if my life were a FRIENDS episode

monday would be called, "the one where tess nearly has a heart attack"

i'm happy to report that last week sebastian was invited over to a friend's house for a playdate. (yes! the friend does exist).  i was headed away to the bi-annual ecumenical retreat that i go on and so i made sure that i made all the correct plans, for sebastian's transportation ahead of time, knowing that monday when i returned, i would be too tired to take care of logistics.

so i wrote in his diary that sebastian would be taking bus #3 home with this friend for a playdate, and i sent a note to the pta informing them as well.  everything was taken care of, and sebastian would have a good playdate, most excellent.

monday, i dragged my weary self from bed and headed to kennedy school and read to the kids. it wasn't as successful as last time, i will have to give your book suggestions a go, because mine were not that great this week. i thought they would LOVE "where the wild things are"...but we had trouble with kid concentration this week.

as i was leaving, (it was a typhoon one, the rain was just pelting down), i walked into the pta office just to double check that sebastian could take the bus. so imagine my surprise when the pta head said, "sorry, he can't, that bus is all full."

talk about a narrow escape. if i had not have stopped in the office, i never would have learned this! i headed home, made plans to tell gary to pick sebastian up and drop him off at his playdate, and then when i walked in, got the message that "sebastian and his friend will be picked up by friend's mother". great! all is excellent again.

at 3.15 i was freshly showered and eating bagel chips (onion) when the phone rang. "mmmhello?"

"yes, hello tess? is sebastian not coming over to our house today?"

"yes, yes he is" i responded, heart beginning to thump..."but you said you would pick them both up from school..."

"no, i meant from the bus stop."

simple miscommunication. big error.

i practically hung up on the very nice lady but screamed i had to get my child. she offered to get him, but i needed to see if he was okay.

it took four minutes to get to kennedy school, and as i ran to the pick up area, i realised that i couldn't look at traumatised as i felt. because maybe sebastian wasn't. then again, he might be in tears. so i slowed my gallop, and looked around the deserted and raining play area, then walked briskly into the office, where i approached the secretary...

"i'm looking for my missing child...."

and there he was. not crying, not freaking out, but curious. dashing toward me.

"mummy! you're here! may i have my playdate now?"

i looked at him, his eyes big pools of trust, his biggest concern that his playdate would be cancelled, and i fought back my desire to crush him into a hug and to apologise and call myself stupid and terrible and many other things. (poorly dressed too, i was wearing bagel schmear flannel pj top, a summer skirt and charles' flip flops).

"yes. let's go, kitten. i'm sorry i was late. i'm here."

am i the only person who does things like this?

Comments

[Dad aka Grandad Blake]

The answer to your question is no. I would give you details but you know who knows all my hiding places.Ask me when we are at Fintry.

Love to all...Dad.

[Jody]

Your dad is right: the answer is no.

It sounds like the school took good care of Sebastian, and all was well in the end. So really, no harm, no foul. Or, as the Ingalls family used to say (when children were narrowly lost in blizzards or the wolves did NOT eat the young children out sliding on the frozen lake by night), "All's Well That Ends Well."

Words to live by.

[Tammy]

No honey. You're certainly not. I recall the day miscommunication caused a 3-yr-old B to be left very late at daycare. When I arrived, he was in tears, "Why did you leave me?" I felt like the most horrible creature on earth.

Kudos to Seb for being such a big guy. Hugs to you. XOXO

[Auntie Pammie]

Tess, this story brought tears to my eyes... I felt sorry for you, and for Seb. All worked out and no one got lost/hurt. And NO you are not the only one who does things like this ,, no no no no no no....
Pammie xo

[Coral]

No, Tess, this has happened to all of us. In fact misunderstandings are part of (my) life!! A week doesn't go by without an 'oops' on my part. (Good thing my kids are grown now)!

[Mel]

Scary! We have all done that to some degree or other. Seb is not God's grandchild though, he is God's son and that means 24/7 protection and fellowship.
Thanks Lord!