I always worry this will happen, and this morning it did.
I was racing around the house, trying to remember everything, reminding Magpie (age 6) what she needed for school on this first day back from spring vacation and asking Kay (age 3) ever so nicely if she could please put on a dress or even a tee-shirt over her ever-present bathing suit.
Then it was the looking for the shoes, and the sweatshirts, and the arguing over whether they needed a coat if it was going to be 75 degrees later (their argument) or if they needed at least a light sweater because it was only 48 degrees now (my argument).
Next was a heated debate on what exactly constitutes the public schools "closed toe" policy on footwear, and then, finally, we were on our way. Throw in a lengthy discussion about whose turn it was to sit where, and we were off, for real this time.
There we were. Two girls secure in their car seats, one mom at the driver's wheel of her giant SUV. I pulled into the elementary school drop off line, said "'Bye Magpie! See you after school!" like I did every morning.
And she replied as she did every morning with: "'Bye Mom! 'Bye Kay! 'Bye Ziggy!"
Only this time, she added this sentence for the first time: "Mom! Ziggy isn't here!" I tried to stay calm as I said breezily "Don't worry, he's just at home."
Meanwhile I drove home as lickity-split as only a person can who has just realized that they have left their six-month-old baby ALONE at home, and not even necessarily secured in a play pen or stroller.
And to make matters worse, because I was so distraught, even though the school is only half-a-mile away from home, I kept making wrong turn after wrong turn and ended up completely lost.
And right when I thought to myself, I am never going to find my house..... I woke up.
Whew! But was the part about Kelly wearing a bathing suit to school true? Oh, I hope it's true.
ReplyDeletekelly is allowed - and does - wear her bathing suit 85% of the time we take molly to school. she is not allowed - and does - wear her bathing suit when she is going to school about 15% of the time.
ReplyDeleteoh man, i was hoping that you'd stay asleep long enough to come home and discover that the baby had decided to start chipping in with some chores and you came home to find the baby sorting laundry and advising you to put certain loads in tepid water to protect the intergrity of the fibers.
ReplyDeleteit's a shame we always wake up before the best parts.
I was worried sick! Great story!
ReplyDeleteLOL! I was all ready to say "hey, it's okay...it's happened to me, too!" but then you woke up. I drove home lickety split and still couldn't find the youngest (2-yrs old). And I was already awake!
ReplyDeleteOh my!! I have had dreams where I lost my toddler in a busy airport because i went to the bathroom and told him to wait for me outside. By himself. I come out and I can't find him. And then I wake up. Ack!
ReplyDeleteSince I don't have kids, I can only imagine the panic you felt just before you woke up. I'm sure you hugged him tight that morning!!
ReplyDeleteI used to dream that I couldn't find my baby in a furniture store full of babies. They were perched on bookshelves and coffee tables, each baby looked just like the one beside it and I couldn't find mine. Worst game of "Where's Waldo" EVER.
ReplyDeleteHahaha when you said you were making wrong turns I was like, whaaaaat?!? But now I get it. Whew. Scary dream.
ReplyDeleteYou just described my mornings, and I only have one!!! Whew! Gad it was a dream.
ReplyDeleteI was panicked right along with you until the end! Great story!
ReplyDeleteyou had me going there...I totally thought it really happened! thank goodness it was a dream!
ReplyDeleteSo glad that was a dream!!
ReplyDeletewell crap. glad it was just a dream but i bet it sticks with you for a while.
ReplyDeleteWhew! My mom used to have dreams that the car doors were flying open and the children were getting sucked out, which could have happened since I grew up pre-seatbelt laws. Great post!
ReplyDeletei woke-up in a cold sweat, and then suddenly understood that saying.
ReplyDeleteit really did stick with me, i guess kids aren't the only ones who have bad dreams!
ReplyDeletethanks so much!
ReplyDeletethanks, me too :)
ReplyDeletethanks! and your mom's dream is a scary one.
ReplyDeleteGood one! I was feeling the rising panic right along with you.
ReplyDeleteYou left the baby but you had me at I forgot the baby. So well written, I was on that ride with you. Glad it was a dream, but I bet it's been done in reality before.
ReplyDeleteThere was a small part of me that wanted this to be a true story (for the wow/humor factor). But the wanting your 6 month old to be safe part of me is glad that it was a dream!
ReplyDeleteI can relate to this post so very much. So much of it sounds familiar. But I'm glad the bad parts were just a dream.
ReplyDeleteOh, man. I can't tell you how often I have left important medical equipment and/or documentation at my parent's house in NH and made a 100 mile roundtrip to retrieve.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking now I need to Google some dream analysis for some answers about what it all means!
ReplyDeleteWould love to read your real-life story of this, please leave the link if you've written it, or if you do!
ReplyDeleteMy eyes were very big while reading this!! So glad it was just a dream! My dreams are always about my kids playing in traffic or something... so random!
ReplyDeleteOh my word, I was wide eyed and breathless by the time I got to the end! Hahaha! I hate those type of dreams.
ReplyDeleteWhat writing!! I loved this. You totally had me breathless...and the ending was just brilliant. What a nightmare. I hate when they seem so dang real.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
Whoa! You must be stressing a lot about forgetting your baby. But you wrote it so well, even if it was just a dream. Love it!
ReplyDeletethanks so much! and yes, i was very (very!) grateful to wake-up.
ReplyDeleteme too. but i will still take the dream-verison over a real-life version any day!
ReplyDeletethank you so much!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh... nicely done! Yes, what a nightmare. Wow, I was with you all the way. I was asking myself, oh would the baby be crying when you got home and how would that be for you? Things like that. Bravo! Suspense!
ReplyDeleteyou had my heart in my throat... partly because i can imagine myself accidentally doing that one day!
ReplyDeleteeh...Ziggy would've been fine. They bounce at that age, right? No, not funny. I mean, sort of funny. I mean, I'm glad it was a dream. What I want to know is if the bickering and endless negotiating only happens in your dreams/nightmares, or if that part happens in real life, too. Because if it only happens in your dreams, then I can no longer read your blog because you're one of those perfect moms and I might have to hate you. : )
ReplyDeleteI love how calmly you reacted, in that dream sequence because God knows I'd be a mess in reality!
ReplyDeleteToo funny. There was a woman knew who left her child napping in her crib while she picked the other up at school-- routinely -- on purpose. CRAZY. Glad you remembered and don't beat yourself up....it happens to us all one way or another.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! I know that moment of panic. I've never actually done it but sometimes when the little one is unusually quiet (he's usually wailing(!!!) in the car) I catch myself obsessively looking in the rearview mirror to check.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a tease, Anna! Hmph!
ReplyDeleteI'm not usually a fan of the "it was all a dream" either, but it seems forgetting a baby is a common anxiety dream so I was happy to hear I 'm not the only one to have had this happen to them!
ReplyDeleteMe too. This mom gig is HARD. Thanks for coming by!
ReplyDeleteI've heard that too - cannot imagine. what if you got in a car accident? what if the road is blocked? what if... what if... again, i.can.not.imagine.
ReplyDeleteso true, apparently my dream self does ok in an emergency situation!
ReplyDeleteme too, me too!
ReplyDeleteclearly the bickering happens with such frequency in real life that i also dream about it at night. GAH!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that this post is missing is the poster for "Home Alone" with your baby's face pasted on top of Macaulay Culkin's :)
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you pulled such a fast one on me!! I was having heart palpitations just reading this. Erin
ReplyDeleteHoly crap. I'm sitting here- unable to BREATHE - and then it's a dream!!!!! Oh my gosh! I was all se to say "See? This, THIS is why I only have one!!" Good one!
ReplyDeletei should so photoshop that, thanks for the idea and for stopping by!
ReplyDeletei did, it was one morning i was actually glad to wake-up!
ReplyDeletecan't even imagine. i am thinking these "can't find the baby" dreams must mean something. one of these days i will have to google it!
ReplyDeletedoesn't the getting lost always seem to happen in dreams? or just mine, maybe...
ReplyDeleteha! crazy mornings with kids seem to be universal!
ReplyDeletethanks, lisa!
ReplyDeletethanks, angela. and yes, i'm surprised every time a friend tells me a story of actually forgetting a kid, it really does happen!
ReplyDeleteOmG that gives me a heart attack just thinking about it.
ReplyDelete