Me Time

How to make me feel like a bad mommy

Yesterday, I had to run a workshop from 9.30am. I had forgotten to get the eats for tea, so I had to stop off at the shop before work to get them. In order to save time, I asked Hannah whether she could go into class with James. Usually, I walk all the way into the class with her, and usually, she's very clingy and doesn't want to let me go. Yesterday, though, she was so happy to go on her own: grabbed her bag and a bag of paper for recycling, held James's hand and proudly waved goodbye to me.

I watched them skip into school together, waved once more and then got into the car with Jonah to drop him off at his school. On the way, I was feeling quite smug: my two older children were old and responsible enough to see each other into the school grounds. I even hummed to a song on the radio.

Until my cell phone rang.

"Hello, Mrs Dunlop?"

"Yes?"

"It's XX here from XX Primary."

Oh no, not again.

"Hannah's had a bit of an accident."

Pause while I almost crash the car.

"She said her bag was too heavy and she fell over. She's bruised her forehead and she says her knee is a little bit sore. We're giving her some apple juice and she seems to be calming down."

"Ok, so she's in the office now?"

"Yes, we just thought we'd let you know. Bye now."

And she hung up before I could ask to speak to her.

Sigh. I'm not cut out for this working mom stuff. Poor kid: the first time she goes into school on her own and she gets an egg on the head to celebrate.

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Woot: I've had an entry for my contest! I'm going to be away from tomorrow until Saturday afternoon, so feel free to enter in my absence. I've also set a post to go up on Thursday. We'll see if it works.

How to send me over the edge

I’m SingleMommy this weekend. Scott’s away visiting his very ill mom in Plettenberg Bay. That’s too sad to write about, so I’ll refrain, if you don’t mind.

Anyway, I decided that since I’m going to be having wall-to-wall kid time this weekend, I should schedule some serious ‘me-time’ by getting an 8 episode disk of ER. I’m addicted to any kind of medical drama and to me, ER is the original and best.

So, bearing in mind wall-to-wall kid time, low-grade sore throat and sadness over mom-in-law, here’s how to send me over the edge:

      1)  Spend entire ½ hour lunch break driving down to dvd store and trying to find parking.

2) Realising you’re late, grab ER disk off shelf, throw money at assistant and drive back to work.

3) Chug lunch in 2.5 seconds to avoid being even later.

4) Finish work and chant to self, “ER at 7.30. ER at 7.30”.

5) Make supper, bath kids, make bottles, do dishes, put kids to bed, read stories (all the while chanting in head: “ER at 7.30. ER at 7.30”).

6) Do silent happy dance when kids all in bed and all is silent.

7) Change into pajamas.

8) Make tea.

9) Make hot water bottle.

10) Put dvd on.

11)  Press play.

12)  Realise you’ve already watched this entire disk last week – you chose the wrong one.

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!