Mission Impossible

(me) -Aric, here's your mission if you choose to accept it... make it home in time for Maya's first piano recital. I know you are in Seattle and you are stuck with an 8 o'clock arrival time, but if there is ANY way you can be at the school by 7 o'clock to be there for your eldest, who is by the way, being enrolled in a "shy kids" class at school (yeah that happened while you were gone), you will be a hero and it will erase all the resentment built up from you being gone all week. (yes I know you were working but it still sucks being a single parent!)


(aric) - I will do my best.

So 3:30pm rolls around...my cell phone rings (s.o.s by rhianna is my ring)

(aric) - I got the last stand by on the 5:30pm flight, it'll be close. Do Not tell Maya that I am going to be there just in case something happens.

(me) - Okay, sounds great. (thinking to myself, "what could possibly happen on a non stop flight from Seattle")

So I've got the girls fed, Maya is all practiced, both girls dressed to the nines and ready to go. We are walking out the door at 6:38pm when I hear Rhianna singing "s.o.s please someone help me...) yep my phone...

(aric) - I just blew out a tire!

(me) - What! You've got to be kidding me!

(aric) - uh, nope. I'm sitting here blah, blah, blah, blah, blah (he was actually saying important information I just wasn't hearing it.)

(me) - what are you going to do!? what do you want me to do?

(aric) - I have no idea. I guess I'll try to fix it.

Okay, A: it's like 10 degrees, B: I know he doesn't have any gloves, C: I know he can't change a tire and D: it's now 6:40pm! (I keep those thoughts to myself.)

(me, very calmly) - okay bye.

I don't want Maya to know what's going on, so I try to stay calm, but end up blurting out "YOU'RE DAD JUST GOT A FLAT TIRE AND HE PROBABLY WON'T BE AT THE RECITAL"

So once I got Maya situated at her recital. I called our MVP of the day, Mike Sampson, to go and rescue Aric from the side of the road. I told Maya's piano teacher to please move Maya to the end of the program.

My wonderful friend Amy, who happens to be married to the MVP, show up with flowers no less, (earlier I had asked her to bring them, but then cancelled the request when I realized I was going to need Mike to get Aric.)

Amy and I sit and attentively watch the clock as 30+ kids perform their songs. It's 7:45pm...there are only two performances left, one being Maya's. My brave little daughter stands up and recites her name and the name of her piece, then sits down and plays her precious little heart out with no mistakes. (I, of course have a lump in my throat, while I watch the door with the corner of my eye, and video tape this important memory) But wait! All is not lost... just as she sits down to listen to the last performance, her daddy walks in. She looks behind her, and there he was, as far as she knows he was there the whole time. Her smile was priceless, daddy did it.

Mission Accomplished!