The "Turkey Incident"

Okay, I guess I opened up this Pandora's box myself with my reference to the "Turkey Incident". I didn't realize I had referenced it until the comments came in. Guess it is only fair to share the "Turkey Incident" with my peps, huh?

Before I explain the "Turkey Incident", I need you to think back to your childhood. Think back to when you were in elementary school. Were you the kind of child that didn't care if they forgot something that were suppose to bring to school, or were you the kind that got very upset at the thought of not having something the teacher expected you to have. I was the later. Actually, as I found out through the "Turkey Incident" I still am the later. Needless to say, my daughter follows suit. We are both pleasers. Always wanting to do what is right and expected of us. Always having a hard time dealing when we fall short.

The "Turkey Incident" begins on a dark and dreary night.....just kidding. The "Turkey Incident" began on a snowy Wednesday morning when Maddie's teacher thrust some papers in my hand as we were leaving. Informing us, that by the way, she didn't have school on Friday. For what reason, I have no idea. You may remember that this was the Friday I took her to the MOA for Mommy Maddie time. Back to the Turkey.

In these papers was an outline of a Turkey on a piece of paper. I gather you were suppose to color and or decorate the turkey, but since there weren't any directions I wasn't sure. You see I am a direction follower....to a tee. I have to have direction. I don't fly well on my own, but give me directions (in my language that I can follow) and I soar. This was the beginning of the my Turkey problems.

Since the fore mentioned Turkey didn't have directions, I put it in the back of my brain. Also, since Maddie didn't have school the next Friday, thus the fore mentioned Turkey couldn't be brought back to school until the following Monday, I pushed the Turkey farther back until the abyss of my brain. What can I say, I had more important things to think about.....Mommy/Maddie time, working on finding the guest bedroom (my catch all room during the unpacking process), Christmas shopping, Thanksgiving, etc, etc. Can you see where this is going?

Yep, you guessed it. Monday morning dawned another gray day. I rushed to get Maddie to school, if you remember this is the day Sam and I went to Kiddiewampus and I was worried about finding it. As I was kissing Maddie goodbye, her teacher asked her where her Turkey was.

Gasp, Gulp....Butterflies in the belly along with a sinking feeling.

We had forgotten to do the Turkey. The poor Turkey (might I add it was just a piece of paper) was lying somewhere. My mind rushed and whirled to remember where I had put that Turkey. In the office? Maybe. On the washing machine (yes, I know a strange place to put a Turkey...but it becomes the resting place for lots of things as we walk in the door)? Hum, don't think so. Trash? Very likely.

Come on, admit it. You have piles too. Piles of stuff from your kids that you just really don't know what to do with. Wade says I am the queen of piles, but truth be told.....all moms do this. We have to have piles to survive. Especially if you have kids are in any form of school. The amount of dead trees, in the form of paper, that comes home is unreal.

I took a deep breath. Look the teacher in the eye. Tried to remember that I was the mother here, not the student. And proclaimed, "We forgot to do the Turkey". Didn't even mention that I wasn't sure what to do with the Turkey.

The teacher looked at Maddie and said, "Why didn't you do the Turkey." My sensitive pleasing daughter burst into tears.

May I point out again that it was just an outline of a Turkey on a piece of paper. Couldn't she have colored it quickly at school? Couldn't we have just brought it in on Wednesday? When I was teaching, I had kids forget things all the time. It really isn't worth upsetting a kid (unless they repeatedly didn't do their homework or a major project) for a piece of paper.

I told the teacher (gulp again) that it was all my fault. I was the one who forgot the (wanted to add the word stupid, but didn't) Turkey.

"Well, hump. What are we going to do about that?" said teacher? "Um, bring it in on Wednesday" I said meekly.

We finally agreed that we would bring the decorated, with things from home, Turkey (hum, finally figured out what we were suppose to do with the thing) on the following school day. Finally calmed an upset Maddie down with promises of making the best Turkey ever when she came home. And left.

I realized when I got the car that I was shaking. I am 29 years old. A mother of 2. And I was shaking because I got into trouble with a preschool teacher. Things aren't looking good for me in elementary school, are they?

End of the story, Maddie and I made the best Turkey ever. Oh yea, take that preschool. We decorated her Turkey with scraps leftover fabric. Fabric that I had used to make her jumpers, diaper bags for her and Sam, and things of that nature. She knew where every piece of fabric came from. We even gave our Turkey a bow. A bow from the left over ribbon my mom had used to make Maddie a wreath for her room. Because you know, we have to put a little Southern flair on everything.

Wednesday came and the Turkey went to school. All the Turkey is doing now to gracing the wall of the classroom. If you weren't looking for the Turkey you would never know it was there. You would never miss it even if it were.....say forgotten to be placed there.