A Letter to My Children

Dear Baby Girls-

Well, you should know as of today, I'm official at the end of my rope. Yep. I'm holding on by a thread and it isn't pretty. How did it happen? Well, I'm not 100% sure, but I think it's partially the job, partially motherhood and partially the holidays. Since I don't know exactly the cause, let me just describe how I know I've lost it.

Complete disregard for double checking facts: It's true Maggie, you were within two hours of being kicked out of school because I had a fact wrong. I assumed that I had until the end of first grade to turn in your health care check form to the school nurse. I don't know where I got that fact, but I just knew I had time. Until the school nurse called me at school on December 1 and told me if she didn't have the form by 2:30 that afternoon, you couldn't go to school the next day. Sure, they'd sent me mail, but I knew I had to turn in the form by June 11, so why read the mail? Who has time? This is a symptom.

Inability to read eVites: Yes, girls, I no longer seem to be able to read eVites. If an invitation isn't in writing, chances are I'm going to get something wrong. I may write it on my calendar wrong, I may read it wrong, I may just forget. My most recent episode happened on the weekend of 12/5. I was invited to a baby shower. I wrote on my calendar on Sunday, the invitation clearly read Sunday, yet I woke up Saturday morning just knowing I had a baby shower. Well, I went to the house and I was the only person there. I was a day early. Yes, I was embarrassed, but more than anything I was exasperated with myself. This was the second mess up in less than a week. Just another sign, life is out of control.

Failure to keep appointments: Today was by far the lowest I have sunk. I agreed to take 2 neighbors to and from school. I dutifully put it on my calendar: Pick up neighbors at 9:15. The sitter was picking up from school. I made sure she knew the details, sent her their address, she was set. Then, this morning dawned, the neighbor called early to report a mountain lion sighting happened in his yard. In all the excitement, I left for work, right on time at 8am. I got to work, was happily heading to a meeting at 9:30, when my phone rang. "Maggie's mom, when are you coming to get me?" GULP. I totally forgot. Yep, there it was on my calendar, but I didn't look at it. Rush, rush, call the Dad. He saved the days and got the neighbors to school.

So, you see, three times in just over two weeks, I made a major screw up. Dear children, times are tough for your dear old mother. I'd like to blame the holidays, the fact La Nina's class is doing Secret Santas and I need to have a little gift for her everyday, the fact that today is La Nina's 7th family day and Monday is the Dad's birthday, and Saturday is La Nina's Nutcracker. Oh and Christmas is a week away. Oh and I need to remember to take a dessert to Maggie's class on Saturday, a salad to the party on Sunday and the white elephant to the exchange on Monday. I'm just not managing it all so well these days.

So, please remember to do your homework, keep track of your dance shoes and practice your piano. 'Cuz your dear old Mom can't keep her own life together these days.

Love-

Mom