up your kids after school. [...]
November 29, 2007 at 10:25 am |
You’re a crack up! I love how you add in how dang cute your totes were too.