Humble Pie Before Breakfast

There are certain inevitable laws that govern the universe, one of which is she who boasts publically about her little mommy victories, even if they only come once a year, shall surely eat her words before breakfast.

This morning, for the first time in 4 weeks, I stood in my daughter's doorway, blinking and rubbing my eyes to make sure I wasn't seeing things. She had gone to school without making her bed.

This startling discovery came on the tail of an earlier realization. A 5:00 am realization. I stumbled upon it completely by accident as I was gathering laundry from the hamper in the boys room. I happened to glance to the left. Son #1's bed was empty . . . and made. I glanced to the right and up. Son #2's bed . . . empty . . . made. I glanced down . . . where they slept . . . all three of them, piled onto one bed. Son #3's bed. The bed that never gets made!

I have been duped by my own offspring.

And then came the clincher. My husband pulled me aside before he went to work.

I need to show you something, he said. I braced myself. He spoke slowly as he led me to their bathroom.

This is why there are no towels on the kids floor anymore. This is why the towel rack in our bathroom now holds only beach towels and car wash towels.

And there they were, every towel in the house, in a heaping pile behind the bathroom door.

It's obviously September.