E-mail from Austin

This morning, I was at a business meeting from 9:00am until noon. This was Austin's day to go to Academie Duello. However, he had been up very late last night, and when he first woke up, wasn't feeling like going to class today. Since I was headed into a meeting and couldn't stay on the phone with Gemma (who called to tell me that Austin was protesting going to Academie Duello today), I just told Gemma to let him stay home today, then.

As it turned out, Austin had a change of heart and wanted to go to Academie Duello, but he didn't want to take the bus. I wouldn't have been able to drive him there, but I was pretty impressed to open this e-mail after my business meeting finished.

Here's what Austin sent to me, entitled "please talk to me":
"mom ive been trying to reach you but ur phone always goes to voice mail could you please call me i want to goto academie duello but the next bus is in an hour and a half
so i was hopeing that you could drive me ther gemma is realy mad and i dont think that she understands that i neded my sleep and i expect u to go austin thats not cind and get realy mad at me the day is mieribal its raining and im allone cuz gemma says that i canot be wiht gun ho .and i want to go but as i said the next bus is in an hour and a half so i cant go and its all going dounward from here

so im hoping u can turn it around lovee ur son @U$+!N"

Translation:
"Mom, I've been trying to reach you but your phone always goes to voice mail. Could you please call me? I want to go to Academie Duello, but the next bus is in an hour and a half, so I was hoping that you could drive me there. Gemma is really mad and I don't think that she understands that I needed my sleep and I expect you to go, "Austin, that's not kind," and get really mad at me. The day is miserable. It's raining and I'm alone because Gemma says that I cannot be with Keonho. I want to go, but as I said, the next bus is in an hour and a half so I can't go, and it's all going downward from here.

So I'm hoping you can turn it around.

Love your son, Austin."

I'm pretty pleased that Austin was trying to find a solution. Gemma says that Austin was fine this morning.

I'm not normally in a business meeting on Tuesday mornings. This morning, Austin was still asleep when I left the house. I didn't prepare him well for this morning, and I didn't anticipate the issues that might come up for Gemma. I wasn't able to be available for any discussion, because my business meeting couldn't be interrupted.

What I learned, was to better anticipate how things will go for a planned outing ... how Austin will respond to any changes. I will talk to both Austin and Gemma about calling Skye when they can't reach me. And I will remind Austin that the way he gets to Academie Duello, is by bus. Getting driven to/from Academie Duello is unusual.