The Monkey

Sometimes we need something different from the norm to happen to break up our routine.

On any normal day I pick the monkey up from the bus stop we argue about why he can't invite himself over a friend's house that day, drive the two blocks home and pull his homework out, or wait for dad to come home so I can go to work, and dad pulls the homework out. So today I race to the grocery store, after getting the bear, to get dinner for tonight and chili stuff for friday. We are all still sick and I wanted to make something good and hearty to give our immune systems a jump start. The viewing and funeral for my aunt stuck in my brain, "I gotta bring chili", "Jace's suit needs to be cleaned", "don't forget the salad", "How will I tell the kids?", "What the hell am I gonna wear", "Where will we stay?", "When am I gonna pack, What am I gonna pack?", "Who will watch the kids", "Why does my mom have to be so angry with everyone right now?", And most importantly "Did my Aunt Carla really die?!?". Over and over these thoughts slowly passing through my thickly congested head. "Hurry and get the stuff you need and get to the bus, Jacob gets out early", I think to myself. As I pull up to the bus stop I see the bus pull away, "Whew! He did not have to wait for me". But wait Jacob does not get off the bus today? I ask another mom if she saw him and she says no, I ask 2 of his friends and they say they did not see him on the bus today. Where is my child??? I call the school and start to drive over there immediately. The lady in the office checks with his teacher, I pull up to the school, NO JACOB! They call him over the loud speaker, and call the transportation dept. (bus drivers), nobody has a extra kid yet. I tell them if they find him hold on to him and call me, I'm gonna go drive around the neighborhood and knock on doors. WHERE IS MY KID!! Starting to panic I call Jace, "Our kid did not get off the bus, and is not at school, currently he is missing. I need you to come home". I call a neighbor and ask her to start looking around the neighborhood, I am at least 3 minutes away and scared. Just as I start to reach our developement I see a bus coming from the other direction, "PLEASE BE JACOB" and sure enough the bus stops in front of the bus stop, and Jacob comes running off the bus, "Mom, guess what? I know where Kevin lives now!". The bus driver gives me the scoop, I call everyone to tell them he is found, I hold him tight rubbling my cheek and lips against his soft hair breathing in the scent from his noggin! Each one of my kids has a delicious smell to their noggins, a smell that makes me feel like butterflies flutter around my heart! Today that smell made the thoughts of the funeral unimportant for a moment, and the arguements about going to a friend's house and doing his homework silly also! Tomorrow we may argue about going to a friends house again, but I am willing to bet I will enjoy that arguement more than I did yesterday!