A Tale of Neglect

I'm finally starting to feel organised for Christmas. This is the first year ever when I haven't had any wrapped presents to put under the tree on the day we put it up, (that was 12 days ago)! Poor Ben was getting very worried about the lack of presents under the tree, even though they are for family and friends I think he thought it meant no presents for him.

So I bought all the gifts downstairs and started to wrap. I realised Ben was due to be dropped home so I prepared his lunch and continued to wrap. As the children like to write the labels I was busy making mental notes of what I'd wrapped in each parel and laid them out so I would remember. Suddenly I realised Ben should have been dropped home and rang my friend to check all was OK. I got no answer. As I put the phone down Ben's teacher rang to see was I picking Ben up. Did he not go with Sarah I asked, 'why didn't you go with Sarah' teacher asked Ben, 'he's shrugging his shoulders' teacher told me. 'I'm so sorry' I said, 'I'll be there in five minutes', knowing it would be more like ten as I live two miles away from the school.

I ran to the drawer just inside the front door where I always put my keys when I come in.

No keys.

I ran to the breakfast bar where I always put my keys if I don't put them in the drawer.

No keys.

I ran upstairs to my jacket where I must have left my keys as they weren't in the other two places.

No keys.

I checked the bathroom as I had used it just after coming home.

No Keys.

Start to feel a bit worried, trying to remember all I had done since returning home.

Retrace my steps and check drawer, breakfast bar, jacket, bathroom, bedroom, dining table and front door (I have been known to leave the key in the lock once).

No Keys.

Start to feel quite panicky as I wonder whether someone took the keys from the door and was waiting for me to leave the house so they could rob the house and get away in my car.

Slowly and methodically check all the places the keys could possibly be in case I missed them in my anxiety.

No keys.

Was about to ring the school to explain predicament and ask if they could keep Ben and send him home on the school bus with Mollie.

Put my hand down on a calender on top of drawer and felt keys.

Jumped in car now very late and got to school to find Ben nonplussed about my being late and teacher not bothered as I apologised profusely for the mix up over the collection and for taking so long to collect Ben after the phone call. If fact she suggested I could have left him to come home with Mollie.

Friend rang to apologise for forgetting to tell me she couldn't collect him that day as Sarah was going to play with a friend. I was relieved because I thought I'd forgotten that she'd told me she couldn't collect him.

Back to the presents, there is one under the tree, the rest are still waiting for their labels. The question is will I remember what is in each wrapped parcel or will my auntie be getting a baby rattle and the baby some scented bath oil!