Just Write: Not the worst Mom

A rare chance to go shopping with one child while Reuben is at school. Half-day kindergarten is pretty short when you are hoping to get stuff done, but better than having both boys. Simeon and I hit a thrift store. The smell is over whelming. The parking lot is questionable, the people in the parking lot are even more questionable.

Nope, not there. I do not want to go in another stinky thrift store, so to the fabric store we go. With an hour and half before we have to pick up Reuben. I hand Simeon the IPod, doodle jump, angry birds, toddler teasers, I might get lucky. Five pattern books, and in the last book I find it. The perfect pattern. It's not in the drawer. Back to the book, a close second, that one is in the drawer, but it's not perfect. I check the surrounding patterns, and find the perfect one, in the right size. Now, do I have time to find fabric.

Probably. But my phone is dead, Simeon is happy with the ipod and I don't want to screw that up, no clock. If I'm quick, I bet I'm fine.

Found it. Now, light brown, or dark brown, light brown, or dark brown. Time. Dark Brown.

I run back to the cutting counter. As usually there is clump of people. I take a number 40. "Now serving 34" comes over the loud speaker. I better check the time. I look at the Ipod and read 11:30. 11:30! That means I'm already 5 minutes late! I'm a horrible mom!

I throw everything on the counter, hopefully that pattern will be there when I get a chance to come back, if not I could order it online. And we run. Through the store, out the door, to the car. Fumble the keys. How fast could I drive and not get pulled over. Highland is 40 MPH, I'll get there in 10 minutes. 15 minutes late! I am the worst mom. All that hubbub I made over the morning playground I am going to be 15 minutes late to pick up my FIVE year old. He will be terrified. His teacher will be upset.

My phone is dead. So this is why Justin is always bugging me to have it charged and on me.

I bump Simeon's head as I put him into the car seat, quickly kiss it while buckling him."Sorry baby, but this isn't the worst thing I'm going to do today, I'm in big trouble with Reuben." I start the car, and pull out, a giant SUV with some giant blind spot cuts me off. 16 minutes late!

The school has Justin's cell phone number, I wonder how long they will wait before they call him. I wonder if he will even be able to answer. I need to ask someone close to be our emergency contact. I should have done that already. Maybe Becky will just take him home with her. Maybe he will sit with Irene in the office. 

I drive, only 5 miles over the speed limit because getting pulled over will mean being even later to get Reuben. I turn, I have to drive 30 on this street. I check the clock nervous about 30 MPH.

11:15. I'll be there at least 5 minutes early! I am not the worst mom. Now I can finally feel bad about that screaming baby in the back seat.

http://extraordinary-ordinary.net/2011/09/27/just-write-the-third/