Parent Pick-Up

Well, we're back from Hawaii - but more on that later.

Tonight Wynn is at work. We had dinner at Rebecca and Glenn's house, but came home promptly at 8:00 so everyone could be in bed on time. I told Maddy and Ella to go get into bed. Ella started crying because she's scared of her room. Maddy asked if she could be parent pick-up tomorrow after school. I said yes - everyone who got to bed quickly could be parent pick-up. Maddy ran to bed, Carter burst into tears. Carter doesn't want to be parent pick-up; he doesn't know how. It's easy Carter, you just go to the gym, I say. No, cries Carter, I can't do it (I'm editing here. There was a good twenty minutes of reasons why this would be impossible for him to do.). Now Ryan starts crying. Since Carter is taking so long to go to bed Ryan is missing out on his personal t.v. watching time (despite the fact he really wasn't supposed to be watching tv at all). At three kids crying I go upstairs. Ella follows, still crying, which gets her "tucked" into bed with the door locked, with an apology to Maddy who is desperately trying to fall asleep so she can be parent pick-up - her dream come true. Back downstairs where Ryan has wisely just turned on the tv, Carter is still crying. Fine, I say, just take the bus home like usual. (Increase in sobs.) But if Maddy and Ryan are parent pick-up I would be alone! (More editing) Carter, I promise I will make Ryan ride the bus home with you. I will just pick up Maddy. Carter - but what if I forget Maddy is parent pick-up and make the bus late trying to find her. Me - Carter you're smarter than that. If you don't see Maddy you will remember she is parent pick-up, or else you'll say "Where's Maddy? and Ryan will say, "Parent pick-up". Carter - "But what if I don't say it out loud?" (increase in sobbing noises). It is now 30 minutes past Carter's bedtime. I recoginize a losing battle and just walk away, send Ryan to bed and sit down at the computer to document this moment for future generations (or maybe for this generation a little in the future). Now all is quiet so I am off to check to make sure everyone is safely in their beds, appropriately covered, and ponder on that quirky bond of motherhood that made me miss all this last week. Then I'm going to bed. I think I'll need a good night's sleep to face parent pick-up tomorrow.