gemma is busy being a kid. a kid with spelling tests and math homework.
that is right, homework at 5. she loves it at this point, but all i can see is the years and years of more to come.
i am struggling. i was not prepared for this level of momwork so early. i need to up my game.
gemma came home from school the other day and told me about her science experiment. you remember the science experiement, the one that she was supposed to have brought an empty jar to school for. the jar that they mentioned in a note sent home with plenty of time to prepare. the jar that every other mother remembered…no? well me neither. i forgot her jar. she looked up at me with her big brown eyes and said “that’s ok mom, mia shared her jar with me.” sweet mia, gemma’s first lab partner.
it may not seem like that big of deal. it is just a jar, so what if she had to share a jar, but i come from professional mom stock. i was raised by a mom who just knew how to mom. i am pretty sure that she never forgot a jar and there were always little notes in my lunch.
so with things getting even more busy for my work (look here for the great news about my book with peta mazey) now, i am going to have to get organized. my poor brain (i am not known for my calm organization skills), but for gemma’s sake,so she is not that kid with no jar, i am going to do my best.
so excuse me while i go do some dishes, paint toenails a pretty sparkly color and have another cup of coffee…it is the weekend here in aus!
i answered 5 questions on my life for the new PortraitAllure blog and you can read the interview here.
since the ratings on this site have been reset, it would be great if you took a moment to click on the banner below…does not cost a thing, takes you to the top baby blogs site and registers a vote for my site in doing so!
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
I forgot Dakota's shoe box she needed for a nativity scene near Christmas. I was so upset. She didn't care, and they had extras but I couldn't believe that I forgot it. I think we all do it atleast once.
I forgot Christian's shoebox so he could make a Valentine's day mailbox. We all do it.
Gorgeous.
A great mom is the kind of mom who knows that the jar is not THAT important, who sometimes forget the jar because she is busy with her kids and family and work so she can provide for her family, who is always there when her kids need her and make great memories. I'd love a mom who'd even be there to know i'd need a jar. Gemma and the twins are lucky to have you as their mom!
thank you.
ok this totally makes me want to read EVERY note my son brings home from pre-school now!
I have these moments often! The mommy guilt is the worst! My daughter has letter of the week every week and they do share something representing that letter her day is on Thursday, I totally spaced it this week. Thankfully she's a quick thinker and the letter of the week was N so she shared her necklace, but I always feel crappy when I forget about share!
I'm sure I messed stuff up, too. Emily did a little play and I forgot to go. Urgh.
I've learned if you don't make a big deal out of stuff—the kids usually don't. My mom was a "low drama" mama. So i've tried to be that way too. I think if you don't make things so dramatic-then the kids won't either…
Although-you might want to talk to me in a year or two…when we have a teenager in the house!!!
Your energy your display in your photos-makes me think you are a low drama mama too.
Wait until they are all three in school!!
Do you have a blackberry or iphone? The daily reminder feature in the calendar helps A LOT.
ohh-never heard of the mom agenda. A glance at my calendar on my iphone would make one think I was very busy with all the appts it lists everyday-because i add EVERYTHING to my calendar as an all day event that repeats until i delete AND set 2 reminder alarms until complete. Needless to say-i've been there. And it is hard to look into those big eyes…hopefully Gemma's graceful response eased your heartache a little.
Thanks for sharing your "failures" along with all your greatness.
link to the momAgenda in the square ads on the side of my blog. i LOVE mine…if I just remember to look at it often.
my daughter needed a shower curtain last Friday (some project involving making something that looked like a stained glass window…whatever). I mumbled expletives all the way there…I only had 2 1/2 hours to myself and I spent it doing that. I asked her after she got home…so did you notice I brought you that shower curtain….she said she got it but they didn't need it….that's being a mom..sometimes you score and sometimes you mess up and sometimes you waste a good Friday morning.
we all forget at times… how sweet of gemma to say it was ok!
this will make you feel better – i sent audrey to school in the wrong tshirt! shes at a steiner school and they where a different colour for each day of the week and she comes out in yellow when its red day… now an attentive mum who wasnt sleep deprived, would have sent he back to her room to change but clearly im not that mumma… everyday i had been checking the paper to see what she should wear but she seemed so assured! i didnt realise till after she had left the house…
her teacher was amazing about it and made her feel at ease so she in turn came home and settled my uneasy guilt. isnt it amazing that they take things so well and accept that we are human and make mistakes? in all fairness to me… we had just sold our house in sydney, moved interstate and started school the next week. she hadnt even been there a full 2 weeks.
rowe x
Sadly, I have a Blackberry on a necklace…I am hopeless. I also have the MomAgenda book. It was just a total mom fail. I did not make a big deal about it…it just broke my heart.
Ummm… this is normal. An actual thing that I have listed in my outlook calendar for reminders is to make a cup of coffee which I have set so I have a cup of coffee with me when I leave for a meeting. I've also had to set outlook to remind me to do things like eat lunch and mail a letter. If I don't put in as a reminder it does.not.get.done. I haven't had to set a reminder to go the bathroom but I don't doubt it could happen sometime.
hey rachel! love this pic of gemma! i was wondering if i could save it to my PC? i think shes the cutest kid ever. lol you inspire me, with your photography. its beautiful. lol im trying to convince my mom to buy me a nice camera, and move to melborne lol. well anyway, thanks for your time! im a huge fan!!!!!!!!
Aww, I feel your pain. It is just shell shock – it will get better. We were similarly overwhelmed by the mountain of requirements and deluge of papers when C started school. We missed things on a regular basis. But then, we got into the rhythm of things. One thing I can't rave enough about is Google calendars. I now run one for the entire school. As snippets of paper arrive, I add the info in them to the calendar, and then both hubby and I (and the rest of the school) can see it.
Congratulations on the book contract!
I forgot it's my daughters bday tomorrow. Yep. I'm awesome. Had to call the school to make sure they get something on the books to do for her. My husband is out right now buying cookies for her class. I was so focused on the bday party that I actually forgot the "day." I'm glad I found this post. I do it all the time. AND I have four calendars. Wait… five. So happy to see I'm in good company!
rachel can you be my photogrpher thanks