Well, I forgot one of my kids tonight.
It was bound to happen eventually (Actually it might have happened before. I’m not sure. I forget.).
Fortunately her dad didn’t forget her and, while Ivy was the last kid picked up from her after school activity, she was remarkably fine with the fact that her mother forgot her.
(That’s not our kitten- Thank goodness!)
I mention this because:
A) Lots of people lately have been all “Omg you are amazing, you do so many things!” And I try to tell them things like, “Yeah, no,” and “Not really,” and then they don’t believe me so I try hard to learn how to accept a compliment and move on. But here is the thing. If you, like me, talk about slightly abnormal things like chasing escapee geese in a flooded river (I really should share that story here…) and traveling with pigeons and keeping bees, it seems that people assume you are doing all those things plus all the things that people, mothers even, regularly do. And to that crazy thought I say, “HA! Are you serious!?” my days have 24 hours in them just like everyone else’s. Something always has to give and in my life it always seems to be the “boring” things- you know, cooking, cleaning, and remembering things, like how to count to three (coincidentally that’s how many children I have) that fall by the wayside. Nobody is superhuman, least of all me.
B) She’s fine! I’m not the worst mother in the world (John assures me crackhead mothers and people who drown their children are much worse than me.). Sometimes people leave you hanging. Sometimes you have to wait. Sometimes shit happens. Would it be better if someone else taught my kid that sort of lesson? Probably. Do I still love her and she knows it? Yes.
C) Have I forgotten to return your call or your bowl or your e-mail or drop off a bag of apples or some other thing that I forgot I even forgot recently? Don’t be offended, it’s not you. I forgot my own kid today.
Behind the Willows 
I was nearly always the last one picked up from anywhere and everywhere. She’ll be fine 🙂
And I assume that you all still eat and wear clothes so you’re doing all the necessary basics, whatever else you think you’re leaving out..
Well I mean the other day I did forget I had to make dinner, but we ate something, eventually. And my youngest is not necessarily convinced that cold weather is here so it might seem like I’m not clothing her appropriately but the warm clothes are right there in her drawer if someone can convince her to put them on! So yeah, I *totally* have the basics covered. 😀 😉
Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
I love reading your posts, and your website is fabulous! Could you tell me which WordPress theme it is?
Thank you! And thanks for sharing so many as well, it is always, always appreciated! My theme right now is Quintus, though I’m thinking about changing it, it’s been awhile, but the effort in that… well, we will see when I get around to it.
Thanks Jessie!
You are in good company – former British Prime minister David Cameron once left his child in a pub. Husband and I have both managed to leave our middle child at school in separate incidents…
Yay! Thanks for sharing fellow left behind stories!
It must be an inheritable trait. 😁
Possibly…
Ivy, do not feel alone. I was left at the high school after my graduation. When the school was empty except for the janitor and me, I phoned home to ask to be picked up. I could hear my party going on festively in the background..
Ivy was horrified by your story, she now thinks I’m basically saintly in comparison. So thanks for sharing! 😀
I just assume that my youngest voluntarily rides her bike to school so that the fact that I would probably forget her doesn’t matter. She also always has her house key on her. I’m assuming these are survival skills she’s learned along the way.
Right?! Survival skills are important! We are being so helpful to our kids, teaching them these skills young!
Yes, I like to think of it as raising responsible citizens 🙂