Monday dawned like any other day. We went about our morning as usual - Curious George, breakfast, getting dressed, backpack on. As I pulled up to to the front of the school, my heart stopped for a moment as I remembered what day it was.
Monday.
The 29th.
Book Suitcase* Parade!
I felt like the worst Mom ever. With all the chaos of sick kids and the Easter Activity, I had completely forgotten to have her finish the Book Suitcase. She had worked on it the previous weekend, but the actual folder had gotten shuffled through the week, and slipped my mind.
As she struggled out of the car, I mentioned that we had forgotten to pack her project, but that I would figure something out.
I raced home again and burst through the door. Big Daddy looked at me questioningly.
"Ohmygoshwetotallyforgotaboutherbooksuitcaseprojectandit'sdueTODAY!!!!!!", I blurted without taking a breath.
We then spent the next 20 minutes searching for pictures of cupcakes and green foods - which, despite my collection of parenting magazines and Bon Appetits, was not as easy I thought it would be. As oceans of guilt washed over me, we flipped pages, cut, glued, added the luggage tag, and called it good.
I packed Big J into the car and burned rubber back to the school.
I burst through the doors of the school office and explained my situation. The secretaries gave each other a look, then had me leave the Suitcase with them. (oh I hope it gets to her!!)
I went about my day, and sifted through my feelings about the incident.
I don't think I'm a perfect mom. Far from it. I think teachers - particularly in our area - have a tough enough time trying to get students (and their parents) to comply and participate. I like Mrs. C., and I think she's doing a great job with the 'raw material' she's been given. I don't want our family to be a part of the problem. So if Mama has to fake a little bit of a Kindergarten project to assuage her own guilt about forgetting the due date, then so be it. And although I will probably have different feelings about it when she's in 3rd grade and beyond, for now I'm OK with that.
*Book Suitcase = a manila folder to be decorated in such a way as to entice one to read a particular book. Her choice was Pinkalicious. The suitcases are part of the month-long "Trip Around the World" wherein the students would add up reading minutes in order to 'send' the principal to different parts of the world.
PS - I really am not usually this much of a flake. Going forward I guess even Kindergarten projects warrant a reminder for my phone's organizer!
5 comments:
I've done it too!! I hope she got it!
I am cracking up!! I totally envisioned you bursting in your house in a panic.... the exact same way I would have done it!
Way to go mom!
Welcome to the "kids get a big project that MOM does" time of your life. "My" 4th grade report on Lincoln was an A+. So was the one on Father Escalante!
I'm saying that tongue in cheek, but it's frustrating how many projects are assigned that are a bit OVER the kid's heads and moms end up helping a whole lot more than they ever wanted to!
Awesome job on the suitcase, btw. :)
i love the quote on your blog! wonderful! And, you are a good mom -- i love that you finished it for her.
Quite the opposite Amy - I think this situation points out that you are the perfect mom - totally caring and devoted to your little girl. I think you earned major mom points (and dad points for Big Daddy's contributions) for trying so hard. Hopefully that guilt doesn't stay with you long ;)
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