Gotta love that cape! I looked over our schedule. As usual, all three girls had after school activities. But after some quick calculations, I realized that for once, the timing of their activities worked out perfectly.
4 PM - Take Madison to gymnastics.
5 PM - Pick Taylor up from volleyball.
5:30 PM – Take Emily to her volleyball game.
7 PM - Pick Madison up after gymnastics.
Finally, a day I wouldn’t have to ask for help! Curt wouldn’t need to leave work a little early. Another mom wouldn’t need to give my kid a ride. I even had time to watch Emily’s volleyball game before picking Madison up from gymnastics.
I felt empowered. Today I could do it all!
Everything was going perfectly. That is, until my cell phone rang on the way to pick up Madison. My caller ID flashed the name of another mom from gymnastics.
“Hey Sheri, did you forget to pick up Madison?” My mind started spinning.
Madison? What? Of course not!
“No,” I said, checking the dashboard clock. Why was this woman calling me? I was five minutes early.
“Well, you know it’s Tuesday …”
And as soon as she said Tuesday, I remembered. On Wednesdays and Fridays gymnastics ended at seven, but on Tuesdays, it ended at six.
A sharp pang of guilt hit me in the gut. Madison has been waiting for an hour!
I parked the van and hustled inside. Madison sat on the floor with two other girls, playing a game. She looked up from a handful of cards. “Hey Mom, it’s Tuesday, remember?” She grinned.
It didn’t take her long to get over it. But it did for me.
What kind of mother forgets her child? I couldn’t imagine what the other mom must have been thinking. She was the mother of seven – yes, SEVEN – girls. For heavens sake, I couldn’t even keep track of three!
I saw her the next day.
“I can’t believe I forgot it was Tuesday,” I shook my head, still embarrassed by the whole ordeal.
“Oh don’t feel bad,” she said. “The other day I took the wrong kid to meet the wrong teacher at back to school night.”
“Really?” I relaxed a bit.
“Yep. I’ve got five kids in five different schools.”
“Say no more,” I said, feeling better by the minute. We shared a good laugh and I was reminded of one important lesson.
No one can do it all.
4 PM - Take Madison to gymnastics.
5 PM - Pick Taylor up from volleyball.
5:30 PM – Take Emily to her volleyball game.
7 PM - Pick Madison up after gymnastics.
Finally, a day I wouldn’t have to ask for help! Curt wouldn’t need to leave work a little early. Another mom wouldn’t need to give my kid a ride. I even had time to watch Emily’s volleyball game before picking Madison up from gymnastics.
I felt empowered. Today I could do it all!
Everything was going perfectly. That is, until my cell phone rang on the way to pick up Madison. My caller ID flashed the name of another mom from gymnastics.
“Hey Sheri, did you forget to pick up Madison?” My mind started spinning.
Madison? What? Of course not!
“No,” I said, checking the dashboard clock. Why was this woman calling me? I was five minutes early.
“Well, you know it’s Tuesday …”
And as soon as she said Tuesday, I remembered. On Wednesdays and Fridays gymnastics ended at seven, but on Tuesdays, it ended at six.
A sharp pang of guilt hit me in the gut. Madison has been waiting for an hour!
I parked the van and hustled inside. Madison sat on the floor with two other girls, playing a game. She looked up from a handful of cards. “Hey Mom, it’s Tuesday, remember?” She grinned.
It didn’t take her long to get over it. But it did for me.
What kind of mother forgets her child? I couldn’t imagine what the other mom must have been thinking. She was the mother of seven – yes, SEVEN – girls. For heavens sake, I couldn’t even keep track of three!
I saw her the next day.
“I can’t believe I forgot it was Tuesday,” I shook my head, still embarrassed by the whole ordeal.
“Oh don’t feel bad,” she said. “The other day I took the wrong kid to meet the wrong teacher at back to school night.”
“Really?” I relaxed a bit.
“Yep. I’ve got five kids in five different schools.”
“Say no more,” I said, feeling better by the minute. We shared a good laugh and I was reminded of one important lesson.
No one can do it all.
