Some of you thought I deserved Mother of the Year for letting my girls play hooky from school Monday. Heck, if I knew that’s all it took to be a Good Mom in your eyes, I’d share my “successes” more often.

Like today (Tuesday) for example. Livi came in the door from the bus stop and the first words out of her mouth–”Were you home all day? Because I forgot my lunch! I tried to call you five times and you never answered! I had to borrow money!”

Well.

I have plenty of excuses. No, I wasn’t home all day. I was gone for an hour. Of course, it wasn’t the hour she tried to call. I was here then. Nina even tried to answer the phone, and I told her, “Just let it ring. No one calls our home phone unless they want our money. Money that a.) I realize is overdue but I will give them as soon as we get a check in the mail or b.) I will never give them, because I can only support so many charitable causes at one time, and frankly, theirs isn’t that high on my priority list.”

I didn’t actually say all that to my three-year-old, but it was implied.

And no, we don’t have caller ID. And no we don’t have an answering machine. And yes, my daughter now has my cell phone number memorized. Thank you.

And you might still want to nominate me for MOTY, because the ravioli my daughter ate at school? Was the first school lunch she has eaten in her four years of public school. That’s right. I may not answer my phone when my children are in need, but they go to school with lovingly packed lunches (or leave them by the coat rack on their way to the bus).

And I’m really dreading tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon when I pick the girls up 2 hours early from school so I can drop them off at their grandparents’ and drive to a speaking engagement in Maumee. Hooky twice in one week is pushing it.

Speaking of, you’re still invited to Unsolved Mysteries: The Case of the Opposite Sex at First Presbyterian Church of Maumee (OH) at 7:00 p.m. (10.21.09)

And I’m scheduled to do a live interview at 8:30ish a.m. (Wednesday) on YES FM (Toledo) if you want to listen in.

And because I’m a little picture-crazy this week, here are some more. The caramel-skinned beauty isn’t mine. She’s our neighbor. I’d adopt her in a heartbeat, because she’s one of the sweetest 10-year-old girls I’ve ever met. But she has a perfectly lovely family of her own and probably wants to stay with them. If she ever changes her mind though…

Stay tuned tomorrow for highlights of my Opposite Sex Talk AND a chance to win a fabulous prize! Have a great day, friends!