3 Kids = Loss of mind

First off, you have to promise that after reading this post you won’t report me to Child Services.  Promise?  If so, read on and please don’t judge me.

Campbelle and I decided to join the Green Team at her school.  There was a meeting scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at 3:30.  It was during Beckett’s nap time and I had made plans to drop Christian off at our neighbors for a little while.  When dropping off Christian, my good kind neighbor said that she would gladly watch Beckett too.  Being it was his nap time, I assured her it would be just as easy to bring him along, in the stroller, and most likely he would stay sleeping throughout the whole meeting.  ‘Thanks for the offer.  But he can just come with us” I said.

On the way to the meeting, Campbelle and I are chatting up a storm about all the things we can do to protect our earth and keep it clean.  We are having an intense conversation about what a ‘carbon footprint’ is and how to reduce ours when we pulled up to the school and were discussing the process of composting as we walked into the school office.  (Do you see what’s missing already?!?  ).  We waited in line at the office for a several minutes.  Then got directions to Mr. Hayden’s classroom, which was at the far end of campus.  Campbelle and I stopped by her classroom.  We looked at some art in the hallways.  We chatted with a few teachers.  Just happy as can be – the two of us.  We walked outside to get to the Green Team meeting…. about 10 minutes after arriving. 

As I’m walking up to the ramp to the modular science classroom, a thought occurs to me:  Why, this ramp is great for wheelchairs.  I wonder if there are any kids at SES that are in a wheelchair, … and my stream-of-consciousness continued for a few seconds until it lands at ….. or how easy would this classroom be to push a stroller into!  STOP DEAD IN MY TRACKS!  Let out a little scream and pull Campbelle by the arm as we are race through the school grounds back to the van.  Where. I. Forgot. Beckett. !!!  The whole way back I’m nearly crying while saying a little prayer that the van isn’t surrounded by a bunch of moms and teachers – or worse yet - police.  I was praying that my sleeping little guy was still quietly sleeping and not scared to pieces and losing his mind.  I was praying that we didn’t run into anyone that knew us and asked us where the boys are.

We got back to the van and thankfully he was sweetly sleeping.  Without a care or worry in the world.  No people were congregated around the car and I felt relieved that all was well.  But now, I have the problem of leaving with all 3 of us – without making it obvious that I had left a baby in the car unattended.  I, or course, have to be parked directly in front of the pick-up lane (that isn’t moving) and several school crossing guards.  I’m entirely too embarrassed to go directly to the stroller and fetch him out.  So I make Campbelle jump in the car.  We left.  Drove around the parking lot.  And parked in another location.  I breathed deeply.  Calmed my nerves a bit.  Swore Campbelle to secrecy.  Said a little prayer of thankfulness.

And then, the three of us kindly made our way back to the meeting.

And good little Beckett napped.