My anxiety levels were on high for weeks and even months before for this one day.

I had rescheduled all of my work to make sure that I didn’t miss the day and was 100% present for my oldest's big day.

Finally it was the morning of and I foolishly thought I was all prepared. I even had bought an oversized filed folder envelope at Target the day before and had gotten all the back to school papers filed and the name tags and bus pass for my girl hung on the fridge.

It was 10:50 am, when we pulled up to the school for kindergarten orientation.

Right away, I was a bit thrown off by the fact that there was tons of parking right outside the elementary school and got one of the first spots.

Something didn’t feel right and my stomach was churning.

I pulled out the orientation “Save the Date Card”.

Right away, I saw it.

The card read: Sail into Kindergarten” and “Save the date” – Tuesday, August 26, 2014.

Only, it was Thursday, August 28, 2014!

Yup, we were only 2 days late – right away I imagined the words, “World’s Worst Mom” written below the date.

Don’t ask me how I made this error and as I looked at the date realizing I had indeed screwed up royally, a thumb the size of Texas filled my throat, while tears were beginning to form.

It felt surreal and wished I was having a nightmare I could wake up from!

Only I was completely awake and not dreaming at all.

I pulled out my cell phone to check the date and sure enough it was two days later.

I dialed my husband at work and immediately told him of my bonehead mistake.

Got to love him, he told me to calm down and that mistakes happen all the time, but not to worry, go into the school and see what I could indeed find out.

I knew I had to put my big girl panties on and do exactly what he said, but a part of me wished I could crawl right into the largest hole I could dig.

I did though, apologizing to my daughter profusely.

Got to give my girl credit, she wasn’t angry at me and she even made the best of the situation.

We ended up getting a private tour of the school with the principal – where she wowed the principal with being able to recognize her teacher’s last name by knowing what letter of the alphabet it started with and spelling her own name, too. She also got to put her supplies away in her classroom with all the other kids, too.

But “Mommy Guilt” is the worst and even after it was over would have done anything to make it up to her – take away the “Worst Mom of the Year Feeling“.

We went to the playground, where she smiled away, talked to other kids who were there, went up the largest part of the playground equipment (the one the principal thought would be too big for my petite 5 year old as nothing scares this kid!) and even went on the big kid swings.

Then, I offered to take her and her younger sister to lunch at McDonald’s (hoping a happy meal would be a peace offering of sorts) and even took them to the Disney Store, where both girls got Elsa pocketbooks.

And when I asked, my girl if she was OK, my then five year daughter taught me a lesson by saying, “Mommy, it’s OK, even mommies make mistakes sometimes, but try not to do this again next year with my sister!”

*This essay originally appeared on Confessions of A Mommyaholic.