No Mommy Award today

Kickoff for Wednesday night activities was last week. We had sign-ups, hot dogs, jumpers, ice cream. And then last night all the programs started, beginning with Wednesday night supper. We piled into the van. Keri Lynn wanted to drive (to practice after a poor showing in her driver's ed class that day), but we were in a hurry, and Keith had mentioned that he didn't want her driving when all of the kids were in the car. (Something about too much distraction?!?)

Mac came with us, and we drove down the road and picked up one of Kathleen's friends from school. And we were running a little late, as usual. I had just come home from subbing in a severe/profound special ed. class and was VERY glad that Wednesday night suppers were starting. No cooking! Yippee!

We got there, ate. I saw a parent of one of the new high school kids eating alone, kicked the boys off of our table and invited her to eat with us. She said how our table had brought back a lot of memories because she has seven kids, too! Only two live at home with her now, the sixth one, a girl Keri Lynn's age, and another girl Kylie's age. Anyway, kids ran off to their respective programs while I started to clean up Keva from dinner. I needed to go meet with a lady who is working with me in GAs. We had a lot to discuss for the first night.

This is when my story gets a little dicey.

Kade came running up to me, Mac in tow. "Mom, I can't find Konner! He isn't here!"

"What do you mean, he isn't here? He was in the car with us."

"No, I don't think he was!"

"What!"

"We left Konner at home!"

I started the crickety mental replay of our surge out the door. I had helped Konner find clothes to wear that made him look less like an orphan. He absolutely knew we were leaving for Wednesday night . . . I had even asked, as we were pulling out, the same questions I ask every time we pull out, "Everybody here? Is Keva buckled?"

Kade started naming off everyone who had been in the car and where they were seated. Three bench seats, one front passenger seat. Two friends. SIX of my kids. Argh!

Realizing that Konner was indeed still at home a full hour after the fact, I started dialing home. No answer. Of course not! Konner never picks up the phone when he's at home. Why would he? Everyone else does it for him! I called Keith's cell phone. He was supposed to meet me at church in about an hour to take Keva so that I could lead GAs without her. He wasn't picking up either. I dialed repeatedly while Keva played in the leftover blackberry cobbler (which is another story entirely.)

Not five minutes later, Konner jogged in to the Fellowship Hall where we had been eating.

"Konner!"

"You left me!"

"I'm so sorry, Konner! I just now realized that you were at home! How in the world did you get here?"

I ran into a neighbor a few minutes later who gave me the full scoop. She lives just down the road from us and was driving with her kids to get to church. She waved at Konner who was standing at the end of our driveway, but then realized that he wasn't just waving back but was flagging her down! He explained that he'd been left and got a ride to church! She told me how he was a little teary, but that he was very brave and didn't seem to be much bothered by the whole ordeal.

And here I'd been thinking how good I'd been lately. A clean record of No Child Left Behind (while in Georgia anyway!) We won't talk about Kathleen's little incident. Oh, no, we won't. She's totally forgiven me for that one. Oh, yes she has.