My daughter was thrilled when she came home from school a couple of weeks ago.
"You're coming on my field trip to the museum!!" she said.
"Oh... yeah," I said.
Oh, yeah.
Don't get me wrong... I really do want to chaperone field trips. But this was one of those deals I had signed up for at the beginning of the school year when I was fresh off maternity leave... rested and ready to take on the world.
Six months back on the job and into the school year, well frankly, I just not nearly as peppy. Especially when the field trip was slated to end at 2 p.m., and I had to be on set anchoring at 3 p.m.
Knowing this, Ashley's teacher was ready to let me off the hook.
God bless these teachers who get the whole 'I'm-a-working-parent-just-trying-to-make-sure-my-child-doesn't-resent-me-but-dang-I'm-exhausted" thing.
But I told her I absolutely wanted to go... so she let me drive my own car.
We all arrived at the museum at 9 o'clock that morning. By about 9:45 some of the seven-year-olds started getting bored. At around 10:30 one parent turned to me and said, "I can't take it... I just can't take the complaining anymore!!!"
Really? Ever been to a newsroom just before deadline?
The rest of the day was basically a blur of "I'm hungry!" and "I'm tired!" and "Can we head upstairs to see the mummy again?"
Five hours later, I was exhausted... and just about two hours out from the start of my work day.
But when I kissed my daughter and put her and her friends on the bus back to school, I felt wonderfully gratified. Because career or not, my children come first.
I'll go on the next field trip, and many more after that.
Because if you miss these days... you'll never get them back.
