My daughter and I are in the YMCA playroom we are having a nice relaxing time. She is playing nicely with other kids and I am chit-chatting with friends. I am enjoying my day and even being thankful that I have such great friends. My friends leave and I look at the clock. 11:45 AM, and we have gone to sports class, had a play-date, and a snack, and now have 45 minutes before Alice’s school to have some more fun. Alice and I continue to play then at 12:10 we make an easy carefree transition to the car. I am so proud of us, especially me. I am a good mother. I have everything under control. Perhaps tomorrow I’ll even make time to wear make-up? I look at Alice’s reflection in the rearview mirror and sigh. Life is good. My daughter’s school bag is pre-packed with a snack, and her folder…and…and…NO! Tuesday is Show and Tell day! We have nothing for Show and Tell. Alice has been waiting for Show and Tell since the summer. She has been asking me every day since the school year started about when she will have Show and Tell. She has been asking her teacher too as Alice is the first kid to bring something in. I look at Alice’s reflection again. My forehead creased, my eye brows almost touching.
“Um Alice, today is show and tell day…”
“MOOOOOM!” She screams at the top of her lungs. “WE NEED TO GO HOME AND GET COW DOG!” Cow dog is her special stuffed animal. Her small beanie baby dog.
“Honey we don’t have time…”
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I NEED COW DOG!” I look at the clock, 12:15, no time to go home, but I have an idea. I dial up my sweet husband and beg him to find cow dog and rush it over to Alice’s school.
I dial up Dave and being a saint he agrees to find the dog….but he can’t find the dog.
“Um Alice where is cow dog?” I ask as if my words are gasoline and she is a lit match.
“HE IS AT HOME!”
Dave looks as I hold the cell phone to my ear with my white knuckled hand. We arrive at her school at 12:26pm. He can’t find the stuffed animal. I tell Alice. She sniffles and whines her way to the school door. I tell her teacher that the dog is lost and she says that we can do Show and Tell tomorrow.
I drive home to an empty drive way and the front door wide open. Dave! I call him on my cell. He has found the dog and has rushed it over to the school. My hero! He looks frazzled as he walks in to the house. I give him a hug and we laugh about how stressful our life is with these crazy little people living in our house.
What I didn’t tell him was that when I went to pick Alice her teacher pulled me aside and pointed out in her sweet non judgmental teacher-like –way that Show and Tell is on Tuesday. Then she pointed out that today is Monday.
