Does Mr. Blackwell have a list for parenting? Instead of worst dressed it would be worst parenting. I would totally make that list after today.

Skyler’s dance class is on Saturday mornings, but as we get closer to her recital they have combined with the Tuesday night class to get two practices in each week. This is the third week since they combined the classes. However Tuesday night classes are not going well for us. Last week we completely forgot about dance and Skyler didn’t go on Tuesday night at all. This week she went, but I forgot to pick her up. Yep, you read that right. I forgot to pick my daughter up from dance. No “Mother-of-the-Year” award for me this year.

Normally Lee would take Skyler to dance on Tuesday nights since I’m still working at 4:30. But today he had to run to Fed Ex before they closed so I took her to dance. Then I came home and finished working. Lee got home around 5pm and started taking a test for a certification he was getting. He went to the bedroom where he could get some peace and quiet. I was buried in my laptop in my office.

I was working away; answering emails, reading contracts and chatting on IM. Then I looked at the time in the corner of my laptop. It read 5:45. I thought, “Dang it’s already 5:45? I still have so much to do.” And then it dawned on me. “SHIT IT’S 5:45! SKYLER’S STILL AT DANCE.”

I ran upstairs to see if Lee was still in bedroom. He was. I didn’t even say anything I just flipped around and flew out the door. I grabbed my jacket, my purse and my keys and ran out the door. I didn’t even put on my jacket. I just ran.

I flew down the interstate, praying no cops were out. Skyler normally waits outside for me to pick her up, but today it was pouring down rain. I was hoping she wasn’t standing in the rain waiting for me.

As I pulled up to the door of the studio I saw her standing in the foyer. As soon as she saw me she leaped out to the truck.

By this point I was in tears. How could I just leave my baby girl at dance all by herself (well herself and her teacher and a bunch of other students as well a handful of parents)? All kinds of horrible things ran through my head like somebody snagging her from outside the studio because I wasn’t there.

But Skyler didn’t seem upset at all. As she climbed in the truck she said, “what took you so long?”

I said, “I thought Dad was coming to get you, but he figured I was coming to get you.”

“I stood inside for a little bit. Then I stood outside, but I got cold so I went back inside and played a game. Then you finally showed up.” She held out her hand. “Feel my hands. They’re really cold.”

Then I felt even worse. She was standing outside in the rain getting cold hands. I’m such a loser. I totally owe her. Clearly I’m going to have to spend some quality time singing High School Musical songs with her on the Wii.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 8th, 2008 at 9:05 pm and is filed under A day in our life. Comments are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.