Who knew that when I went back to grad school to get my master's degree that I would be able to put it to such good use....as a taxi driver.

This morning, I stumbled out of bed, stepped on a lego (ouch) and got the kids moving at 6am...which is actually earlier than the earliest time I feel that I can get up and function. Somehow I managed to get everyone showered, dressed, fed and into the van by 7.05. I woke Thomas up so that he could get Aidan moving and off to preschool by 8.15 and headed out the door.

With all of the road construction going on, I managed to get Amanda to her new school by about 7.35 and then had to wind my way back through the construction and the center of town and over to the completely other side of town to get Andrew to school by 8am. Predictably....we were late.....again.

Have I mentioned recently that I feel like I just can't DO this?

The driving is terrible.

I did not get back home until 8.30am. So officially I could have commuted to the cities in the time it took for me to drive around locally and get kids where they needed to be.

In itself, the morning *commute* isn't a bad thing. It's a good thing. We get to talk and connect and it's positive. What's negative is that it doesn't stop there.

I was able to come home for about an hour before I had to go and take Amanda's library books back to her old school. Then I had to drive to one side of town to pick up Aidan and another side of town to drop off the van...that is broken yet AGAIN. I had about 1.5 hours between picking Aidan up from preschool and going to the car place and so I opted to go to a burger king with a play area thinking at least I could relax. Before going to bk, I had to fill up the car with gas..and I didn't have my money card on me.

I ran to the drive-thru at the bank, filled out a check, grabbed my ID and tossed them into the tube. I went to drop the tube back into suction hose and...it fell out of my hands and rolled underneath the van. Seriously...There I was in the line at the bank drive-thru at noon-time with my butt in the air trying to reach for the tube. Finally the cars behind me had to back up so that I could back the van up and grab the tube.

:guilty:

boohoo for me.

I was out of gas and so I tried to take a shortcut to the gas station and of course...I ended up stuck behind a long train at an intersection.


Ultimately, we arrived at the Burger King and had lunch. (oh so healthy and just what I need ) Aidan had to go to the bathroom and for him this always involves taking all of his clothes off. Man...I hope he doesn't do that at preschool too.

Zoe grabbed his pants, socks and underwear and threw them into the toilet water before I could get it all away from her....

Have I mentioned that I'm having a bad day.

I spent about 20 minutes trying to blow Aidan's underwear and pants dry under the hand dryer while he cried about them being wet.....and then it was time to go to the car dealership to meet Thomas.

I've got bags under my eyes, I feel like the wicked witch from the west and Thomas called to say "sorry hun, I'm running a little late. I have to see another consult and have to dictate 6 more charts. Just wait for me"

Oh. Ok. I'll just sit here at the car dealership with a 3 year old wearing wet pee-soaked pants and underwear and a 1 year old who pushed the nipple in on her apple juice bottle and is now wearing a scent of ode-to-apples accented only by change-my-diaper now!

So yes...I was not really the picture of grace when he let me in on that tidbit of news.

Eventually, he arrived and we made it home.....in time for one of us to have to turn around to start the 1.5 hour commute to get Amanda and Andrew picked up from school....and then of course, the kids all have kung fu.

:thud:

I roped Thomas into doing the driving...and I think he was willing because he could see that I'm coming undone. If he hadn't been able to do the afternoon pick-ups, I'd be in the car still.

uch:


Kris[/quote]