At Cross Purposes

This year,

after the swim season was over,

I was d.e.t.e.r.m.i.n.e.d to make it to the

end-of-the year swim banquet and awards ceremony.

McKay has swum for three years for the high school.

Last year as a sophomore he received the award for 

"Most Valuable" male swimmer on the team.

and we WERE NOT there to see him get it.

They sent the plaque home with him on some other random day.

(and he didn't tell me about it, I discovered it laying around in his bedroom)

In reality, I don't remember ever hearing about the awards ceremony.

So this year I made it a point to find out about it and GO.

An e-mail came (did one come last year????) and I quickly put it on my calendar.

Lincoln had something else,

and so we decided to divide and conquer and I'd go with McKay.

The day came and

I went shopping that morning in order to have fresh ingredients 

for the "covered-dish" as they call it here,

that I was to take to the banquet.

I waited until the last minute to start making it,

(also had made arrangements with my piano lessons 

to leave a little early from my last lesson of the day in order to make it on time to the ceremony)

I was in the throws of making the "covered-dish" when McKay got home from school.

"I need to be to the church by 6" he stated.

WHAT? I thought?

Me:  "You aren't going to church tonight, McKay."

Him:  "Yes I am."

Me:  "You have a swim awards ceremony tonight at 6"

Him:  "I'm not going to that"

Me:  "Yes you are"

Then he goes on to explain why he is so excited about his church activity.

All of the sudden it occurs to me . . . . . and I say to myself:

self:  "can you believe you are trying to talk your son out of going to church?"

and I gave in.

MAN, I wanted to go to that awards banquet!!!!!

I'm still mourning it.

The moral to the story:

Have calendaring sessions with your children.

Moral two:

Just when you THINK you know what is important to your teenager,

you are probably WRONG!!!!