There's a late slip in my pants pocket.

I was never late to school when I was a little girl.  Not once.  I always felt sorry for the little kids that sort of tip-toed into class during the Pledge of Allegiance with their heels hanging out of the backs of their sneakers and a cold piece of toast in their hand.  Their hair, as I recall, usually bore a striking resemblance to Albert Einstein's after a night of clubbing with his homies.  Sad.  I always felt bad that they had to face the firing squad made up of the judgey front desk attendance lady and a teacher that could put that kind of stuff down on your permanent record, or worse - put your name on the board... especially since I assumed it was their loser parent's fault.  I mean, what 6 year old gets themself to school?

Well parents of the Lockwood Elementary kindergarten class of 1980, I apologize.  Turns out, those little juvenile deliquents earned every one of those little pink tardy slips all on their own.  

When my husband left the house at 7:59 this morning to take my son the .8 miles to school the timeline should've gone something like this:

8:04 arrive at school

8:06 arrive in cafeteria where Mrs.P is waiting to greet you in all of her kindergarten teacher        glory; talk Star Wars and Legos with best friend M.

8:15  walk to class in one straight line - no talking, no pushing, no spitting  (I made that last one  up, but I cannot believe that it wouldn't be part of the rules)

8:20  start class... on time... responsibly... making your parents look good

Instead it went something like this:

8:04    arrive at school

8:06    walk through the doors of the school

8:06a  turn head for one last look at Dad driving away, notice huge snowflakes that look               exactly like fluffy cotton balls 

8:06b   wonder if it is possible to catch those huge, fluffy, cotton ball snowflakes on tongue

8:07    turn body and walk back outside

8:10    catch snowflakes on tongue

8:15    catch snowflakes on tongue

8:20    catch snowflakes on tongue

8:25    catch snowflakes on tongue

8:27    be escorted back inside by a judgey front desk attendance lady that notices you out on         the lawn catching snowflakes on tongue (finally - hello?)

8:29   receive tardy slip

8:31   tip-toe into class during the Pledge of Allegiance... not on time... not making your parents    look good

So... after today my son's permanent record reads a little something like this:

Mack - tardy due to inclement weather and the complete inability to not be a little boy.

Good for him.