The Accident

I dropped Mary off at preschool at 11:45, just like any other preschool day. Around 1:00, I was home, getting Sam down for a nap when my phone rang. It was Mary's teacher. I immediately thought..."oh no, Mary fell of the monkey bars and broke her arm." All sorts of things ran though my mind when I answered. Her teacher told me that Mary had had an accident. Again, in my mind, I was thinking of all sorts of blood and broken bones.
Her teacher proceeded to tell me that Mary had wet her pants so badly that her shoes were even soaked!!!! I was so excited that Mary wasn't hurt, that I was almost glad to hear that she had only peed her pants...until the teacher further explained.
Mary always carries a change of clothes in her backpack (teachers orders to all the kids), but this day her show and tell was so big, she had to take the clothes out to fit her show and tell in. I figured it wasn't a big deal, because Mary hasn't had an "accident" in months! oops
The teacher told me that she gave Mary a change of clothes, but that Mary was in the bathroom crying and wouldn't come out. All of my relief that she wasn't hurt vanished, and I immediately wanted to get to my little sad girl. I felt so bad for her.
I grabbed some clothes and shoes for her and raced out the door. When I got to the preschool, I could hear Mary sniffling in the bathroom and my heart broke. I walked in there and there was Mary dressed in these HUGE poofy army pants, crazy yellow pannies and these clunker pink clogs that were three sizes too big for her feet. Her little eyes were all red and swollen and she looked at me and said. "My pants are way to poofy, and I don't match." I about bit my tongue off trying not to laugh.
She wasn't embarrassed that she had wet her pants....she was humiliated that she didn't match! HAHAHAHA Oh man, she is so dang cute.
I got her own clothes and shoes on her, and her kind teacher told the kids that Mary had just sat in water...and it ended well. We discovered that Mary wanted so desperately to finish her art project that she figured going to the bathroom could wait. Apparently, the bathroom couldn't wait. ;)
Mary went running back out to join the kids and all was forgotten.
Moments like these remind me how much my kids really do depend on me for support and emotional peace sometimes. It was a good reminder to me to make sure my kids can feel my love for them and to make sure I am the kind of mother that they can turn to for comfort and help. The relief in her eyes when she saw that I was there was priceless. I could tell that she knew everything would be o.k. I hope I can always be there for my kids and provide them the comfort they need when they are struggling, even if it is because they just don't match.