“Oh my ….. Daaaaaaad. I’ve forgotten some homework.”

A shout at 7.00am to send shivers through every parent.

“Forgotten French. We have five online tests to complete. It’s due first lesson today. SORRY. ”

Any thoughts of a calm relaxing morning had just been torpedoed. The normal carefully mapped out pre school routine replaced with an hour of panic and a rush to answer 60 questions. A stable routine is so important for most kids on the spectrum. Well not here today…

As Son later described the scene. A Dad whose French skills are very sketchy. His French skills apparently heavily weighted towards buying alcohol – not much use in school homework. And a kid who is even more dyslexic in French.

“Dad it was like the script for Dumb and Dumber 2″

After 30 minutes of mayhem I ordered Son to grab some breakfast.

“Can’t find the cornflakes Dad can I have some biscuits and an apple.”

“Son if it’s food then I really don’t care…”

Then I shouted out the questions and typed up the replies from our son. Finally five minutes after we normally leave we finished the last question. A mad scramble to get the school uniform on. He struggles with knots so I have to do his school tie. Today that skill deserted me. Now we are seriously behind schedule. Fingers crossed for clear country lanes. So today we get stuck behind the driver who clearly learned to drive in either a milk float or Sinclair C5. A driver whose instructor had taught them that the best racing line was straight down the middle of the road so no bugger can overtake. A driver who today was heading all the way to school.

Somehow I managed to get him into school with seconds to spare. Problem was that now I was late for a works meeting. In the carnage I had not managed a drink or a visit to the toilet this morning. No time to brush my teeth. Wearing yesterday’s clothes. So I arrived looking totally disheveled, in real need of a drink and the toilet. Guess what. The water was cut off at work due to emergency repair work. So no drink and NO TOILET…. It felt like the longest meeting ever.

Ninety minutes later I’m running into a petrol station like Usain Bolt. The one toilet was engaged. You couldn’t make this up. Ten further painful minutes later – RELIEF. Unfortunately in the breakfast chaos I had left my wallet at the house. So no money. So no drink. Not good when you looking at row upon row of drink heaven. So another thirty minutes before the first drink of the day.

Yes it was a chaotic morning. Simply forgetting a piece of homework had a knock on effect for the next few hours. Got to keep it in perspective though. So many people are truly suffering and this was at worst just mildly annoying. I can smile about it. I did eventually get a nice run with some gloriously moody views. And I expanded my French vocabulary.

Je vous souhaite une bonne journee.

106 thoughts on “Knock on effects”

  5. Yep… I had about 3 days like that… nothing catastrophic, just one dag-nabbit thing after another. I’m glad you got a run in and didnt injure yourself in the process.
    My 3 years of French are so far in the past… If I had been smart, i would have taken the other language offered, Spanish. I might’ve gotten some use from that🤦‍♀️
    💌

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    1. Yes my French has become a bit dusty. My partner was so good at languages that I would let her get on with it. On those sleepless nights started doing a few minutes on German again. One of my friends I went to footy with has been doing Spanish evening lessons for years now. He wants to emigrate there. x

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      1. I dont know if I’ll ever make it to Spain, but less than an hour drive I can be in Mexico. Spanish would be more useful.
        Ah, but I had teenage girl dreams of running off to France and meeting a very sophisticated French guy and having a mad love affair… didn’t really work out that way😂😂 I didnt even go to Quebec when I went to Canada🤷🏼‍♀️ Quel dommage!

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      3. I’ve been to Mexico a bunch of times. As a kid, in my teens to hit the clubs (I started enjoying margaritas with my mom & stepdad in TJ when I was 15). I haven’t been down there in a long time. I dont do well with long car rides or standing in line and the wait to cross back into the US can be three hours or longer.

        I may yet use my barely remembered French, you’re right. We never know…or poached fish😉💌

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  13. Oh my goodness! I had that with Declan here – he waits until the last minute to do a math worksheet he gets on Monday. So Friday morning we are scrambling to get a math worksheet done and him (and me) to stay calm. Thankfully it was stuff like “longer than” or “shorter than” but still. But that was it for me! You had quite a busy (and I’m sorry – amusing) morning after that!

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      1. Eh – okay. Getting my morning runs in still, my heart just isn’t in it as much. There are races coming up that I usually run every year but I just don’t have the heart to do them the way I like to do them. How’s your running going?

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      3. I don’t know – just tired. I notice that when I take a day off my next run is so much better. I just think the every day thing is starting to become a burden. I should just decrease days and increase mileage on the days I do run. easier said than done with my crazy head.

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  20. First off (because it’s what I saw first) that photo is absolutely gorgeous. Is it one you captured?

    Second of all: Missed home work is every parent’s nightmare.

    Third of all (and here the numbering stops, cuz, let’s face it, it’s becoming annoying) I love how you take a day that sounds absolutely awful and find the funny in it. You, sir, must be well on the way to sainthood by now – you seem to overcome the trials and tribulations the you turn and give it that digital salute we are all familiar with. Good on ya.

    Oh, and by the way, thanks for including the french phrase. I googled it for translation (my french is next to nonexistent) …I wish you bonne nuit!

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  21. While this was hours of genuine chaos, and while my heart goes out to you and son … I have a confession to make. For the first time all week, I laughed uproariously! I’m thinking you should write a book, which could easily be turned into a movie … too bad Abbot and Costello are both dead! That said … I really do have the greatest empathy … now it is the weekend, so relax … take your son hiking somewhere (Yorkshire weather permitting), else make popcorn and watch some Scooby Doo!

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      1. A new project! That sounds exciting! I’m so glad at least the first part of your weekend went well. I know exams week will be a tough one … fingers crossed that it won’t be as bad as you anticipate.

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  23. And you know, this sounds absolutely, totally normal for a parent with a school kid. Someone’s bound to forget some homework–or a school shirt, like Blondie the other week. I was already at a school, but Bo was only a few minutes from home when she called him from the school. “So I was supposed to wear my shirt for a photo today…” Ah well. We trudge on and survive, right?

    So sorry my comments come so few and far between. The past week was a beast–not bad, just TONS of work. We soldier on, for we must. At least the kids give us plenty of reasons to smile, right? 🙂 Hugs to you both! xxxxxxxx

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  24. I am surprised that your place of work even let you in if there was no water. Legally aren’t they obliged to send you all home?

    Louis Catorze would have been happy to help with the French. He is bilingual and knows how to annoy me in two languages. 🇫🇷

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  29. This is why I carry a purse. Wallet always with me. LOL.

    You need lists. Like I make lists? and then I have to make a list of where I leave my lists…because invariably…when I get to the store? My list is on the counter at home and NOT in my purse.

    *facepalms*

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