Why I am NOT going for the Mother of the Year Award

I was really excited about my ultrasound this morning. So excited that I forgot it was a planning day (which means a two hour earlier pick up time) for Summer. So excited that I didn't see anything I had on my schedule past 9:30 this morning, including picking Summer up. So excited that it wore me out. After I snacked the kids, I went to put Michael down for his nap, with the internet connected, with my cell phone at the other end of the house and with firm instructions to the other kids not to disturb me. I fell deeply asleep for A LONG TIME. Long enough to miss thirteen calls on the aforementioned cell phone and long enough for Summer to wait more than an hour to finally be picked up by her Dad who left work and dropped her off at the house before Sleeping Beauty (?) moved a muscle.

I woke up to find my sweet oldest daughter looking forlorn and forgotten in her bedroom. Poor baby!

After groveling for undeserved forgiveness and promising she could pick the flavors of shake we had for snack (a big privilege around here) I went to pick Rachel up. I was on the phone when I picked her up, but wanting to reassure myself that I wasn't too neglectful, I told my friend I'd call her back and turned to pay attention to at least one of my children for the day. I asked Rachel how she was, and she said one word, "Bad."

I thought, "Oh, no!" and asked what happened. Rachel started grinning and admitted that nothing was wrong. Her teacher had instructed all the kids to tell their parents that "because parents don't pay attention to their kids." Ha, ha!

I smiled about it with Rachel and admitted this may have not been the best day for this little demonstration since I had forgotten Summer and I already felt like a rotten mother. I enumerated all my wimpy excuses about being excited about the ultrasound, blah, blah, blah, and Rachel, getting to the heart of the matter, asked, "Did you find out the sex?"

I told her the doctor had, but that it was still in the envelope at home. Rachel, with a smile on her face and remembering having gone through this with Michael, groaned and exclaimed, "You are A ROTTEN MOTHER!"