I have a carpool for school. It's no longer with Mrs. Carpool, thank goodness, but it's still not perfect. Anyway, our carpool was with a teacher who is a close friend and who is at school anyway, so she brought home our daughters at 4 p.m. along with her own. In return, we took her kids and/or husband in the morning as necessary and did afternoon pickup on an on-call basis.
Our carpool had a baby a few weeks ago. In the weeks leading up to the blessed event, there were many days when she had OB appointments, which she would only remember to tell me about at the last minute, and I would go and get the kids. You already heard the story of the day she had the baby. So she's been at home the last few weeks. Her dad did afternoon carpool while he was in town, except for the days he didn't, when I did. And then he left, and sometimes I got the kids, and sometimes she got the kids. Fine.
She's slated to go back to work tomorrow. For the few remaining days of school, I offered to watch her newborn in the mornings. I'll bring her the baby when I pick up my boys at noon. She'll manage with her for the rest of the day, one way or another. So that starts tomorrow.
Today, at three p.m., I tried to call her to make sure she was bringing the kids home. She didn't answer. The default is that she brings the kids home. For me to do afternoon carpool means that either I dump the boys on Mr. WG who is working, or I pawn one kid off on someone else, because there's not enough room in the car for eight kids and a driver. So, fine, I'll do it in a pinch, but a little notice is nice.
Anyway, I couldn't reach her, but I figured that if there was a problem, she'd let me know, right?
Wrong.
So in the end, Mr. WG and I made the frantic calls to get the kids home. And then when Mr. WG finally got Carpool on the line, she said, "Our agreement is that I do carpool when I'm at school."
Excuse me. That's the kind of excuse you give people you don't like very much, not people who are among your closest friends. And it really ticked me off.
Mr. WG says that we are both wrong. I, of course, cling to the principle that WG is never wrong. If WG is ever wrong, please see the previous sentence.
So, Internet, weigh in. Should I have driven to school when I couldn't reach her? AM I WRONG? What say you?
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Too Irritated to Think of a Witty Title
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3 comments:
I think she's mostly wrong, but having a newborn (I've heard...) can do funny things to people. However, I don't take excuses even from those with twins anymore :)
So who brought her kids home? I think that she was wrong. Although I would cut her a little slack with a newborn. However, I always thought that the newborn stage was the easiest, throwing the baby in the seat and off you go!
But, she kind of had an obligation to you to let you know if she was driving or not. And an obligation to let you know that you were supposed to bring her kids home.
Carpools are so difficult. Especially with friends. And as they get older, it is just as difficult. My oldest drives her sister and picks up two others and my non driver hates it. She hates having to be nice in the morning. Never easy but i think in this case you were not wrong.
School bus, easiest carpool situation there is.
Unless of course, that isn't an option.
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