Ben is suffering from TBDS -- Teenage Brain Deficit Syndrome. I've heard this is caused by hormones, which is the same excuse they give for women with PMS or "of a certain age". Symptoms include memory loss, apathy, procrastination and overabundance of sleep (during the day). I know this sounds like every day in a teenager's life but it has been getting worse, I swear.
My plans for the day included driving my husband to work and going to the gym. Ben had a doctor's appointment but he couldn't remember what time he had booked it for. Since he forgot to call and confirm when the office was open last week, we had to call as soon as possible this morning. We finally got through to the doctor's office at 9:50. His appointment was at 10. So, I passed on breakfast, pulled on the first set of clothes I could find, jumped in the car and took off for his school -- leaving my husband to text Ben and have him meet me at the front of the school.
Of course, when I got to the school, Ben was nowhere to be found. I went to the office to have him paged since I knew he had a spare. No luck. I checked the cafeteria (which is about the most embarrassing thing you can do to your kid). Still no luck. Finally, in frustration, I texted him which got a response. Let's face it, phone calls are a thing of the past. Today if you can't text, you'll never get in touch with your child. Luckily, the doctor still saw him and I got him back to school before his lunch (something a teenage boy hates to miss).
I got home in time to inhale some fruit and fibre then I had to arrange to meet my mother-in-law. Last week was March Break, a fact that was reinforced by the lack of traffic on major highways and an abundance of bored young people whose parents couldn't afford to go to Florida. On Sunday, the last possible day for procrastinators to put things off, Ben decided to work on his assignments. (Teachers can't tell me they don't know this will happen. If they don't, they either don't have kids of their own or they're delusional.) However, it was also my husband's birthday so we went to my mother-in-law's house in Toronto (about an hour south of my home) for a celebratory dinner. Ben took his backpack with his homework and a change of clothes (we picked him up from work).
A few hours later, when we arrived home, my husband mentioned that Ben's backpack wasn't in the car. After checking around, we realized he had left it, and all his schoolwork, in Toronto. Along with a pair of jeans with his wallet in them. So, after I dropped my husband off at his job, I booted down the highway to meet up with my MIL at a centrally located outlet mall. I mean, if you're going to be totally inconvenienced, you might as well shop. So much for the gym.
By the time I got home, it was 3:30 and, of course, Ben wasn't there. I managed to make and digest a salad before the inevitable phone call from my #2 son. He's at the library doing some research and can I come down and bring him his wallet? And then drop him off at St. John's (he's doing volunteer work as an Emergency First Responder)? What's a Mom to do? I mean, this is the reason I had children, isn't it?
Now, I'm waiting for him to call me for a ride home. I figure I have another 15 minutes of freedom. Oh, and that last-minute homework he was going to do in transit to/at my mother-in-law's house? He fell asleep. Teenage boys. Gotta love 'em.
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