Monday, October 6, 2008

Must Remember to Buy Day Planner

Either life’s been a little hectic lately or I’m losing my mind.

This year for the first time my kids go to two different schools. They have different start times and different end times. To make things more confusing, one school has a late start on Mondays and the other school has an early dismissal on Fridays. To make things just that much more confusing, a week ago one school exchanged the late Monday for an early Friday, so both kids got out at the same time. Just for that one day. Last week they went back to their regular schedules. Make sense so far?


Our usual routine is for my husband to drop the kids off in the morning and for me to pick them up in the afternoons, except on Fridays when he works from home all day. That day he picks them up, too. Only last Friday he had a meeting to go to, so it was up to me to pick the kids up.


Well, it was nearly noon, and I couldn’t for the life of me remember which kid I had to pick up where. As soon as I realized I couldn’t remember I had a mini panic attack which turned my brain to fluff, just like Winnie The Pooh’s. I thought about calling my husband, but I didn’t want to interrupt his meeting and I didn’t want him to think I was going all Mommie Dearest on him or anything.


It took what seemed like a good five minutes to get it straightened out in my mind. But then, you know how sometimes you can glance at a watch (remember when we wore watches?) only to realize moments later that you didn’t actually notice the time? Well, I thought I had it all figured out, but realized moments later that I’d already forgotten which child I was picking up early. So I went through my whole meltdown all over again.


Both kids did get home fine. They didn’t have to stand around thinking they’d been abandoned or anything.


Now I just have to remember I still have a child sleeping upstairs who needs to wake up in fifteen minutes. Remember - it's late-start Monday again!

10 comments:

Suzie said...

Oh thats too funny. I can say that as I have both kids in the same place right now. Im so glad no one was forgotton.

Anne Spollen said...

When my littlest one began kindergarten, my oldest began middle school, and my middle one began his 3 - 5 school, (got all
that?) so there were six buses a day to worry about, and each one was scheduled, of course, for different times.

I kept dreaming that I was taking one kid to karate or ballet while the other kid was standing there, freezing at the bus stop.

This is one of those weird stresses of parenting that you don't really understand until you've been through it. My single friends always rolled their eyes at me, as if to say, "So how hard can it be to follow a bus schedule?"

Anonymous said...

Just the scheduling is enough to make a man feel faint. I am always watching clock & calendar to make sure I'm where I ought to be.

C.R. Evers said...

LOL! I can laugh because I can SO relate. I have a 1st grader a preschooler and a 2 year old. If you find a good day planner, let me know!

I did get a Mommy calendar that I keep on the fridge. That helps a little, only if I remember to write things down.

Good luck!

christy

Adrienne said...

Suzie - Oh, boy...as they get bigger they spend less time in the same place...

Anne - So many parents have much more complicated schedules. I don't know how they do it.

Green Girl - I even set the timer on the microwave for a reminder when it's time to go!

Christy - I also have a wipe-off calendar on the fridge, but it's no help if I forget to fill it in!

Carrie Harris said...

I set the timer on the microwave too. And still, yesterday I ended up snatching the girls out of their cribs, stuffing them into the wagon, and sprinting for the bus stop. This is why I leave for everything EARLY. Because I just hate that feeling, don't you?

Adrienne said...

Carrie - Yep, that's me. Running like a-crazy.

Brenda said...

This is why I only had one son and waited until he was almost 18 to get a dog! I have trouble keeping up with me...and there are days when I'm not sure what the dog is doing...but then I realize, he sleeps all day...grin...

Kimbra Kasch said...

All 3 of my kids played soccer. One day I was running my daughter to her game and my son to his - all the way across town. My husband was dropping off the oldest at his game. When we pulled up to the field, Luke said, "They look awfully big Mom." I said, "Run. You're already late." I was driving to my daughter's game, when my husband called and said I'd dropped Luke off at Jacob's game and he was at Luke's field. We had to run across town and switch them.

Thank God that's done with.

Adrienne said...

Brenda - I'm so looking forward to the time my dog starts sleeping all day!

Kim - Funny Story! Bet you couldn't get them those driver's licenses fast enough.