Genius: This was a really weird week because our census was super low at work so I got to take Monday and Tuesday off. I knew I was getting Monday off, but I didn’t know about Tuesday. Three day weekends make a huge difference in my attitude because I felt like I had SO MUCH TIME. I took things slow and easy on Saturday and Sunday because I knew I had an extra day to get things done. And the funny thing is that I was still pretty much done with everything before Monday came around! (Mental note: calm down.)
So I decided to keep the kids home with me on Monday and it was awesome and special and fun. But THEN I found out I could stay home Tuesday also, and I dropped those kids at daycare, read for a solid hour at Starbucks, took my time picking fabric at the craft store for Meredith’s quilt, finished everything except the binding on the other quilt, and went to the gym. It was fantastic.
Fail: One day last week David and I were meeting over at his parents’ house for dinner. He had Meredith, and I had Liam. As I was driving over there, Liam fell asleep in the car. When I pulled up, Meredith and her cousins were outside playing so I got out and said hi to them and then went inside. My sister-in-law, who I hadn’t seen in a couple of weeks, was there and so we said hello and she asked, “Where’s Liam?” Yup. I had left him in the car. Of course it was fine, it was only a couple minutes, but this is how worse things can happen! Is there some sort of alarm you can get to make sure you don’t forget your baby? Am I a horrible mother?? (Don’t answer that.)
Currently:
planning a big room switch for this weekend so the kids have a room that will fit two beds
dreading all the painting and moving involved
no seriously, getting a knot in my stomach just thinking about it
optimistic about what the end result will be
glad that I have two more 3-day weekends coming up
realizing that there is a type of chick lit I enjoy, and it’s written by Liane Moriarty
reading The Husband’s Secret
allocating our extra money: emergency fund, debts, house repairs, vacation fund
trying to be financially responsible
frustrated that the tension on my sewing machine seems to be off again
looking forward to a couple family birthday meals this weekend
Happy weekend!
From Bree:
You are absolutely not a horrible mother! You’re right, this ia how bad things happen, but the important thing is you remembered (or someone asked about it), and the feeling of forgetting him for even those couple minutes will probably help you to remember in the future. One day recently I went to pick up my 3-year-old from daycare & had my infant daughter in the back seat. It’s only about a 2 minute drive, but when I got there I go out of the car & started walking in without my daughter. In that short drive I had completely forgotten! It happens to all of us, we have a million things going on in our minds. Don’t be too hard on yourself!
From Kathleen:
Thank you for that!! At the time when it happened I did feel guilty but was also laughing about it…but on reflection I realized that what if this had happened when I was going to the store on a hot day?? Oh man then the guilt really kicked in!
From Sarah @ Beauty School Dropout:
No, of course you’re not a horrible mother! I think something similar has happened to all of us. My older son fell asleep so fast in the car when he was a baby, and once he was so quiet I forgot all about him and got halfway to work before I realized he was still with me!
I tend to get all worked up about house projects, too. Do you have someone that can come help with the kids while you’re working? That will make a huge difference.
From Kathleen:
Oh I don’t think I’d attempt painting without help for the kids. My mom is coming over specifically for that, and I have two friends coming over to help work!
From Kara:
Just the thought of painting makes my head hurts. I wish you the best of luck!
I don’t think I’ve ever forgotten about Isla in the vehicle, but I’ve certain had a few other parenting fails that would put me up for the Worst Mother Ever award – like when she grabbed a giant kitchen knife out of the dishwasher and just turned to me and said, “HERE MOMMY!”, pointing it at me. Ugh.
From Nora:
Extra days off are awesome!
You are not a bad mom. We all have those moments. I think maybe I told you about the time that eldest bonus daughter tripped and fell when we were doing the “Funny run,” at the park? And she went flying, screamed bloody murder and wound up with skinned needs, wrists, hands and elbows? Yeah, I felt horrible since I was trying to get in a work out and have them be with me.
From Sarah:
When Emma was an infant and I was still on maternity leave, we went to Target. I had to change her diaper or something, and I put her back in her infant seat on the cart. Didn’t buckle it because we weren’t headed back to the car yet. You know where this is going…we finished our shopping, got in the car, drove all the way home, walked into the house…and yup. I never buckled her in at all. She was fine, obviously, but it still makes me cringe!
From Jill:
Yay for an extra free day! I had a Starbucks/Target/errands trip by myself a few days ago and it was so much more relaxing than my usual of providing my daughter with a steady stream of puffs as we roam the aisles.
Can’t remember where I read it, but I saw an article a few weeks back suggesting that parents put their left shoe in the backseat next to the baby. I thought it was pretty simple and smart because I would notice and remember my shoe and the baby, too. :)
Enjoy the three-day weekend!