I’m talking about running errands with three children ages 5 and under, that is. That’s a whole ‘nother animal. For starters, the requirements:
- Must be slightly crazy
- Ready for some serious character growth.
- Must be flexible.
- Must have no pride-high possibility of being utterly embarrassed.
- High tolerance of bad odors and crushed cheerios in vehicle
- High affinity for planning ahead
- Ability to pull yourself up by the bootstraps when all hell breaks loose.
In other words, it is HARD. 🙂 Shall I share my story from today? Ok, I think I shall. 😉
Today I had three hours to go to the library, ATM, and the hardware store. We had a deadline of needing to be home by 4PM. Easy, right? Well, first off baby needed fed. While baby ate, the older girls were instructed to grab socks, shoes, and hair clips. 3yo said “But I don’t have socks on!” and I told her to go get a pair. She knows how, and does this all the time. Easy peasey, right? Well, wait for it. This will matter later. After gathering all we need, having random phone calls and issues come up, we were heading out the door at 2:30. Not bad, still 1.5 hours to accomplish task. Possible, but a stretch. Children climb in vehicle, and begin to buckle. 3yo smells stinky.
Yes, she has a dirty diaper. Yes, she’s almost 4 and still in diapers. Don’t ask. I’m not the perfect mother. 😉 She could have told me 5 minutes ago???
So I head in the house with her while other kiddos wait. After cleaning her up, she says has to go potty. Ok. Mommy guilt tells me go ahead and let her go potty. It will only take a few minutes. She needs practice, for crying out loud!
After she is all put back together we start down the stairs. She stops and stares at me with large saucer eyes “Mommy, I don’t have socks on!” Decision time.
- I could take her to the store anyway. She’s wearing boots. No one will know.
- She has blisters from wearing ankle socks with rubber boots, and needs socks to keep them from hurting.
- I’m a kind mommy, albeit a very impatient mommy at the moment. Socks it is.
“Ok, go and get some, fast!”
I go to check on my other two, and find 5yo with half a water bottle’s worth of water spilled all over her front. It’s 2:45. Ok, so much for going into the library. I’ll have to just drop the books off outside. I go in to check on 3yo, and she is frantically yanking at her boots, saying “I can’t get them off, mommy!” Poor girl had sweated in them and they were stuck to her. I help her get her socks on, telling her we need to hurry as we are running out of time. At the top of the stairs she stops again. “Mommy I’m thirsty.” “NO!” I say as I run down the stairs. “There is a water bottle in the van.” She comes running down the stairs.
“I’m sorry I made us late mommy.” she says as she slips her little hand in mine. I sigh. Somehow I could have handled this whole situation better. “I forgive you honey. Let’s get you buckled in.”
We finally get on the road at 3PM, and get to the ATM first. My card doesn’t work. It says to contact the bank. Blah. The only other ATM in town is across town, a 10 minute drive in post-school traffic. I stop by the library, drop off the books, and head in the direction of the next ATM. There are 2 cars ahead of me at the 2nd ATM, and I settle in to line thinking it will only take a minute before I’m up.
Ten minutes later, and I’m thinking the first guy in line must have saved all his banking transactions for that one day…
So at 3:48 I’m finished with my transaction. Must get home quickly, the guy is supposed to stop by to get this money at 4PM. It’s a 10-15 minute drive depending on traffic. Thankfully something goes right and I arrive home at 3:56. I’m ready for a nap.
Did I mention the kiddos got a 20 minute nap in during the 2nd ATM trip?? Which means then they won’t have had their rest out, but won’t want to finish their nap. Yeah. *sigh*
NOW, this could be taken more than one way. You could,
- Pity me.
- Laugh with me.
- One up me with your awesome crazy mom story…. I know there are worse days to be had!
Please share. I’m ready to laugh. 🙂
SurrenderedMama 