Parents spend a lot of time in the car. Driving kids to and from school, practices, games, and meetings. To their friends houses, the movies, and the mall. We drive to the doctor, dentist, orthodontist, and hair dresser. We load up the car with groceries after we’ve stopped at Home Depot, Target, and the post office.
We are always on the go.
No matter how nice your car is or how well your kids behave (which is wholly dependent on the amount of in-car entertainment you provide) it’s tiresome. I love my new car. It’s the first car we’ve owned that allows me to play the music on my iPhone through the car speakers wirelessly. I can listen to my music while the kids watch a movie on wireless headsets in the third row seat. It’s like they’re not even there.
But. Even with that luxury, I get tired of being in the car.
By the time I picked John up from his cross-country meet today I was over it. John had called to say he was done, and could pick him up at the park where the races were held. While I was on my way he called to say he was walking back to the school, so I could pick him up there. I went to the school.
No sign of John. I texted to let him know I was there, assuming he was in the cross-country room getting his stuff. He called back and said he was on his way. (John has trouble texting because his phone has a crack in the screen. A week after he got it he used it to pop the lock on his locker. Brilliant.) I asked if he wanted me to head to the park. He said yes, just come back the way you came only go straight instead of turning.
I followed those instructions until the road dead ended. I called John, he tried to explain that I’d gone the wrong way. I resisted the urge to correct his instructions which should have told me to turn right instead of left and then keep going straight.
Whatever, it was getting late and I was tired of being in the car.
We met at the school parking lot and drove back home. We drove near three grocery stores and no less than five convenience stores.
Once inside I sat on the couch and was promptly accosted by Reese and a stack of books he desperately needed read to him. John made a snack. He fumbled around posing in his ridiculous cross-country uniform. He asked the boys about their day and teased his sister.
Then he said, “Hey Mom, can we go to the commissary? I need to bring root beer to school tomorrow.”
I almost punched him in the face.
Wow John…that’s special!
I bet you had to have an extra glass of wine after that trip!
He always makes me need an extra glass of wine!
I would have said no. Seriously.
I don’t have as many kids as you, and only one of them can currently talk in (mostly) coherent sentences, but I actually love driving around town. That MIGHT be because I always have an audio book in the car to listen to, though, and finding reading time in the house is a struggle.
Come to think of it, I’m up to an interesting bit in the book I’m listening to at the moment. Maybe I can come up with a reason to pop down to the store…
Maybe I need to start listening to books. I wanted to say no, but then I would have just had to get the soda in the morning.
Dear Noah ~
Please do not be like John when you grow up.
Love,
Mom
Dear Kim,
He will be just like John.
Love,
B
I feel like driving is my life too! It’s so overwhelming sometimes…
I drive all the time and almost never go anywhere fun. Grrr…
My kids always ALWAYS ALLLLWWWWAAAAAAYYYYSSSSS wait until we get home to tell me they need something.
Desperately.
Something that – between school, errands and karate – we have already driven past.
Five times.
They’re trying to make us crazy. Seriously.
it would help a whole loooooooooooottttttttttt if you got them a car like i did for you so they can drive like you did / it made life better for me and i am sure it would be better for and the kids as well / try it / you can always take it away if things do not work out !!!!!!!!!!!!! ///
They’ll have access to one as soon as they can get a license!!
Haha! I couldn’t have read this at a better time! I just spent most of my day driving kids everywhere and I’m not done yet! 20 seconds after I dropped Caroline off at school this afternoon to ride the volleyball bus she called to say she needed her warm up shirt. Oh and I had to go home, find the shirt and get back before the bus left. I had about 15 min. Good thing we are not too far! I believe this is God’s way of helping us be happy when they can drive themselves!
I love it when they need something I have to find. Because you know, all their stuff is neatly put away.
Not.
Could he not have walked to the commissary? I mean, he sounds sporty enough…
Probably. I didn’t think of that. He would have complained though & I was too exhausted to listen to his nonsense.
Oh my gosh, I know what you are going through!! I had a similar day today except I actually pulled into the garage and my son told me he forgot his notebook and homework in his locker. (Insert steam blowing from mama ears here!) Back to the school we went. :/
Been there. And how can you say no to going to get homework? Ugh!
Love your adventures w/ your kids …
but mostly, I love your honesty!! Haa
Honesty being I wanted to punch him? I did. Want to that is, I didn’t do it though. He’s too tall.
Bet you have plans for him when he gets his license – Driving Miss “B”.
Where are the days when I used to love driving? Now it just makes me a cranky old bitch who’s always running 10 minutes behind for everything. And man, I’m not even 3 years into this whole motherhood gig…