Kids for a Month

Yesterday morning Ayla got out of bed with no encouragement, and although disappointed that her fancy riding pants were not dry enough to wear, we were dressed and out of the house in good time to get Colin and drop off both of them at camp. At 5:15 I hang up from a particularly annoying meeting and go on to read a few more notes. Suddenly I look at the time. 5:19. "Shit! I have to go and get the kids! By 5:30!" As I rip my laptop off the desk, shove it into my bag and race for the door, our Admin holds it open and wishes me luck and reminds me to drive safely.
The funny part is that earlier we were talking about growing up. One of my coworkers recently got a dog, and another is thinking about getting one. I was saying how I was barely grown up enough I was to have a glass patio table, never mind a dog, and here I am forgetting I need to go and get two kids from day camp. Their first day at camp!
As I raced up Leslie and pulled around into the gravel parking lot, the only car there, Ayla and Colin the only kids there, I felt no surge of guilt. I did feel a bit bad when Ayla asked what was for dinner, as if had I been on time she may not be standing there starving, wasting away to nothing more than a pair of beige boots and a pink Chihuahua carrier style lunch bag. Both kids asked if I got stuck in traffic. I could not lie. They then kindly reminded me that the pick up time was 5:30, not 6:00. I have now set reminders in my calendar.
I can only be thankful that I realized I had forgotten something before I had arrived home at 8:00 p.m.