A Funny Mother’s Day Story

One of my BEST days of being a mother…my birthday picnic in October 2011 at Vivian Park, Provo, Utah.

 I thought I would share one of my near and dearest stories of being a mom. NOT!  I was President over the Stake Primary, basically Sunday School for the children aged 3 to 11 at church.  I was holding a board meeting down the street at a friend’s home.

Busy church activities sometimes took over my life…sometimes.

I knew I would only be gone a little over an hour and my husband was on his way home from work. I called him and he assured me he would be home by 7:00.  So I left my 11 year old daughter Tiff in charge of my 4 kids ages 4 to 11, but forgot, (excellent mom that I am) to give her the phone number. I just didn’t think it would be an issue. I left the kids playing with play dough and with plenty of snacks and took off.

Me on a much better day…

Little did I know how wrong I would be. About an hour later I got a call from a neighbor Terry, down the street. She said the words no mom wants to hear, “Pattie, I don’t want to alarm you, but you better get home right this minute!” and she didn’t tell me why. I jumped in the car and tore home (about 2 blocks). As I turned my corner my eyes  met with  police cars, lights flashing, paramedics, and the fire department all in my driveway. And no cars of ours there, nor were any adults in charge. Yay for us! What model parents!

The hubs and I…..He is still my best friend…..even after THIS experience! 

And just about every neighbor in my entire neighborhood standing out on their front lawn TALKING TOGETHER and wondering where in the heck the parents were and what terrible disaster had struck inside the house while those no good parents were gone who knows where!

When I got there I ran inside, terrified, with my heart in my stomach, praying all was well. I bumped into a fireman that goes to my church and asked him what had happened. It is comical now, but at the time, not so much.  My 6 year old had put some of the playdough in his ear and the kids tried getting it out. But it just went in deeper.  When they couldn’t get it out, they (the 9 and 11 year old) decided to call 911 to ask how to get playdough out of somebody’s ears.

Yeah. A real emergency, playdough in the ears. I couldn’t even believe it.  I learned later that my 11 year old daughter had told the police, “My mom is at a church meeting.” So the officer had taken her in his squad car down to my church and paraded around asking where I was!!  Yeah. I know. It just gets better. So not only in my neighborhood was I TOAST, but now also at church. Complete humiliation!  It was a really bad night for a mom, as you can just imagine.

The “REAL funny” part comes later when all the hoopla had left my house. I had pulled all the curtains. The kids had gone to bed and I was sitting in the dark crying. And my happy-go-lucky husband shows up. In a real good mood, I might add.  He’d forgotten HE ALSO had a church meeting. He was a high counselor in our church and also had a 7:00 pm meeting he’d forgotten AND neglected to tell me about. He rushed to his meeting assuming that the kids would be okay for an hour too. So we both blew it. Parents of the year, yeah.

My fun hubs….he always could make the hard things easier somehow…..

The next day was Halloween. Yeah! What a bummer!  We BOTH remember trick or treating through our neighborhood THAT year.

At Halloween this year with my 3 granddaughters….MUCH more fun! 

So I guess, time + crisis = humor, as they say. I can laugh about it now, but it was probably my worst experience being a mom,( that I’m willing to share)!  But as all moms know, there are a multitude of stories, equally awful, that we could substitute, am I right?

BUT…….. I can tell you with complete conviction, looking back, 
IT IS ALL WORTH IT.

Cuz look what I got! 

My family is the best, most important thing in my life.  Enjoy them while they are little. It goes so quick. Happy Mother’s Day to all who mother, whether it is your own kids or others, we all honor you today. For all the highs and all the lows, for all the laundry, the meals, the parent-teacher conferences, the doctor visits, the Scouts, music lessons, laundry, PTA meetings, sports, laundry, (LOL) taxiing everybody around constantly,  homework you helped with and Birthday parties you planned. It’s your day to shine!  Happy Mother’s Day!

The college grad playdough pusher..…yes I’ve gotten over it…it took a lot of therapy…….just kidding. Who could afford therapy?….I had good friends. And that’s the best a mom can ask for.