Joke's On Me

So Sam has to wear a badge to school. A photo ID, actually, on a lanyard. He's expected to wear it every day and when he doesn't, he's fined $1. If he loses the badge, a replacement costs $5. We've paid a few fees, and replaced a couple of badges, but I thought we had the problem solved when we had the brilliant idea to hang his badge on the doorknob, where you literally have to touch it as you walk out the door.

But some mornings are just hectic enough that it is still possible to forget the badge. Like today. It's Friday, it's free dress day, it's Valentine's Day, a three-day weekend. Between the backpacks and lunch boxes and valentine boxes and teacher gifts and valentines, Sam walked right out the door without the badge. But since I have to go out last (otherwise both doors would be left wide open), I grabbed it. My passive-aggressive plan was to get all the way to the bus stop and ask Sam, "Do you have your lunch? Your phone? Your homework? Your BADGE?" And when the wave of panic washed over him I would hold up the badge. A-HA!

So I dropped Abby off. She had a special bounce in her step this morning because VALENTINES! Then, I swung around the corner and dropped Sam at his van. Then, around the last corner to drop Jake off, halfway down the sidewalk so he could walk in with his friend.

I drove home, thinking about my day's checklist, pulled the car in the driveway and got out of the car. And what fell on the ground at my feet? Sam's badge. I'd left it in my lap.