“Tyler, don’t forget to bring your coat home today. It’s going to be warm after school, but you’ll need it tomorrow morning. Don’t keep leaving it in your cubby.”
“OK.”
“And your library book. Stop leaving it in your backpack. The librarian sent home another notice last week. I think she threatened me, but I can’t be sure.”
“Ugh-huh.” … “And remember to change out of your rain boots once you get to your class. Hand in your scholastic book order, cause today’s the deadline. Don’t forget to thank Mrs. Warren for the happy note. Buy something other than pizza for lunch, will you? And what’s your pin number again?”
As he boarded the bus, Miles, the sixth-grader at our stop, turned to me and waited.
“Are you forgetting something?” he asked.
“No, I think that’s everything. Why do you ask?”
“Because,” he replied, shaking his head, a bit impatiently, “you’re still wearing his backpack.”
A mother’s ultimate challenge: trying to stay on top of her kids from beneath the rubble of her inner chaos.