I Learned My Lesson

Last Friday was a beautiful day – warm though breezy – a spring type of day for the first of March. I had been working from home all day when Amy called and asked if I wanted to take the kids and go to the SPCA with her. She wanted a kitten!! Kittens, puppies and babies are the source of much delight in my house, so I knew the kids would love to go. The only catch was that Chip was the last one to get out of school and if we were going to make it to the SPCA before they closed, I would have to pick him up before school ended for the day. I decided it would be a fun treat for him, and so I headed to the school.

Once at school, I went to the attendance office and said I needed to pick Chip up early. On the form I had to fill out, I checked OTHER as the reason, and no one asked me what that meant. A call was placed to Chip’s teacher and Chip was told to meet me in front of the office. As I started walking from the attendance office back to the car, I realized I probably had just scared Chip to death.

I’ve never picked Chip up early from school without him knowing about it in the morning. He also knew that Ashley had been having several seizures each day, seizures which previously had been controlled by medication. The sick feeling in my gut told me that Chip was going to think something was terribly wrong with Ashley, and that was why I was picking him up. And that is exactly what happened.

As Chip approached the car, I could see the concern written all over his face. I smiled and waved, and he later told me that he knew then that everything was ok. He said he didn’t think I would be smiling if Ashley was hurt, sick or in danger. But, boy, did I feel bad for putting him through those moments of worry.

I’ve learned my lesson. If I ever do something like that again, I will have the office staff relay to Chip that all is well at the same time they tell him I am there to pick him up early.