Earth Day Made Me Buy Dental Floss

First, let me say that I think Earth Day is a great thing. I totally have planet love and am all about keeping it beautiful. At least, in theory, I am– and Earth Day serves as a fantastic reminder each year.

In celebration of Earth Day, everyone who walked* (or carpooled if they live too far away) to my daughter’s school gets free ice cream at lunch.

Because there’s nothing that motivates small children like junk food.

We got up extra early this morning, daughter excited, me in my cheap flip flops, hair in a pony tail looking all sorts of glamorous. As we walked out the door, we noticed the neighbor and her kid across the street heading out as well. The girls were excited to get to hang on their way to school, so after the mom did a stretch or two –(Which, seriously should have been my first clue. I have got to work on my powers of observation.)–We were off.

And this lady wasn’t messing around. You know those crazy women that walk the mall on their lunch at super speeds? Naw, they had nothing on my neighbor. She was sprinting up the hill, the kids were running behind her, easter grass flying everywhere from their little baskets, (sorry, Earth.) and I’m bringing up the rear pushing them along after her.

We get to school drenched in sweat, the kids are already tired and grumpy, but I walk mine in to her classroom, talk to the teacher and stop to say hi to a few of my daughter’s friends on the way.

When I exit the school, there’s my neighbor jogging in place, waiting on me to go back home.

I needed an excuse, and I needed one quick. All I had was the CVS next door to get me out of the run I knew I was about to get mixed up in.

“Um, you go on without me. I need to pick up some dental floss,” just word vomited right out of my mouth. But, it worked– she took off in a run that would make an Olympian jealous and–since I didn’t want to be a liar, I went into the CVS and bought some dental floss.

Mint flavored.

*Look– we live pretty close to the school… but we don’t exactly get up early enough to walk there. If it’s nice out, I try to show up with my daughter’s scooter in hand so we can walk home– but we’ve never made it up in time to walk there– so stop judging me! Okay, you can judge me a little. I deserve it.