"Could you" mom

As I was driving home yesterday the "could you" mom stopped me in the street. I have named her the "could you" mom because every time I see or talk to her she is asking me,"Could you pick up my daughter from school and keep her for 12 hours?" During soccer season she would offer to switch off watching the little ones, so that we would each get a chance to see the game. Unfortunately my turn would last for 45 minutes and hers would last five. At one soccer practice, she asked that I watch her son because her baby was sleeping in the car. Sure. All of a sudden the skies opened up and it began pouring. There I was with four kids, in the rain trying to get every one's stuff together and get to the cars. She was asleep in the van. Warm and dry.

She has stopped me driving down the street, called me 15 minutes before the end of school and while I'm on the way home to ask me "could you." Anyhoo, yesterday she asked if we could have a play date. Because her home is under construction it means, "Could you watch my kids for a couple of hours?" Sure. Well, she just dropped them off and her son who is C's age wasn't at the door. She said that she wasn't sure if he could play because he has been using a bad word. She whispered the word to me. I was expecting it to be truly offensive. The kid said poopy. And she let me know that her neighbor's kid taught him that word. This kid needs an education on words to really freak her out and maybe the "could you" mom would find another sucker.

I told her that I would walk the kids home at 3:30, since I have my class tonight. She let me know that she was going to be out and she'd be back to get them. "Don't worry Shannon, I'll pick them up. You don't need to put yourself out. I'll try to be here by 3:30ish." I could feel the blood boiling. In my nicest smiling high octave voice I said,"No, no. I will bring them home at 3:30. It's no problem." I will bring them home at 3:30 and leave them on the doorstep at 3:30. I'll also say poopy all the way home....