Last Monday turned out to be a hot one. I wished for rain, cloudiness, or at least a
chill in the air. No such luck. Since the older boys caddy, I scheduled a
dermatologist appointment and a dentist appointment for Laddie on Monday
because the golf course was closed. When
I made his appointments, I couldn't predict such fine pool weather. Once the Irish dancing summer schedule hit
the air waves, I recognized that the day would be full but hoped it would also
be doable.
I made myself a list.
A rewrite was necessary, because I realized there were a few errands I
could squish between the appointments and drop offs as long as I was out and
headed in the right direction. Sunday
night arrived and my gut clenched up as I glanced at all that was squeezed into
the itinerary. Still, I kept my hopes
high.
The day went something like this: Laddie woke me at 6 am so that I could have
the pleasure of driving him to football camp.
I drove to swim team to drop off and pick up 3 different groups of kids,
which translates to four round trips. I
ran 5 miles after the first drop off. Between
the 2nd and 3rd drives to the pool (which is in close proximity to our home -but
crossing a busy road is necessary, so bike riding is limited), I got Reggie
changed and dropped him off at the high school at 9:45 for his first day of a
two week basketball camp. By 10 I was
back at the swim team practice to grab Curly and get her over to her
orthodontist appointment. The
appointment wasn't until 10:45, but since it had been set a while back, I was
unaware that I would be racing back to pick up Reggie from basketball
camp. Part of my master plan included
arriving at the ortho early in order to scoot back for Reggie. Fortunately I called the office while I
wrapped Curly in her towel. I loved the
idea of getting in and out, but cringed to think of being stuck in the office
waiting room. My hands tied. My outlined schedule included no
waiting.
The ortho informed me that they were a bit backed up. Getting there prematurely would foil my
plans, so I inserted an errand. I ran to
church to deliver a check to the youth minister for Laddie's mission trip next
month. Blocks from home, I stopped home
and grabbed my book for the potential ortho office wait. I also took a few minutes to throw together a
lunch for the crew. I tossed the cooler
bag packed with lunch, bathing suits, and towels in the car. Just as I was starting to lose patience,
Curly was called back and moments later we were cruising back to the high
school to pick up a pumped up Reggie.
Basketball lover that he is. Chatted
briefly at the high school with a friend I haven't seen in ages. Laddie approached the car with Reggie. Bummer.
Lad had promised to attempt to score a ride home after summer school
ended, but that apparently hadn't happened.
He enjoyed checking out his little brother's progress at basketball camp
while he waited for me. On the way to
the car, Reggie was invited over to his friend's house to swim. So he happily ditched us. Laddie
drove home while I chilled in the
passenger seat, occasionally offering suggestions about how to change lanes. Since he turns 16 this week, he is trying to
gain needed experience behind the wheel.
He jumped out and I drove the remaining gang over to the pool for a
quick dip. I suppose it's worth
mentioning that I was down a child. Mini
spent the night at my brother's house, so we were picking her up later on the
way to dancing. I had to drive Eddie
over for Irish music lessons anyway. Eddie
(who I basically dragged to the pool kicking and screaming), Tetonka, and Curly
and I ate our packed lunch while I kept my eye on the clock. Laddie refused to visit the pool. Too uncool.
I had to run home and pick him up before I could turn around and head in
the opposite direction to his dermatologist appointment.
What to do with Curly?
I had hoped her pool-BFF would show up, so Curly could stay at the pool
rather than be dragged to the skin doc, etc.
BFF wasn't there, but other friends were. I hit them up with the favor of keeping Curly
at the pool for a few hours. No prob. I sat down on a chair and called the
restaurant that would be catering the Shenanigan's dinner that night. Laddie's church youth group received some of
the profits from whoever ordered that night.
We rarely dine out (and I don't do fast food if I can get away with it),
so knowing our expense would help fund his mission trip, I ordered for all of
us and asked that it be prepared by 3:45. Dinner, done. Check.
Eddie's friend's mom spotted Eddie and instantly called her
teenager who had refused to accompany her to the pool. This friend lived close enough to the pool to
walk down. Now that he was assured his
buddy was there, why not? He still
balked. His head hurt, but why didn't
Eddie come and hand out at his house.
Fine by me. Time at the
pool. Check.
I bolted from the pool, drove a few blocks and dropped off
Eddie. At home, Tetonka promised to be good while he was home alone
for a bit. Laddie hopped behind the
wheel, and we were off to his back to back, possibly-scheduled-to close-together
appointments. The dermatologist's office
is at the mall, so rather than witness Lad's first parking garage experiences,
I urged him to throw it in park and jog ahead of me to the 4th floor
office. "I'll be up in a few."
I parked the car, and answered the phone. My sis in law was requesting that I order her
family dinner at the same restaurant that I had ordered for us. I was headed there later to gather Molly and
leave Eddie. Why not? Pleased to raise extra monies for Laddie's
trip, I took her order. My former Burger
King days were flashing back.
Phone rang again, just as I was hanging up with the restaurant
to add to my order. Tetonka. He'd been invited to a friend's house. 'Great, have fun! Ride your bike. Wear your suit, they have a pool." He hesitated but admitted he wasn't sure he
could find their house. We drive by it
daily. 4 blocks away. I ran through directions. Good to go.
As I approached the professional building, I darted into the
eye glasses store. I dropped way too
much money on a pair of glasses a few weeks prior. My spectacles serve me from the 8 paces from
the master bath to my side of the bed each night and again in the morning
before and after I have inserted or removed my contact lenses. That's it.
I swear there wasn't a cheap pair of glasses in the place. It had been so long since I purchased new
glasses, that when the old pair literally fell apart I almost did a dance. Anyway, they were lopsided. There will be a day that my contacts hurt, or
God forbid I pick up pink eye. These
seldom seen in public specs will be seen at some point. Crooked won't do. In the store's defense, I barely sat down
long enough for them to try them on before I ran for the door, so no shock that
they leaned. I quickly asked someone to
adjust them. No problem. This is the day I learned that my one ear is
lower than the other. I was over this
news before I got to the exit. I patted
myself on the back for remembering to shove my glasses casein my purse (OK,
it's a Tiffany's case, but as I explained to Curly - every girl should have
something from Tiffany's at some point in her life. Is it sad that mine was glasses? That I shopped for alone? And purchased for myself? Yes, of course. Again, over it pretty quickly. This is the life I chose). Glasses adjusted. Check.
With a spring in my step, I sprinted for the professional
building. Did I tell Laddie I was stopping
in there first? Couldn't remember. Laddie wore a weird expression on his face in
the waiting room. Teenagers do
that. "They said I didn't have an
appointment," he whispered. He must
have misunderstood. The receptionist and
I chatted. Turns out that when I made
the appointment a few weeks ago, the woman I spoke with didn't share our master
plan with the computer. Ugh! Laddie had just been in before the end of the
school year, because he had a painful spot on the bottom of his foot. They set up an immediate appointment, but
added the skin check up when I requested that too. Swell.
(Oh yeah, the foot thing was freaky.
An additional doctor was called in to exam his foot. After a series of questions I started to
anticipate a conversation about amputation.
In fact it was a cold sore, and they were as confused as we were as to
how it ended up on his foot.
Bazaar!) They were kind enough to
believe our story and they fit us in.
Thank heavens because I was on such a roll, I hated to see my master
plan implode.
After consulting about blemishes, Laddie and I thanked the
doc and headed for the car. He drove
once again, while I consulted my list.
We pulled into doctor appointment #2
15 minutes ahead of time. I
reminded Lad to wait out on the front steps of the building, because my mom
would be picking him up in about an hour.
Two doctor appointments, same kid.
Check.
The whole drive home, I debated what to do next. I opted to stop at home and load the car for
Irish dancing lessons and Irish music lessons.
I filled water bottles, grabbed shoe bags, selected a few workout
outfits, and lugged everything including two instruments to the car. I held the phone to my ear the entire time
while I gave instructions to the store we rent Mini's fiddle from. Mini needed a bigger size. Have it pulled from the back so I could swap
it with the smaller one along with a shoulder rest that I would be
purchasing. I would have limited time
when I stopped on my way to my bro's house.
This is where I became confused. Unsure of which kid to pick up first, I chose
Reggie. He had been there super long,
and they lived off the beaten path.
Thanked, grabbed, and ran. Drove
up to the restaurant. Paid, picked up,
struggled to get all the bags to the car.
Took off. Phone rang. Tetonka wanted to be picked up. "Just ride your bike home," I
instructed. He admitted that his buddy's
mom had come to get him. "Walk out
of the house towards the street. I will
be there in 10 seconds." No
joke. I happened to be driving away from
the restaurant on their street. Bam. Next kid picked up, and I didn't even have to
wade into their pool to fish him out.
Fortunately they were getting ready to go to a ball game and needed to
leave.
Panting. Ran in the
house. Found the two meals I needed to
leave in the fridge for Coach and Laddie.
Stuck them in the fridge, note on the counter. Back in car.
Texted friend at pool. Will be
there in a few to grab Curly. Thanks for
having her. Longer than I thought. Ran into pool. Half dragged her to the car. She wasn't resisting - she just wasn't
feeling my time constraints. They never
really do at age 6. Dialed house phone
that Eddie was at. "Walk to the
corner and jump in." I approached the
corner and he was standing there.
Perfect. But then, that's just
the kind of day I was having.
Next stop: fiddle store.
Swap, pay for shoulder thing. Run
to car. Hand out dinners to necessary
kids who need to eat. Arrive at my bro's
and carry in piles of Styrofoam meal containers. Open and check everything. Niece has the wrong thing. Mini is displeased with what I ordered
her. Last time I rely on Curly to remind
me of what Mini usually orders. Two
girls trade dinners, and everyone is happy.
Eddie and Tetonka settle in to eat and play with cousins, which will
help my sis in law out as she teaches her music lessons. On time for Eddie's music lesson. Check.
Pick up Mini for Irish dancing.
Check.
With three kids remaining in the car and the smell of yummy
food, we headed up to Irish dancing lessons.
I recounted my day to anyone who would listen. "Who is more awesome than your
mom?" I asked. They agreed I was
awesome, but that was probably just the french fries talking.
Despite a bit of traffic and a later departure time than I
had initially planned for, we were on time for dancing. I sat in the car during the hour and a half
class and enjoyed a salad that I hadn't prepared (Aren't those the best kinds
anyway?), wrote a bit on the laptop (impressed with myself that I remembered to
grab it), and relaxed. Of course I also delighted
at how much I had accomplished in one day.
After dancing we headed back to my brother Pat's house. Mini took her fiddle lesson, and I filled out
paperwork that I found in my purse for Laddie's mission trip. By Tuesday morning, I was less absorbed with
the to do list and more focused on a well deserved, relaxing day at the pool! Tuesday, pool. Check!
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