Further chronicles of a slacker mom

I am changing the title of this blog to SlackerMomRunning.  Or something like that.  It seems, despite my best efforts to maintain long lists posted on my kitchen cabinets regarding all the important things that need to happen/be remembered each day, I am still forgetful and this week the room mom of Zoey’s class (excuse me, Support Manager) called me an “all around slacker”.  We’re friends.  I think.  So I’m pretty sure she was kidding but regardless, she’s right.  This week, I managed to forget the Farm Day theme for Friday (totally disregarded the email that went out asking for parent helpers at the breakfast Friday morning, as I knew I would be at work happily not dealing with 21 kiddos begging for more pigs in a blanket) but I forgot to send Zoey dressed in Farm Wear.  I’m pretty sure we don’t have any farm wear, and anyway, Zoey didn’t seem all that put off by not being sent to school in overalls.  In fact, she didn’t even mention the theme of the day–it wasn’t until we were at my sister’s house later in the evening, eating pizza and babysitting my niece and nephew, and I was scrolling through Facebook on my phone (I’m an awesome babysitter), and I saw the frantic 7 a.m. post from Jennifer (Support Manager Mom) cataloging all the items she had accomplished before daybreak in preparation for this Farm Breakfast, and also some pictures another friend had sent me of the kids actually participating in the Farm Breakfast–and I happened to mention to Zoey ‘hey, how was the breakfast at school this morning?’.  Her reply?  ‘It was good.  We were supposed to dress in farm clothes today.  I think we forgot.’

And that was that.

Oh, and then there was Wednesday.  My child, on the verge of mental exhaustion, was in tears before school, begging to stay home with me for the day.  I felt sorry for her.  But I had a list of errands to accomplish that was longer than my arm, and I needed her to be in school all day.  And I’m not ashamed to admit that the first item on the list, right after 1. Drop off Zoey 0830 was 2. GO FOR A RUN.  Running has seriously taken a back seat to all this frenetic kindergarten activity, and I need to re-prioritize.  My pants are fitting a little snug and I’m starting to feel guilty about things that, in the big picture of life, don’t matter.  (See above: Farm Breakfast.  There’s also not-selling-enough-Coupon-Books guilt, forgetting-to-organize-family-community-service-volunteer-project shame, and oops-did-I-REALLY-volunteer-to-organize-the-Box-Top-fundraiser? embarrassment.  And don’t even get me started on F**k-the-Phone-a-Thon-I-am-NOT-calling-and-asking-people-to-pay-more-money-than-they-already-do-to-this-school.)

Which brought us to Thursday, the only day in the week I truly did feel guilty about.  Zoey just couldn’t hack another day in school.  She wasn’t sick, per se, no fever and no vomiting, but she, the girl who bounces out of bed each day at 6 a.m., had lost her bounce.  I had to drag her from bed at 6:35, just as I was getting ready to leave, and I held her as she cried and said ‘I just don’t feel good, Mommy’.  I felt bad.  I had seen this coming, after all.  Kid needed a mental health day yesterday, and had I just dropped whatever else needed to get done and tended to her, we could have avoided this come-on-sweetie-I-have-to-leave-for-work drama.  When you think about it, it makes sense.  I’m the Ultimate Organizer (or…Slacker) in this kindergarten game, but she’s the Player.  In school, all day every day, trying to keep up with a million different themes and concepts and new rules and new teachers.  And if I’m ready to throw in the towel and scream at someone CAN WE PLEASE JUST HAVE A FRIDAY WITH NO ‘THEME’ ALREADY?! and I’m a level-headed adult…well, I can see why a five-year-old would be on the verge of meltdown on a random Thursday morning.

So I had to leave her with my grandma all day.  God bless grandma.  They sat on the couch and watched PBS cartoons all day until I could get someone to relieve me at work at 3 p.m. (more guilt, more drama that I had no time for) so I could come home.

And there you have it.  Another week in the life of a slacker mom.  SlackerMomRunning has a nice ring, doesn’t it?  Is it bad that I don’t mind my new nickname?  Because at the end of the week, I’m just relieved we survived.  It’s now Saturday morning, and I am happily typing and sipping coffee while Zoey is happily working on homework.  We made it through another week.  And, if I can figure out a way to get back on my running schedule, I’m going to care even less about things like Farm Day.  Brace yourself, Support Manager.