Tardy?

Tomorrow is National Be Late for Something Day! I've been practicing for it all year long so I'm sure I'll be prepared. I am late for everything and I don't know why. I could blame having kids but I'm sure my family will tell you I was always late before children and will continue to be late when they no longer live in my home. Here is my only defense. I have no real spatial sense. I am a really, really, really bad judge of time and distance. For instance, when I used to give directions to my house, I would say the turn was about 3 miles from the main road. It's about 1/4 mile. I think it takes "ten minutes" to get pretty much anywhere and that is not at all true. I don't mean to do it. I know it's a bit disrespectful to leave people waiting and I would never intentionally make someone wait for me. I just think I have more time than I actually do. I think 30 minutes gives me time to shower, dress, check my e-mail, have a cup of tea, walk the dog and get the kids ready to leave. And then, when I'm ready and they're sitting on the couch watching Hannah or Zack and Cody, I get all flustered and rush them to throw on clothes and brush their teeth and hair. Today, I was mentioning to my oldest daughter that her bus will pick her up at 8:29 a.m. this year instead of 8:27 like it did last year and my sister laughed and said "Oh, that means she'll only be tardy 18 times instead of 23!" What? I beg your pardon! My child was not tardy 23 times last year. It was only like 12 or something! When I was growing up (and she still does it to this day!) my mom would set the clocks in our house to be a few minutes fast. I swear, I never knew the exact time unless I called that number to get the time and temperature. (Remember now, this was back in the days before cell phones and computer clocks). Maybe she knew something I didn't. Maybe by making the clocks fast, she was helping me get places on time! It probably backfired though, because I always thought I had extra time and would hit the snooze button. Um, yes, I must say I was tardy quite often in my school career. It was only a five minute walk and I was late 2 days out of 5 at least! So, maybe I can change my stripes this school year. Maybe, I will lay my daughter's clothes out the night before and pray she will not fight with me in the morning. Maybe she will brush her hair and teeth without argument. Maybe she will not spill anything on her shirt and have to change her outfit. Maybe she won't want to watch TV in the morning. Maybe she will never miss the bus. It could happen. Don't count me out! And tomorrow, I will try to be on time for something - I promise.