And the Worst Mother of the Year Award Goes To...

ME!

I cannot believe I am going to tell this story so publicly because I am absolutely and completely ashamed with my mothering skills. But I want to warn you and caution you to pay attention so that you may learn from my mistakes.

THIS STORY IS NOT FOR THE WEAK STOMACHED! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Child Protective Services may come knocking on my door any minute...

So yesterday afternoon was extremely hectic. I had an assignment at the courthouse that I was positively sure would not take very long. I went ahead and asked a friend if Jonah could stay at her house a while in case I was not able to pick him up from the bus stop (that is at her house). I told her it should not be for very long, if at all since I was pretty sure I should be able to be back to get him shortly after the kids got off the bus. I made arrangements for my MIL to watch Nathan for me at her house. Well, of course, the assignment took 2 1/2 hours, much longer than I thought it would. I was rushing to get to my car but a train was sitting on the tracks and would not move and my car was on the other side of the tracks in the big open parking lot. I was finally able to get to my car and scrambled to get to my MIL's house. I had tried to get a hold of Raymond to see if he could leave work early and go ahead and get Jonah but he was swamped at work and does not respond to my frantic text messages. I called my friend to make sure it was okay that Jonah was still at her house and she said it was perfectly fine.

While I am at my MIL's, Raymond calls me on my cell phone and asks something like, "So would it be okay if I went to St. Louis next week for a conference?" Me- :blink: "Uh, what? Um.. I guess so? When exactly would you be gone?" (Note to any stalkers/predators- my husband is so not going to be out of town.)

After I get Nathan, we hurry over to my friend's house, who lives not too far from my house. By the time I get him, it is 5:30 pm, when I was sure I'd be there around 4 at the latest. My friend is very gracious and says not to even apologize at all and that the kids all played together nicely and had fun. I get the kids home only to realize that the overdue library books I had sitting on the front passenger seat of my car were still sitting there because I had forgotten to drop them off. Knowing our stupid library is closed Friday through Sunday and not wanting to rack up any more fees, I tell the kids who had just tried to get settled in the house that we had to go to the library to drop off the books. It is almost 6 pm, and Jonah is hungry and wants to eat one of the banana muffins I had made last week Friday. I tell him it's fine, so he and Nathan each grabbed one out of the ziplock bag I had sitting on the counter. I'm rushing to get them out the door so I tell them they can eat the muffins in the car. We drive the half mile to the library and when we are about to get out of the car, Jonah asks me if he can bring his muffin inside. Glancing at the "No food or drink" sign on the door of the library, I tell him no and that he should leave it in the car. I go around to get Nathan unbuckled from his car seat and take his half-eaten muffin and see it-

BIG HUGE MOLD SPOTS!

Oh my word. I almost gagged and immediately screamed, DON"T EAT THE MUFFINS! Of course both of the kids had already eaten almost half of them. I felt so sick and disgusted with myself. HOW COULD I LET MY KIDS EAT MOLDY FOOD?!

There was not a single trash can anywhere around the side entrance of the library so I throw the muffins in the car. I was so worried my kids were going to be sick, even though I had recently read that eating a little bit of moldy bread shouldn't harm you.

UGH!

We drop off my overdue books, pay the $3.75 fine and drive through Little Caesar's (yes, our local one has a pick up window, it's really convenient) to pick up a pepperoni pizza for dinner since I am now completely exhausted and cannot bear to even think of making something for dinner. We get home, have dinner and collapse for the rest of the night.

And yes... I took a picture of the muffins once we got home. Why? I have no idea. I know it is crazy to share this disgusting story and I do not blame you if you think less of me. I do!

I even woke up during the night last night and remembered these stupid moldy muffins and worried that my kids might be sick. I started feeling sick just thinking about eating one of those nasty things. It would serve me right if they did get sick.

Thankfully, my boys have been totally fine and do not seem any worse for the wear after eating such abominations.

I, however, think I need some psychiatric help because I am sure I have somehow traumatized them (or maybe it is just me that has been traumatized!)