The brown paper bag......................

I've had a busy couple of days going back and forth to the vet with Moo, doctor's appointments for myself, teaching Bailey to drive(which seems to be keeping me up at night) and Christmas shopping. So when I pick the kids up from school, I always ask how their day went. But lately...........................I'm embarrassed to say this out loud, I've only been half listening. I do the occasional "uh-huh's" and focus in and out, but my mind has been anywhere but here lately. So, one day this week, after coming straight from the Vet, I picked the kids up from school. As I approached the parent pickup, I noticed that Ryley was carrying a brown paper bag. "Great, that's just what I need to deal with today......................a kid who's pooped in his pants.", I muttered to myself. I rolled down the window to talk to my mom at parent pickup and fill her in on how Moo was doing; which brought numerous questions from the kids about Moo; which only made me forget about the brown paper bag. We got home, they had their afternoon snacks and then they started on homework while I began dinner. Later that evening, the brown paper bag popped into my head. I went into Ryley's room and asked him why he'd pooped in his pants today. He looked at me like I was crazy. Fine, I'll play this game, I thought. "Where are your underwear?", I asked him. Again, I got another weird look from him. Then he pointed to himself and said, "on me". "Eeeewwwww, Ryley. You left them on all day? Why didn't you take them off?", I asked. "Cause I like them.", he replied. Ok, this was getting me no where quick. "Where is the brown paper bag?", I spat out. "I put it under the tree for you." he said smiling. "Why on Earth would you put it under the tree?", I asked him. "Cause it has a surprise in it." he said matter of factly. "Ryley, that is just gross! I want you to go and get your underwear and throw them away. I just don't think I can handle trying to clean them today.", I said feeling like I'd just been beaten. "Ok, which ones?" he asked. "The ones with the poop in them!!!", I screamed. I could see how confused he was so I added, "in the brown paper bag.". "You put poopy underwear in the brown paper bag?", he asked me. What? Now I was confused. "NO, get the dirty underwear that you brought home today in the brown paper bag and throw them away." I said. "But there's presents in there, Mom!", he said as he started getting upset. "Yea, I got that! Of the poop kind! Fine! I'll do it myself!", I said. I walked over to the tree where he'd placed the brown paper bag and opened it up. And there, in that bag wasn't dirty underwear, but presents that he'd bought from the Santa shop at school. Grandma had given him money to buy presents for everyone for Christmas. I'd taken one look at the brown paper bag and assumed the worst. He'd tried to tell me and did I listen? Nope, I guess I only heard what I wanted to hear. What can I say? I'm a mom. I am all knowing...............or so I thought.