If I were a Purdue oven roaster, that little plastic sensor would not just be up, it would be jumping out of the roaster screaming, "I'm Done!"
It began Friday with what was supposed to be the beginning of that tedious back to school shopping, getting all of those back to school items that most obviously cannot possibly be located in one store. I had begun that day with the intent of just throwing my hair up and getting on the move with the kids, but no. Two hours and multiple tantrums later about a splinter, we were finally out the door. It was all planned out. I guess that was mistake #1, because now my timetable was completely thrown. So I adjusted our stops and decided to throw in a treat of a quick lunch "out" so that we could get the remaining school shopping done, but first I had to buy a wedding present for a family wedding we were attending on Saturday.
Having deftly navigated all the breakable items in Bed Bath and Beyond, we finally hit the long check out lines and then had to go into another whole separate area to get our gift wrapped. "That will be about 15-20 minutes miss." You have got to be $%&S kidding me.
I open the windows and turned the fan on, to reduce how hot the car is, and then put the kids in and proceed to buckle them into their seats. Once everyone was safe and sound and the other packages loaded into the car, I tried to fully start it. "Click, Click, Click" and then nothing. So now my thighs are sticking to the hot leather seat and I can feel the sweat beading down them. Lovely. Simply Lovely. Trying to be rational, I pick up my trusty card and call our road side assistance group. Now that my children have determined that we are very obviously not going anywhere soon, they unbuckle and begin to fight because after all what else would you do? Stepping just outside the open driver side door-leaning on the drivers seat, their fighting is not completely obscured but is dimmed enough that I can hear the operator. I almost wished I could not hear her because she informs me, after arguing over my precise location, it will be at least 90 minutes before anyone will help me. I try, in vain I might add, to beg her to get someone to me quickly because it is 90+ degrees outside and I have two small children with me.
OK, so I move to plan B and call On Star. Which I have to say as a back-up was absolutely phenomenal. They nailed my location and said they would have someone there within 15 minutes. So, as I pull both kids out of the car and put them under the tree, that I providentially had parked under, I notice that there is green goo all over the window near where KC, the 3 year old, had been sitting. I calmly ask her, " What's this?"
"It's gum Mommy."
"Why is it on the outside of your window?"
"Because I didn't want you to know I took it from you."
Brilliant. This is just Brilliant. They say if you will laugh about it some day, you should start now. Well I tried that and really wasn't in a terribly laughing mood. So I must have been some picture when the tow truck pulled up and I am scraping gum off my window. True to their word, they were there in 15 minutes and we were merrily on our way. However, I just could not bear the thought of doing school shopping after all of that. So, I pushed it to today.
Today I just finished four, very tedious hours- of getting all the various schools supplies and uniforms. And I am done. Done not only with school shopping but I think I am done with the summer. I am ready for CJ to go back to school, for KC to move to three days of pre-school and mostly I am looking forward to them each having a break from one another. Although siblings fight, it almost feels that it is worse right now- perhaps because they are constantly with one another. Yes they are probably learning valuable life lessons and socialization, but really I am ready for them to get a more consistent break from each other and enter a world again where routine dominates. Vacations and summers are great for exploring new adventures and having freedoms that don't exist during the school year, but there is definitely something to be said for kids having a routine.
