“Where did you learn how to do that?” was a question frequently uttered around our house. If sent in my direction, the answer was generally the same…”Mom School!”
It was the question that was asked after I stayed up all night designing, creating and hand sewing an outfit for a fifth grade play – all out of thin air. I don’t sew. I pulled together scraps I didn’t know we had and in the end, she had the costume of her dreams.
The same query would come when I’d figure out a quick fix usually with a wire hanger, duct tape and bubble gum to something that was broken. I don’t even know when I first let that answer tumbled out of my mouth. Somewhere along the line, probably around Jr. High, they figured out that there was NO such thing – I didn’t really have a Ph.D. from such an institute of higher learning.
But the years on the job have taught me a thing or two. I did pull that washing machine out yet AGAIN this week, change out the drain hose and now I can actually do a super-sized load without the water draining out of the tub while it is filling up. Things I learned in Mom School.
So this last weekend I had to do refresher course to keep my certification current. I’d been asked by Shop Girl if I wanted to accompany them to a Friends & Family Infant CPR class put on by the local hospital. It was all useful information to be sure and hopefully we’ll never have to use it.
The next morning, falling prey to the incredible nesting instinct raging through her body, all 10 thousand pounds of baby clothes, sheets, burp clothes and anything remotely coming close to touching the Awaited – HAD to be WASHED NOW. Not a bad plan as she’s officially considered full-term in a few days.
As a mounting pile of warm things sprouted out of the couch, Shop Girl uttered a simple question…”How do I fold these fitted sheets so they are neat?” I couldn’t explain it – I just had to do it. Hands in long corners, hands together, fold this one over that one, double this, flip that – done. Neat little square. She tried to imitate it and without much success the first time or two she screamed, “How did you learn this??” and I couldn’t help but give my standard answer – “Mom School”.
1eyedmonkee 