This morning was going perfectly. Lyd was ready and was enjoying her morning free-time. Regina had not yet taken off her shoes and socks, it was looking like it was going to be a great bike ride for the girls to school this morning. All we have to do is be out the door at 7:45. Then…
7:30am “Lyd? What’s this in your backpack? Is this Homework? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!”
“What’s ‘Whiskey Tango Foxtrot’ Daddy?”
“I’ll tell you when you’re older. Oh boy, you need to tell me or remind me of this stuff after you get back from school Hun. Have a seat, let’s go over this…”
7:40am Homework is finished…well acceptable. Aaaaand, we’re now rushing all over the place. I’m rushing to get the bicycles out, Lyd’s throwing her backpack back together, Regina is “helping”.
7:45am We’re jacketed, we’re ready to go, I grab the keys and begin shepherding the girls out the door.
“Daddy?”
“Yeah Hun?”
“Reggie pooped.”
I look at Reggie, “Yeah, poop come out.”
I drop my bag, put the keys back down and rush her upstairs to get her changed.
7:50am We’re late, but we can still do it. I toss Reg onto her Tricycle (It’s one of those models that a parent can steer as well as the kid. Great concept for keeping the kid out of trouble. I remember the box had a picture of a smiling parent and child, not a picture of a willful and stubborn toddler and a parent who is exhausted from fighting a toddler’s idea of steering.)
7:51am We’re on the move, heading to school. I pat myself down, house keys are not on me. I put them on the counter when Regina pooped. Spare key is not in my bag. I call Annie. Bad cell signal, I can barely understand her. I’m “steering” Regina one-handed. Regina is feeling like Rat-Fink. She’s dragging me in a forced power walk, weaving back and forth using as much of the sidewalk as possible. Someone driving past would have thought I was drunk or walking a large dog. Nope just my toddler daughter!
Screw it, I gotta hang up, hopefully Annie got the message. Lyd is beyond shouting distance and approaching a street where stressed out morning drivers have a tendency to drive like they are stressed out. I’m starting to panic…she stopped and was waiting for me.
Thank God
We finally got to the school, with a couple minutes to spare. Unfortunately Lydia locking up her bike takes more than a couple minutes (the coils of her bike lock are just a little stronger than she is. Ugh)
“Don’t worry Hun, I’ll get it, it’s a weird morning and you are really late. Regina! Do NOT climb onto that school bus! Back here now! Lyd! We did it! Woohoo! You have a great day at school Lydie! One more kiss before you get too embarrassed to kiss me? There. Love ya!”
We made it to school on time, we stuck the landing.
(Now what? Hopefully Annie can run back Home to let us inside. Do my parents or sister have keys? No…that was our last place. I feel like I have to do something. Field Trip! That’s it, I need to stop by the office and fill out the background check sheet!)
Oh! There’s my sister!
“Hey Brooks!”
“Hey Heather! Here take this!” I hand her the steering handle for the tricycle with Regina still on it, mini Rat-Fink is spinning the tire, eager to “go-go” as she would say. I scamper in and fill out the “I won’t harm any children” paperwork, ironically, I’m guessing I did it with the penmanship of a serial killer.
“Thanks Heather!”
“No problem! Are you sure I don’t have a key to your place?”
“I’m pretty certain you don’t anymore. Either way, I think Annie’s already in transit.”
“Good Luck!”
I’m a little beaten up, a little more stressed than I planned today, with a notably slower pace, Reggie and I begin our walk back home. As we round the corner, I see yet another stressed out morning driver. This time it’s Annie.
At least she stopped for me, “Hey there good-lookin’!” She called out the window.
“Hey…”
“I left the place unlocked for you!”
“Thank you Thank you, Thank you!”
“I gotta get back to work. Love you!”
“Love you too!”
So that was my morning. How about you?