You Need a What?

Today was kindergarten registration for the school in our neighborhood, and Delanie will be starting kindergarten in August of this year. As if I didn't already take this whole school thing seriously enough, they require quite a bit from you just to get enrolled. I wanted to make sure I was there on time, and with all my ducks in a row. I am a responsible, with-it, put together parent. Right?

Wrong.

They needed 3 very important documents to get her registered:
1. A Birth Certificate--validates child's age
2. A Deed of Trust for your home--to prove residency
3. An immunization record--to prove your child won't infect the entire free world with some sort of nastiness.

I thought OK, I've got this handled. I just need to get Scott on the ball with that whole Deed of Trust thing, and we're covered.

Because I am so "with it" and organized, I didn't get my documents together until the night before. Deed of Trust...Check! Immunization record...Check! Birth Certificate.....I don't have one of those!

That's ridiculous I thought! What with it, loving mother doesn't have a birth certificate for their child? Apparently, me.

I looked EVERYWHERE for one. About half-way through the search, I realized I don't even know what one looks like. I mean, I am sure it will say on the top BIRTH CERTIFICATE, but am I looking for an envelope, is it folded, does it have a gold seal or something? I honestly could not remember what it looked like or if I had ever seen it.

Maybe I was supposed to send away for it after Delanie was born? Did they give me instructions for this type of thing at the hospital and I was too out of it to remember? Is this just something we're supposed to know as parents, and Scott and I missed a lesson?

I asked Scott if he knew anything about this type of stuff. "No hon, I relegate all of this type of mom stuff to you." Oh great! A birth certificate is a "Mom's Responsibility"...a with it, organized, knows what she's doing, "Mom's Responsibility".

Since Pax was born in this house, all of his belongings from birth are in one area. I went to find his to see if I could jog my memory a bit. I found the one the hospital sent us home with. Phew...at least I am scoring 50%, right? That's what I thought, at least.

I went to registration anyways, with my head hung low, knowing I was going to have to admit I didn't have a birth certificate for my baby. What would they say? Would they scowl at me? Laugh? Insist I must be mistaken, and I should go home and check again?

Right there at the table there was a sign saying you must have all 3 aforementioned items, and the birth certificate must be the original. NO COPIES ALLOWED. It MUST have the raised gold seal. No hospital certificates accepted.

GOLD SEAL! Paxton's birth certificate didn't have a gold seal...it was a Hospital Certificate. As I stood there in horror of the realization that I don't have a birth certificate for either of my babies, I noticed there were other mothers standing there in line. Most of them had these really official, organized, and with it looking folders. One mom even pulled out her beloved child's birth certificate...complete with a gold seal. Well, at least I now know what one looks like. She had some other papers in there too...probably really important papers. You know, the kind of papers that are the "Mom's Responsibility". I was standing too far away to read over her shoulder and see what they were.

I have a sinking feeling we don't have those either...