Growing Up

I don't know if I can handle the kids getting older. It might just be more than I can take. For example, every night I go through the kids' back packs and take out all the old papers and make sure there aren't any notes I need to read. Simple enough, right? Wrong!!! Every time I go through Riley's bag I remove exactly the wrong papers. Here is a conversation we had the Friday before Spring Break.

Riley: Did you go through my bag last night?

Me: Yes.

Riley: Did you see my homework?

Me: I don't think so.

Riley: My homework was in my bag and I haven't finished it yet. I need to turn it in when we go back to school.

Me: Well, I saw some blank pages but I thought they were just practice stuff so I threw them away.

Riley: You threw them away? You threw my homework away!?

Me: I guess so.

Riley: Great! You need to write a note to my teacher and explain to her that you just went crazy and threw away my homework!!!

Me: Okay.

I didn't write the note because it was Spring Break. No one is going to remember and in fact, it was never mentioned again.

This morning was a similar conversation.

Riley: Did you go through my bag?

Me: Not yesterday, but I did Sunday I think.

Riley: Did you see my practice am.

Me: I don't even know what that is.

Riley: It's a worksheet and it says practice at the top. I need it.

Me: The only papers I took out were graded ones.

He looks at me, exasperated. "It would have had a grade on it. I need it so I can scan it!"

"When do you need it?"

"Right now!"

"Right now you need it?"

"Well, by tomorrow at the latest."

"Okay."

I just don't think I'm very good at this.