Past Days of My life-----I have a few posts from the past waiting to be finished. This is the first in my series of Past Days of My LIfe.

This week went better than weeks past, and yet not quite where we need to be.   Wednesday we slept in because J got in from out of town late.   He left for work a few minutes before 10 and I left to pick up N.   Five minutes from home, the phone dinged to let me know something came up on my calendar.

 Hmmm, I thought.   I don't remember having anything on the calendar for today.  Curious, I checked my calendar at the next stop sign.

 AAAAHHHHHHH, it's the day of E's PE test.   He's suppose to be at the college running a mile along with his other PE tests!  Okay, so I u-turn and speed back home (not an exaggeration for effect in this instance!).   HONK, HONK, HONK!  Out comes E to see what's up.   I tell him its time for his PE test and he, along with his two sisters, need to be in the car now!   He runs in for his shoes and sisters.   After getting in the car, decides he needs a water bottle runs in and gets it.

Okay, we're off-- it's only 10!   We will swing by N's school (which is on the college campus) and pick him up on the way to E's test.  Of course, on the way, I'm scanning my mind for the info about where the test is being held on the college campus.  I remember reading about signs and special parking.  I also remember thinking I don't need this info for a couple of weeks.  I'll worry about it closer to the actual date.   Ack!  Why didn't I pay more attention?.   Driving slowly by N's miniature campus,  I don't see him.   We give each other 15 minutes past pick-up time, so I think he took longer on his test than expected.  No problem--I'll figure out where E is suppose to be and come back for him.   Driving over towards the athletic area of campus I see hoards of young kids and adults walking.

E-R asks me, " why  didn't  you park and pick up N."

 I tell her, " he wasn't there".

 "Yes, he was," she says.   "He was sitting right out front with one of his friends!"

 Aaahhhhh!   So, now I'm worried that N saw me and  started walking the 5 miles home thinking that I left him behind.

 Okay, are all these kids I see walking doing the mile run?   I park at the first spot I see and find an official looking lady with an official looking  badge.  " Okay, we're just here---I'm sorry we're late.   What do we need to do?"

" Well, first you need to park on the other side of the campus and walk over here and then down this way to the athletic field."   Ack, I decide to chance it with the parking spot!   We hurry over to the field, joking as we half run, half walk, that this is a good warm-up for the mile run.  We sign in.   No problem, it is a do it at your own pace.  No pressure, no one cares that we are 20 minutes late!   :)

So, we first do height and weight and then it is time for E to do the mile run.  I watch him start his mile.   And instead of being one of the moms armed with a video camera taping this 7th-grade milestone, I run out of the stadium dragging two littles with me, hoping to be able to figure out where N might be!   He's not at his campus; he's not walking home--as far as I can tell.   At this point I figure it must be time for E to be finishing his mile run.   So, I (again) speed back to campus and find a spot in the 30 minute parking.   Littles and I run back to the athletic field!  Perfect timing---E is just finishing up!    We stay with him while he finishes his other tests and head back to the car.    I sit and take a few breathes and think  where might he be, where might he be.  Where would my kid go after thinking his mom abandoned him.       E-R says, I bet N is at the library.    So, we circle around the campus again to re-park in five minute parking.    We calmly walk up to the library and sure enough---there is N---without a care in the world.   He says, what happened, mom?   End of story.

You know--Perhaps its time to begin using that calendar hanging up in the kitchen..