Things I Forgot Today

I want my own version of the TV show 24.  It can show at every hour all the things I forget to do.  I’m pretty sure I can fill an entire series.

I’ve had too many things to do this week.  Eighteen after-school appointments and activities in the past four days, to be exact.  And that’s after I canceled three things I couldn’t fit.

I’m hoping that garners me some sympathy, because that’s the only excuse I have for what you’re about to learn.

In the last 24 hours, I’ve flunked at being a responsible niece, an organized mother, and a thoughtful daughter.

That’s a lot to pack into 24 hours.  I find you have to really focus to fail on that kind of level.

Do everything to the best of your ability, I say.  Especially failure.  Go big or go home.

To be a responsible niece, all I had to do was return a key for the beach house to my aunt.  That task takes approximately 10 minutes total.  It’s not hard.

My aunt was kind enough to loan me the key.  The least I can do is return it on time.

I had the key in my purse.

I made arrangements to drop it off.

I set myself an alarm to remember.

I reset the alarm twice.

I didn’t remember.

I didn’t remember because I was in my son’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meeting all afternoon.

IEP meetings are a special way to torture teachers and parents with voluminous paperwork for kids with special needs.  This was Ian’s annual IEP meeting.

I did remember to confirm that my mom would pick Ian up after school.

I blithely chatted with my mom at the school’s entrance when I arrived for the IEP meeting, as that coincided perfectly with the time she was there to pick him up from school.

I walked into my son’s classroom for my meeting with his uber fabulous teacher, whereupon I was asked if Greg, my husband, would be able to join us for the meeting.

“No,” I replied.  “He’s home with Ian today because Ian’s sick.”

Ian’s sick.

Hello?  Beth?  Anyone in there?

You’d think that somewhere between the time that I called Greg to check on my sick Ian… and confirmed with my mom that she’d be picking up that SAME Ian from school… that it would have dawned on me to — oh, I don’t know — maybe tell her that he wasn’t at school?

Not only did I leave my mom hanging in front of Ian’s school today, I also just remembered that my parents’ 40th wedding anniversary is this coming weekend.

40 years!

Forty years of not using your pillow to smother the person who wakes you up with super sonic snoring every single night.  That’s aMAZing!  A very cool and important milestone.

The kind of milestone one’s children should remember.  Preferably before it’s three days away.

What I should have done was lied.  Called them and said, “Just wanted to confirm that we’re on for your anniversary dinner on Friday.  You know, since we haven’t talked about it for a few months.”

Dang it all.  I missed an opportunity there.

Instead, I was super cool and smooth. “Hey, there!  Soooo… the Big 4-0, huh?  This weekend!  Um… ya got any plans?  No?  Want that your neglectful daughter should make some?”

My parents need new kids.

So, to recap, things I forgot today include:

  1. To be responsible enough to be allowed to borrow stuff
  2. To honor my parents
  3. My son

Proudly,

Beth

Don’t miss a post. Subscribe here


17 responses to “Things I Forgot Today”

  1. Can’t say that Beth (or any of our kids) are slackers. We appreciate the hilarious anniversary dinner with all the kids and grandkids at their house. I wouldn’t give that up for the world. Great fun laughing about first kisses. We are super blessed! Love, Mom

    • @Sandy: of course now we all want to hear the funny stories about first kisses! Maybe you could get Beth to write a blog about it? Sounds like great fun indeed 🙂
      @Beth: doesn’t that sounds like a fun competition? (see above) ‘Send in your best ‘first kiss story’ 🙂
      (oh dear, now I’m starting to interfere with your blogging subjects… somebody stop me! I should really get a life… or my own blog 😉 )

  2. I feel so much better about myself now. I made my husband miss an appointment today because I forgot to drop off the car for him. After he sent an email (and left a voicemail, but my phone was silenced, unbeknownst to me) asking whether it was there yet AND I RESPONDED asking what time he needed it. I promptly closed my browser and never thought about it again until about an hour after he was supposed to leave. I hate to use pregnancy brain as an excuse, but I’m afraid there just isn’t a better one this time, unless whatever you have is contagious.

    • I didn’t even think of the option of blaming it on someone else… Genius! So can we make a deal, can the Europeans blame you guys for whatever this is and you can just return the favor and blame it all on us? How’s that for a full-proof plan? Maybe we can explore the ‘it might travel on airplanes’ some more? 😉

    • Jenn, that story is HILARIOUS! Oh my gosh, thanks for sharing.

      I’m w Carina. Blame works. 🙂 I say, use pregnancy brain as long as you’ve got it. Then when that’s over, blaming Europe sounds fun. 😉

    • Hehehe. Double covered! Wish I’d thought of that earlier… much better perspective!

  3. “My parents need new kids.” That idea is a repugnant as getting a new spouse. Why, oh why, would I want to start 40 years of training all over again???

    • @The Old Marine: ’40 years of training’ = hilarious! laughing so hard right now, so so hard 🙂
      Happy anniversary by the way, congratulations to you&your loved one(s), hope you have a wonderful celebration, maybe you’ll even get a chocolate cake! 😉

      • The Old Marine is not so secretly a sap. He insists on keeping his old family rather than trading us in. Probably because I’ve promised to sneak Scotch into the old folks home for him someday. But also because he seems to like us.

  4. Beth~
    We really must schedule in one more thing for each of us….that wine / whine date! I can tell you plenty about my last week that *might* make you feel a bit better about yourself {did the police show up to your kids’ school and issue a citation for Harassment X3 to your child?!}…..Seriously, you rock, and there are very few people that can do what you do on the level that you do it. Give yourself a pat on the back. That was an awesome IEP cake, btw. 😀

    • Yes, we really must! I certainly need to hear your police story, but I promise to pour you a large glass first (no silliness about 4 oz being a serving size, OK?)… msging you soon to arrange!

    • No way! If you recall, *I* wasn’t the one working out the plan on the phone w her. I mean, sure, I could’ve been an active and involved mommy and more quickly fixed that little problem of abandoning my daughter, but I think I’m gonna just stick with the *I* didn’t forget excuse.

  5. Oh Beth, oh dear dear Beth… You just made me feel soooooooo much better about myself&all the things+people that I’ve forgotten these past days! I know you probably didn’t write this for just that purpose, but THANK YOU anyway! 🙂
    So tell me, is it tradition in the US to have a family dinner when there’s a 40 year anniversary? Over here, people (the people who have been married for 40 years that is) usually throw a big party for family&friends. Oh, you really didn’t want to hear about that? Sorry… Shall I remove this post before anyone else reads it? Let me know if I should! 😉

    • Hehehe. Maybe I’ll start a new tradition in the States. Family dinner only.

      Sadly, I think I was too late on having you remove this post in time. 😉 …just another thing I forgot.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.