lessons in responsibility....

Funny this responsibility thing....

My daughter has gotten a few life lessons packed into one week in her 10 year old life recently. She asked me through her tears, "How do you do it?" Boy, if I had answered her question honestly...she might still be hiding under the covers never to see the light of day again.

The first came with her ski club. Thank you God (and AT & T) for her cell phone.

"Mom!...I can't find any of the other kids!"
"Are you in the main building?...okay, face towards the women's bathroom and go all the way to the left to the end of the building....", I replied.
"But, that's the cafeteria!!!"
"No...walk AWAY from the french fries to the other end of the building...."

This began our virtual tour of the rental area where she was able to find her posse. They got separated because my daughter has her own equipment, thanks to Santa and her father. We had actually had a long discussion about responsibility, taking care of your belongings and where to store everything while she was there. Normally when we go skiing, either her father or I take care of the 'stuff'. This was her first time...alone. I had mentioned to the chaperons that she would be by herself this time (recent visits with ski club either her dad, myself or both had driven down just to make sure....). But they have so many other things to worry about with 2 full tour buses of kids from the school...watching out for Boo's stuff isn't high on the priority list.

So she found her friends and had a great night skiing. Loaded with $20.00, I'm sure that they had enough hot chocolate and french fries to last them for awhile. She called when on her way home to tell me about the night. Right before they were to arrive back at school, she called and in tears this time...

"Mom?....don't be mad. I forgot my skis...."
"What? I thought we talked about this!!"
"I know...I just....forgot."

What are you going to do? They've already been left. She feels pretty bad about it. Beat her up more about the responsibility thing? Punish her? She's a pretty sensitive kid....she'll beat herself up plenty on her own. And in her defense, hell...I have a hard time keeping track of my own gear while out on the slopes. Can you imagine a 10 year old? She's even got the helmet to worry about as well! But I'm NOT buying another pair of skis....at least she managed to bring her boots and helmet back. Those are more important.

Two days later, she left the door open on her hamster cage. Butterscotch was missing. Again, the responsibility talk...this time with "live animal your job cats dogs waiting to eat it" talk added in. Now that it's not an inanimate object but a real, live, breathing thing. She realizes that the other animals in the house could/will/and probably have already eaten this poor furry thing has brought my daughter to tears large enough to fill a pitcher in a matter of moments.

Now the good news on both of these incidents is that we were able to find the hamster (darn thing practically RAN towards us to get food) and the skis that had gone missing have miraculously reappeared after we filed a police report. Go figure.

My daughters response? "I prayed on it mommy and look what happened!" Wow...and she's been at Catholic School now for only 6 months. Maybe I should place more faith in the prayer chain....

Maybe I could find that diamond earring I lost or that one Burberry shoe that went 'poof'! Maybe that bundle of fifties that I keep looking for might show itself as well.

Ah, if only I could only be so lucky....
I guess I'll just keep looking.

:-)

FYI....the hamsters have gone missing, again. Yikes. Still have the skis.