My husband and I played chauffeur this weekend to 3 first graders. We survived (sorta) but my back is a different story. Our duties began at 12:15. Guest #1 is dropped off at our house we will pick up quest #2 . Ben corrals our Little Luke (3) and the older two into the car and I, as always, am left with the checklist.
1. Directions to Guest #2 house for pick-up
2. Directions to destination
3. Presents
4. necessary items to pacify Luke during this field trip
12:45 and we are off. I give my husband Ben the address and what I claim to recall from my Mapquest address search. I wonder if maybe I should have printed the driving directions. naaah, we'll be fine. I could drop Ben from a plane in the middle of South America and he would make it home before me and have supper waiting!!! Well...now it is 1:00 the party is starting and we haven't found guest #2 house yet....and we still have a good 10 minute ride to our destination. If we were real chauffeurs I am sure this is the point where we would probably get fired. Okay so we took the long way and thank goodness our guest #1 had been to guest number#2 home previously and could identify it for us. We cram her in and now are to capacity. We arrive at the party at 1:20...this is where it gets messy... I take the kids in and Mom wants me to take some food with me..pizza..............oh yeah...we are not staying. Mom is a friend..the kids are safe...Ben, Luke and I tour a nearby town for an hour and a half. Luke insists on sitting in the third row.....FINE! Dad is content but I am sooo thirsty. I complain twice finally Ben stops at a quick mart. Carefully I set the plate of pizza on the seat....yes I am carrying a paper plate laden with greasy pizza. I get a giant Pepsi for Ben and I to share and Luke gets a pink kool-aid. We are all buckled and Luke is hydrated. Ben and I are awing at the 8 foot snow banks, I wait patiently for my turn with the Pepsi..I am sooooo extremely thirsty. While I am waiting for my drink Luke says " can I have some pizza?'' I reply "in a minute sweetie" It is after 1:30 really he should be napping by now. "Mommy I'm done!" ....."okay sweetie hold on" "Mommy I am done NOW!' I turn around to take his kool-aid which I cannot reach without unbuckling and twisting,turning so my knees are on my seat and my behind is pressing the windshield. Mission accomplished. As I buckle back in and share the comment that the third seat is overrated Luke says "Mommy can I have my pizza right now?' Sure why not...inner car contortionism must be an competitive event somewhere....unbuckle, twist, turn, repeat. Great the pizza really is too big and messy to just give to my 3 year -old to eat while we are driving down the road. I twist, turn, buckle in and do what any good Mother would do...I eat some of the pizza...No pizza is NOT on my diet. Luke screams "No Mommy! Don't eat my PIZZA!'' Finally Dad chimes in "Mommy is just making your pizza smaller for you. " This doesn't help, it is past Luke's naptime he is hungry and on a sugar high from kool-aid...Luke screams I chew faster. Then again I contort myself like a circus retiree ( I am slightly lacking in the area of grace) give Luke the pizza and fit myself safely back in the passenger seat. I reach for my drink...hydration at last........oh no.....there are two more events before my lips reach fluid! One involves a spill and the other involves the pizza.
By 5:30 we have collected and returned safely our charges. We are home and as we exit the car I turn to help Luke out and see the true toils of our adventure. The inside of the car it strewn with goodie bag stickers, streamers, silly string. I see pizza remnants, eaten by the first graders as well as Little Luke lunch. And yes two lovely spills on pink and one...well you have guessed ...the Caramel color of Pepsi which I never did get a drink of. I walk slowly into the house I realize that I am no longer thirsty but my back really hurts. Later that evening I reach for the ibuprofen and try to figure out what the heck I did to my back... ......
1. Directions to Guest #2 house for pick-up
2. Directions to destination
3. Presents
4. necessary items to pacify Luke during this field trip
12:45 and we are off. I give my husband Ben the address and what I claim to recall from my Mapquest address search. I wonder if maybe I should have printed the driving directions. naaah, we'll be fine. I could drop Ben from a plane in the middle of South America and he would make it home before me and have supper waiting!!! Well...now it is 1:00 the party is starting and we haven't found guest #2 house yet....and we still have a good 10 minute ride to our destination. If we were real chauffeurs I am sure this is the point where we would probably get fired. Okay so we took the long way and thank goodness our guest #1 had been to guest number#2 home previously and could identify it for us. We cram her in and now are to capacity. We arrive at the party at 1:20...this is where it gets messy... I take the kids in and Mom wants me to take some food with me..pizza..............oh yeah...we are not staying. Mom is a friend..the kids are safe...Ben, Luke and I tour a nearby town for an hour and a half. Luke insists on sitting in the third row.....FINE! Dad is content but I am sooo thirsty. I complain twice finally Ben stops at a quick mart. Carefully I set the plate of pizza on the seat....yes I am carrying a paper plate laden with greasy pizza. I get a giant Pepsi for Ben and I to share and Luke gets a pink kool-aid. We are all buckled and Luke is hydrated. Ben and I are awing at the 8 foot snow banks, I wait patiently for my turn with the Pepsi..I am sooooo extremely thirsty. While I am waiting for my drink Luke says " can I have some pizza?'' I reply "in a minute sweetie" It is after 1:30 really he should be napping by now. "Mommy I'm done!" ....."okay sweetie hold on" "Mommy I am done NOW!' I turn around to take his kool-aid which I cannot reach without unbuckling and twisting,turning so my knees are on my seat and my behind is pressing the windshield. Mission accomplished. As I buckle back in and share the comment that the third seat is overrated Luke says "Mommy can I have my pizza right now?' Sure why not...inner car contortionism must be an competitive event somewhere....unbuckle, twist, turn, repeat. Great the pizza really is too big and messy to just give to my 3 year -old to eat while we are driving down the road. I twist, turn, buckle in and do what any good Mother would do...I eat some of the pizza...No pizza is NOT on my diet. Luke screams "No Mommy! Don't eat my PIZZA!'' Finally Dad chimes in "Mommy is just making your pizza smaller for you. " This doesn't help, it is past Luke's naptime he is hungry and on a sugar high from kool-aid...Luke screams I chew faster. Then again I contort myself like a circus retiree ( I am slightly lacking in the area of grace) give Luke the pizza and fit myself safely back in the passenger seat. I reach for my drink...hydration at last........oh no.....there are two more events before my lips reach fluid! One involves a spill and the other involves the pizza.
By 5:30 we have collected and returned safely our charges. We are home and as we exit the car I turn to help Luke out and see the true toils of our adventure. The inside of the car it strewn with goodie bag stickers, streamers, silly string. I see pizza remnants, eaten by the first graders as well as Little Luke lunch. And yes two lovely spills on pink and one...well you have guessed ...the Caramel color of Pepsi which I never did get a drink of. I walk slowly into the house I realize that I am no longer thirsty but my back really hurts. Later that evening I reach for the ibuprofen and try to figure out what the heck I did to my back... ......
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