You know those days when you try your hardest to be a good parent but you fall short.

Yeah, today I had one of those days.

I am going to preface this little story with the fact that keeping track of four kids can be challenging but I generally do a really good job of it.  Again, today was not one of those days.

After school, all my kids take to the task of clearing out their backpacks, emptying lunch boxes and getting homework done.  I am pretty strict about the afternoon chores because if not, something gets missed and it throws off our morning routine.  And mornings aren’t my favorite time of the day on our best day, if you get what I’m saying.

This afternoon, all the kids started working on homework.  Usually Mason brings home a couple easy readers for homework so he heads to his room to read to himself.  Today was no different, except for the fact that he could not find his backpack.  He searched all over the house.  Finally, I sent him outside to look in the car.  As he headed out I reminded him to grab his bag, shut the car door and come right back inside.  Welllllll……..let’s just say that I got busy getting dinner ready while simultaneously talking to Scott on the phone and helping Sam figure out the exact number of  Colorado State representatives.  Unfortunately, I dropped the ball on the five-year old and he forgot that he was supposed to shut the car door and come right back inside.  Anyway, about 20 minutes later I hear the back door slam shut and I think to myself Wow, how did Scott get home so quickly? Yeah, it wasn’t Scott.  It was Mason.  He did get his backpack and shut the car door but he got distracted by the neighbors two doors down and meandered that way.  I have no idea what he talked to them about for 20 minutes but he did mention inviting them in to see his grass.

Thank goodness, we do have very nice neighbors all around and that we live on a quiet little cul-de-sac.  Because my older three kids were painfully shy and would not have ever thought to even look at someone other than a close family member, Mason wandering off into the neighbor’s yard for a little chat has never crossed my mind.  After a long discussion about being safe and not wandering away or across driveways,  I am quite sure that with the chance he will in fact engage our neighbors in a lengthy discussion about our grass growing again.  He is just that kind of kid.  Sweet, trusting and very social 🙂

As for me, I promise that this is first time I have misplaced a kid (without knowing it) but it probably won’t be the last:)

Not winning any mom awards today, that is for sure. Oh well, thank goodness there is a tomorrow.

jennifer