Parenting Guru: Spring Break? What Spring Break?

The minute I woke up, I knew it was going to be one of those days.

You know those days, right? All parents have them. They are the days when we are confronted with the fact that all of life cannot be planned. Also? If you are a busy parent, sometimes your memory fails you. And you might assume stuff that may or may not be entirely accurate.

I can explain. I woke up this morning and saw a sight I hadn't seen for a long time. A bright orb of light was shining in the windows. Where I live, this bright orb hadn't been seen in forever, so it was clear that either the rain we've had for the past 400 months of winter had stopped or I was being abducted by aliens.

Turns out, the rain had stopped. Well, let me tell you, I knew, just knew, that this would be a lucky day. Of course, you know that is exactly when my luck ran out. Because after that, when I started breakfast and fed the dogs and started yelling for my teenage son to hurry up or he'd be late for school, I discovered another important thing.

It was Spring Break. Today.

I know. I know. How the heck could I have missed that? Before you start thinking I'm a parent who doesn't care, let me defend myself. I have spent my son's entire life being that parent. You know, that parent. The highly efficient, hyper-organized woman who never misses a game, a Back to School Night, or the days that the kids are released early from class. For pete's sake, even Fro-Yo Friday is on my calendar. Heck, I am the calendar for most of my friends, who feel free to call me to check and see what's happening at the school any particular week.

And yet I managed to completely miss Spring Break.

Now, I have a reason. Well, sort of. It is on my calendar. It's just that I assumed (and yes, we all know what that means) that it was at the end of the month. So I made plans for the end of the month. You know, for the days when my teenager would be in school.

But you know what? I'm not going to let that prevent us from having a good break. After all, the sun is shining and that hasn't happened in forever. And between you and me, I see a beach day scheduled on my calendar for today.

Have you ever missed something important? Forgotten a school holiday? Share it with us (if nothing else, you will make me feel like I'm not alone)!

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Laurie Sontag is a Parenting Guru on Shine. Her memory is obviously going, but she still thinks she has every thing under control. She doesn't.

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