You know how you say a hundred things a day and your kids aren’t listening? Me, too. Most times I feel like a broken record doling out champion advice that is lost on the masses. Last week, though, for one glorious moment, all of my parenting of the Piper for the last five years was validated.

Piper got lost at school. Her elementary school is massive. Brace yourself. 1000 kids in K-5 in an overcrowded building. But. The staff is amazing. The principal is always present. The school runs well. It’s a positive environment. Sissy and Piper love the place, but still you lose a kid every now and then in the 1000 person shuffle. Piper was the one that day. She was in the lunch room. There was classical music playing that she said she was enjoying. She lost her place in line and her class went to the playground without her. She looked around and didn’t recognize a single face.

“So what did you do, P?” I asked when she told us at dinner. My heart was pounding in my ears. My baby got lost at school. Why was no one helping her? Why was she all alone? In my head I was in full ranting mommy mode ready to call the principal at his home. He really should have known better than giving a woman like me his cell number. Rookie move. I held my breath.

“At first I cried,” Piper said, “just a little inside. Then I remembered that you said that if I don’t make things happen nothing will happen, so I asked a big kid for help and they took me to the playground.”

Big exhale. My work here is done.