Working Parents Nightmare: When the School Pickup Fails

My schedule changed due to some childcare swaps this week and my dad was supposed to pick up E from school. I was at home slogging my way through a headache that wouldn't subside and my phone rang.

It was one of E's teachers informing me that nobody had shown up to pick him up.

Ouch.

I yanked miss K out of her nap and drove over to E's school. I expected him to be tearful and recriminating. But he was cheerful, and he hugged me as if I was on time and was ready to bop right out the door. His teacher was kind and understanding. I think I'll buy her some flowers or something.

I was terrified that something had happened to my dad. We had all spoken to him today and he knew he was supposed to call. But he finally called me around four.

He had forgotten and he was devastated. Nothing I could have said would have made him feel any worse. The whole situation was just kind of rotten all around. I forgave him. E was fine. He was fine. By then I was just happy that everybody was OK.

But hopefully he'll have a cell phone soon.

Hopefully.