Not my finest moment

 WRITING PROMPT # 7: Weather 

Yesterday was a massive mom "win". (Notice "win" is in quotations because I'm being wildly sarcastic.) My son is in a musical at the High School and rehearsals usually run until 5. Earlier in the day I muted my phone for Hollie's nap, since she was asleep right next to where I was working on a project. And in true Krystle fashion, the phone was never unmuted. 

So I missed the multiplicity of texts from my son letting me know rehearsal was out unusually early. I missed the phone calls from my husband. I missed his text telling our son to walk home because Mom wasn't answering. 

Fortunately, it was just a few minutes after I missed all of this that I randomly checked my phone. I hurriedly called my son, found out he had only crossed the street from school, and told him I was on my way. We were already planning on going to the grocery store, so I yelled for all the kids to hurry and get to the car. 

When I stepped outside, it was pouring rain. This is the weather my son thought he had to walk home in??! The high school is about ten minutes away and the whole time I was anxiously drumming on the steering wheel, unintentionally ignoring the rest of my kids' conversations. We pulled up to our meeting point and Grayson ran over to the car. 

I told him to meet us at the pet store but he didn't realize that meant, "wait inside, where it's dry!" Instead, he threw up the hood of his sweater and nestled under a tree just by the sidewalk of the busy street. As he was waiting he said a mom came out of a store, watched him as she walked toward her car, then decided to go and ask if he was okay. 

He assured her he was safe and just waiting for his mom. 

I can only imagine what was running through her head. She probably went home to tell her family about the poor kid she found with the terrible mother. But on the flipside, I am grateful that there was a mom who observed and went out of her way to check on my son. 

Thankfully, he wasn't angry or annoyed with me. I was enough of those things for the both of us. I hate feeling unreliable for my kids. And of course, it had to be raining on the one day that I really messed up. It has barely rained all summer! 

After picking him up we made it to the grocery store and it was very difficult not to buy him a pile of junk food to atone for my mistake. We did buy junk food, it's a four day weekend after all! But it was a normal amount of junk food. Now, I have four days of uninterrupted kid time... time to get some real "mom-wins" so I can feel better.