Yesterday leaving work, I had a vague sense I should go somewhere, but shrugged it off, thinking it must have been Safeway, an item I could get another day rather than make a special trip. I found a ladybug on the front sidewalk and picked it up with a blade of grass to take home for my kids. It crawled all around the dashboard, but flew out the window while I was at a red light. Even so, my attempt at a small gift for my kids made me feel relaxed and happy. I walked in the door and received my 3-yr old’s enthusiastic welcome. When the family acts excited for me to be home, it just makes my whole day, so I really soaked in her hug and played up the moment. Finally, I stood up and told her,
“Just let me put my stuff down, Sweetie, and we can go outside and play for a bit before dinner.”
She stepped back, looked up at me, and said loudly,
“But, Mom – WHAT ABOUT PICKING UP MY BIG BROTHER???!!!”
Oh, yeah. That must have been it. My son spent the afternoon at a friend’s house north of town, and I was supposed to head there straight from work to save on doubling back.
When I called our friends to apologize, she laughed, “I wonder how long it would have taken you and Mitch to notice, if your little girl hadn’t mentioned it?”
How long indeed.
My son, of course, was thrilled to get an extra hour with his friend on Lego Star Wars PS2, and in fact pleaded for extra time, “We’ve almost killed General Grievous!” I even heard him speculating to himself that perhaps he shouldn’t have told his little sister that mom would be picking him up . . .
I remember in elementary school (and high school), my mother used to ask me every morning as I walked out the door, “Bethie, do you have your bus pass?” (season ticket for public bus)
It irritated me, but a couple of times I forgot, so it came in handy . . .
Now, sometimes, my little Mama asks me, as I’m heading out the door, “Mom, don’t forget your coffee!”
I’m sure my Mom will be thrilled to know her genes have indeed made a successful leap – even if they did skip a generation!
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I just love you! I have been late picking up my kids several times because I was on automatic pilot, or daydreaming and didn't notice time passing, only to be startled by the realization that I was LATE!
When there is somewhere I must be, like on time for my flight tomorrow morning, I rarely sleep well because I am certain I will forget, or will get distracted and find myself missing a flight, or late for practice, or missing a service where I'm supposed to sing.
Sometimes the very thing that MAKES me late is that I'm so tired from missing sleep that I'll sleep through my alarm.
Yesterday I drove all the way home to fax a notarized document only to realize that it was one that I was supposed to hand-deliver halfway across town, where I had just been! Moments to spare, I delivered the document. sigh.
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