The Forgotten Child or Mother's Memory

Amanda posted about forgetting to pick up her kids after school and then about being forgotten. Whilst I was commenting I decided that this would be a good post. To alleviate any guilt from others mothers, you know.

So there was this one time, that actually happened about several times, over one school year. The boys, oldest and Monkey Wrench, had early out day on Thursday. Ridiculous in my book. Thursday was pay day for hubs and I felt compelled to go shopping for groceries; for reasons that oh, say, my family likes to eat.

Unfortunately, by the time I got myself ready and the baby girl, now known as Mini-Me fed every two hours and dressed it was early afternoon. That also happens to be the time of day that the local school district decides to send children home.

On many occasions I found myself with a grocery cart half-full and a light bulb going off above my head. "This is early out day." I began my marathon rush to the checkout stand and super fast loading of half my grocery list in to the trunk and fastish driving to home (of course I got the baby in the car seat and buckled in) to see my boys looking forlorn as they sat on the front porch, wondering where their mother was and why she had forgotten to be home when they got out of school.

Yeah, NOT! No need to feel sorry for them. We had great neighbors and as mom's we took in the temporarily orphaned children that came begging to have something to eat and some fresh clothing.

It sounded something like this, "Can I play with ________ until my mom comes home?"

"Oh I don't need a snack. My mom will feed me when she comes home . . . . .well if you insist. Mom says it's rude to refuse other peoples food."

My children are scarred for life, right?

When I ask oldest, "Do you remember when I went shopping and forgot that you and Monkey Wrench were getting out of school early when you went to _________?" He responds with a look that says I have lost my mind. Well that may be, but the point is that he has no recollection of said events.

Monkey Wrench also has no recollection of said events. When asked about them he replied with some rambling of how I always had to be home early because he was a trouble maker and we bribed him with Buzz Light Year stuff. He even said that is how he got is Black and Silver Buzz Light Year. We bribed him to be good.

There's a black and silver buzz light year? He was a trouble maker? My child a trouble maker? The horror!

*side note: It must have worked a little bit. He's mostly good now.

I deny any such accusations and I am now wearing the "have you lost your mind" face.

Seriously, I didn't know he was a trouble maker and I do not remember buying any such toy as a bribe for good behavior.

**On a totally unrelated note: I am watching the SNL Presidential Bash and laughing my butt off- which is in great need of more laughing it off.


*****UPDATE*****

After consulting with hubs it would appear that it is my memory that is faulty. By his recollection we did indeed bribe said child with buzz light year toys to get him to behave.

I'll chalk it up to sometimers: Some times I remember, Some times I don't. It's better than alzheimers where you forget alz de time. ;)