Thursday was a little bit hectic. The kids got out of school an hour early, so they got home soon after I did. Paul also came home early because he was going to be heading to Missouri that night for a funeral the next morning. But first we had to go to Parent Teacher Conferences at both the kids' schools. They started at 4:30, so we headed up to be at the high school right at that time.
At our kids' schools the conferences are held in the gym (for Kayla) and the cafetorium (for Blake) each teacher has a table and you stand in line to talk to them about your child. I do not know a better way to do it, really, since the kids each have 7 teachers. At least this way, we stay in the same room and don't have to wander all over the building meeting in 7 different rooms for each of our kids. Having said that, it still can be a long evening. We were at the schools for two hours, and then we had to rush home so Paul could get on the road.
For the third night in a row, we ate fast food for dinner. To top it all off, when I lifted the bun on my big mac to fix all the lettuce that was falling out, I noticed I only had one beef patty. So I said "HEY!! I only got one all beef patty. A big mac is supposed to have two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun." Paul laughed but the kids just looked at me as though I'd grown a second head. They obviously did not grow up in the 80's. Also, Blake's friend Drew was with us, and he also had a big mac. His big mac had 2 all beef patties. So throughout dinner I'd look at him and say things like "I bet that is really good with two hamburger patties." "So...Drew... how is that WHOLE big mac?" And he said "I'm sorry....if I hadn't already taken a bite, you could have this one." I do not often eat a big mac, and I was really looking forward to this one. And it just didn't hit the spot.
But amid the hectic pace of our evening, there was a bright 90 minutes.
At 2:30 my doorbell rang. I was expecting the UPS Man but Cookie was not doing her "UPS Man" bark. She was doing her "YIPPEE, company's here" bark. I opened the door and there stood our little 5 year old neighbor, eyes red and full of tears and sniffling "My Mommy's not home." I knew what had happened. Her mom had forgotten the kids got out early. I had seen her taking a run just minutes earlier (she's preparing for a half marathon.) I'm sure she thought she had another hour.
So I gathered little neighbor girl in my arms and carried her into our kitchen and told her she was very smart to come here when she noticed Mommy wasn't home. I told her I knew where Mommy was and that I was certain she had simply forgotten she was coming home early, but that it would be great fun for me if she'd sit in my kitchen and have a snack and watch Curious George on TV. Once she was settled, I called my neighbor and left a message telling here where her precious daughter was and that everything was ok.
Let me just pause here to say something to those of you whose children have not started school yet. Please do not judge this woman. It happens. After she got my message, she checked the school announcements and there was no reminder at all of an early dismissal. I only knew about it because my kids are 13 and 15 and they live for early dismissal. And of course she was very embarrassed and worried for her daughter.
Anyway, after a snack and a very entertaining episode of Curious George, we were on our way to the basement to play ping pong when mommy rang the doorbell. Little Neighbor Girl was not ready to go home because she had not played ping pong yet nor had she explored our toy shelf. Obviously she had gotten over her trauma.
So after reassuring my neighbor that there was no need to feel bad, and telling her about the time I forgot to pick both my kids up from school, and how when I finally got there and saw them waiting in the office, I was sure that if I could have read their thought bubbles at the time, I would have wondered how a 6-and 9-year-old knew such language; I told her that her daughter was welcome to stay awhile and I'd walk her home after we played.
So we sat on the basement floor and did puzzles. And I was re-introduced to the magic of kindergarten. The excitment in her eyes and voice when she told me about "short O" and how she was "the ONLY one in my class with an "R" name!!" And "In two weeks, I have a birthday and a school concert, BOTH ON THE SAME DAY -" well, the magic was just contagious. Then Paul came home and played ping pong with her and we all laughed when she nearly hit him in the head and when the ball went flying all over the basement. Actually the girl's got quite an arm for a five-year-old. Then we played a "big kid game" for a while before we had to break the news that it was time to go home because we had to "go see Blake and Kayla's teachers this evening."
So of course my heart went back to the time when mine were that little. Like when Blake was 6 and asked for a watch. I told him he could have a watch as soon as he could count by 5's. So he said "you mean 5,10,15,20,25,30...."
And when Kayla was in kindergarten and was learning her first vowel, only they called them letter lights. So I said "Every word has to have a letter light. If there is no letter light, it is not a word." She tilted her head and looked at me very seriously and said "My teacher doesn't know that." And I knew without a doubt that Kayla was going to inform her teacher of this little bit of news the next day.
Yes those days were magic. But so are these days. It is magic watching my kids with their friends. It is magic sitting in front of a teacher and listening to her say "you have many reasons to be proud of your daughter." It is magic watching my son's arm be raised in victory after he has won his Regional Wrestling Meet. It is magic sitting around a table eating fast food with my children and their friends. It is magic hearing their voices on the phone as they call to check in. Sometimes I get lost in remembering the magic. So lost in remembering that I forget to take part in the magic that's right before me.
Well, not anymore.....
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