The One With the Puffy Heart

So I finally got it. And well before Valentine's Day. I got the Puffy Heart. No - not from Tiffany. The one I got did not come in a pretty box. It didn't come to me in the form of a gift. It will , however, be one I save forever.

My Puffy Heart came to me in the form of an apology. The oldest one called me "the worst mother in the whole world". Words that sting worse than being called the 'c' word.

Backstory: Every Monday, Emily comes home from school with what her teacher calls The Goldminer chart . Basically, this is a behavior chart filled with clever acronyms that describe the student's behavior like following directions, turning in homework, being attentive etc...Emily usually receives very good to excellent ratings on said chart. She is diligent about homework, citizenship, and all the rest. But last week, for some reason - her Goldmine was barren. Apparantly she forgot to turn in several assignments, and had some issues with talking in class during lessons. Or something like that.

When asked (by me) what homework assignments she told me she turned in (and apparantly did not ) she couldn't recollect. So she's sitting with her afterschool snack (the norm around here) and the comics (also the norm) and getting the third degree from me...my ire was growing because she was more into the latest installment of 'Leo' in the paper than she was into our conversation. And then she let 'er rip.

Me: "Em...it is really important that when you say you did something like turning in homework, that you actually do it. What assignments did you turn in late or not at all?"

Her: {chew, chew, slurp} I don't remember.

Me: "The reason you have your agenda book is to write down assignments and due dates for things - not just to doodle and get the latest joke of the day"

Her: {slurp, swallow} " I don't remember..If I knew, then I would remember!"

Me: {voice rising} "Dude, you remember everything you ate from age 2 through 9 and every episode of the 'Suite Life of Hannah Montana' and you can' t remember to write down your homework? Maybe you have too many things in your life to remember....too much soccer, softball, hip hop, huh? Maybe I won't remember to drive you to those things"

Her: {crumpling up newspaper} "Fine! You're the worst mother in the world! I don't have to be perfect all the time!"

Me: "You have no idea what a worst mother in the world is, kiddo..."

She stomps upstairs. Slams door.{sound familiar mom?} And upon my orders ...does homework and doesn't come out until about 1 1/2 hour later. With this:


{you gotta enlarge this to get the full read}
My Puffy Heart apology. In a homemade envelope with a To: mommy and a From: ??? (like I didn't know from whom it came) simply stating that I am not the worst mother in the world, I do everything for the girls, and color coded Puffy Heart mood indicator (this one is orange for 'okay'). And, my favorite line ever...." And, hey, we all are a pain in the ass sometimes"

True dat.

I Puffy Heart that kid...I am she and she is me and we are all together...

Waay back story - when I was about 9 or 10, I was really pissed at my brother and sister for something and scribbled "fuck you Robert and Stacy , I hate you" on that piece of paper and threw it away..or so I thought - My mom found it and asked if I wrote the note. I, of course, denied it..before I realized that bro and sis would not write such loathing about themselves and I was the only kid left in the house who would. I Puffy Hearted them, and had to write it 100 times on a piece of paper as part of the punishment. Thank god there was no internet or blogs back then....