If You Want to Win Mother of the Year...

you should not forget the following pertinent items:

1.It's picture day at your 7 yr. old's elementary school (this is especially true if you work at your 7 yr. old's elementary school). If you do happen to forget this, I would recommend having a friend or relative break into your home and bring another outfit for your child. This would be easier than dealing with the crying fit your child is sure to have due to their extreme embarrassment.

2.Do not send a liquidy food for your 7 yr old's lunch unless you plan to make personal arrangements with the teacher for a place to put the lunchbox containing said food. Otherwise, your child is likely to "freak out" because the lunchbox will surely not stand upright in the bottom of their cubby. And don't even suggest that your child talk to the teacher about a more appropriate place to put the lunchbox. This is highly unacceptable.

If, however, you already acknowledge that you will not be the mother of the year, don't worry about it. In my case, I already knew this fact, but for some bizarre reason, I still tried to console him about the fact that he was wearing a "regular" outfit on picture day. I stopped trying when I saw how adorable his best buddy looked in his khaki pants and sweater vest. I did manage to explain the spaghettios situation to his very understanding teacher and she was more than happy to accommodate his lunchbox needs for the day.