Try leaving at 9 AM and heading out with four kids in the van to the emissions testing station. No line, answered prayer, we pass (good thing, tabs are about expired).
Then go to the Jiffy lube (after realizing the car is 5,000 miles overdue for an oil change, a headlight is burnt out and the wipers don’t work) to inquire “How long will this take? Can I wait in the car? I have four kids in here.” He quickly replies “It will take six hour and seven minutes and yes you can all wait in the car”. I smile at his attempt at humor and say “Really, I need to know-(my baby just blew out her diaper) we’re on borrowed time”. He promises 10 minutes, I start counting and proceed to change a diaper in the front seat of my car while listening to the banter under my hood.
“No wonder there is a light that doesn’t work, there’s peanut butter in here.”
“Can you turn the lights on/off (while changing a diaper)?” (6 times in 5 minutes)
“How many kids are in there?”
“You do the wipers…no you do it…no you do it” (I’m thinking ‘do it quick or I’ll come do it myself mister!’)
My kids giggled at these boys/men working the whole time, we were very entertained.
(Earlier today) Me calling my sister: “Is there any way I can drop off a kid or two (she suggests three) for a little while so I can run some errands? The to-do list is piling up and I feel like a nag every time I ask Christopher for help-he’s busy too!”
She graciously takes the older two and Audrey after our emissions and oil change adventure.
Kyler and I set out to conquer the list. He yells at me every time I buckle him in, “ME DO IT!” only he never does it, he just sticks his face in the seat and his bottom in my face. Nice.
We go to QFC to return rotten cantalope.
We go to Albertson’s to return a gallon of soybean oil, don’t ask.
We go to the post office to return something we ordered but was broken. Kyler pushes all the buttons on the machine I’m trying to use to get a stamp and it gets all goofed up.
We go to Central Market to get some fresh flour (I get flour all over my shirt and pants while grinding it-Kyler laughs and thinks it is hilarious).
We go to the printing store to make one copy for 11 cents to complete the application that I’ve been trying to mail for two weeks.
We mail the complete application.
I go online to renew the almost expired tabs now that we passed emissions.
Back to Danielle’s for lunch. Good times!
My favorite part? When people observe my energetic two year old darting around the store and marvel “Wow you’ve got your hands full!” And I get to reply “Yes, and I have three more at home!”.