So Frustrated

Ugh. Hannah. Hannah and her friends are always planning little get togethers, and I made a big mess of today's plan. Yesterday, after volleyball, when I picked up Hannah and our neighbor Kate, they wanted to ride the bus to the library with their friend, Beth, instead of coming home with me. I said - Not today, maybe another time, when Kate has a chance to talk to her mom.

When they got home from school Kate talked to her mom, and she said they could ride to the library after school with Beth on Friday (today,) then sleep over at Kate's house. So Hannah and I scrounged around for a dollar in change so that she could ride the bus, and I asked her - Who is bringing you home? I am the afternoon driver in our carpool, but I didn't know if Beth's mom would bring them home because she works near there and that is why Beth rides the bus there after school, or if Kate's mom would bring them home because she is hosting the sleep-over and this library trip seemed to be part of the sleep-over. Hannah didn't know what the plan was, but she said she thought Kate's mom would be picking them up. I gave Hannah change and told her to talk to Kate's mom in the morning, and call me if I was supposed to pick them up. Is that too confusing? Apparently.

Part of the problem here is that I didn't know what time they would be at the library. So I worried about it a little, and I thought the library closed at 5pm on Fridays. I decided to go check at the library at about 4:45 to see if they were still there and if they needed a ride home - I also had a movie, Bend it Like Beckam, on hold. I took John, and we walked up to the Youth Section and looked all around. I did not see the girls, so I checked out the movie - which turned out to be a book based on the screen play? Frustrating! (The librarian special ordered that for me - how did we end up with a fake book?)

John walked on the cement boarder at the front of the library for a while before we left. Since I was out and about, I decided I had better pick up milk and eggs, so we headed to Sam's Club.

I got home just after 6pm and Nathan was leaving. I drove up the street after him and he was MAD! He asked if I had the girls - no. He asked where I was...the girls waited for a half hour in front of the library for me, and then started calling moms, who started calling Nathan. Nathan just told them that I was headed to the library to pick up the girls. But I did not pick them up, and the moms kept calling him. Poor Nathan.

Beth has a cell phone and called her mom. Apparently her mom had no idea that the girls were heading to the library (though her daughter goes there after school each day) she thought I was picking them up from school. Kate's mom also thought I was picking up the girls from the library.

Why am I such a loser? Now all these mom's know how scatterbrained and crazy I am. Why did I think Hannah was capable of discussing this with Kate's mom? I don't know why the girls didn't call me on the cell phone or on the pay phone. I don't know where the girls were waiting, but it was not at the front of the library. I am really upset with Hannah, but it isn't really her fault. Nathan is upset with me, but I don't think it was really my fault either. ieeeeee.

When I came in with the groceries there was a message from Kate's mom that they were home and going to run an errand. Beth's mom picked them up and took them to Courtney's house.

Why didn't Hannah come home to gather her things? Kate lives just behind us. I am still frustrated and typing about this hasn't made me feel any better. I think maybe no more adventures and no more sleep-overs for a while.

Hannah's last failed adventure was the day she and Kate rode their bikes to school. Hannah crashed as she was leaving the school and hurt her hand badly. Kate was told to go ahead and go home, but Kate didn't really know the way, and got lost. Kate and Hannah are not a very good team.

*Update - talked to the other moms, sounds like there was mass confusion and frustration all the way around. The girls are safe and at Kate's house. Hopefully I have learned my lesson about talking to parents rather than relying on the girls. The more I think about this saga, the more grateful I am that they are home and safe - what was I thinking allowing Hannah to ride the bus with no experience? - it is a small miracle that they made it to the library.