The Straw.

"One little wrench in the works and the whole day goes to hell."
I over heard this little gem at the park the other day. The wrench was the fact that the pool guy drove into their hedge which meant the gardener had to come and fix the hedge. I remember being scornful. Really, that's what you've got to complain about - poor over privileged you. I am often on a soapbox ranting about how we should all have more peace, love and understanding, so of course that soapbox decided to teach me a thing or two.

Standing in a chilly parking lot at 7.30am has never been my favorite pastime. Standing there listening to someone tell me on my cell phone that the school bus will not be coming - less so. Our lovely bus driver overslept. Happens to us all, so I want to be gracious and understanding. Hard to pull off at 7.30am.

It quickly becomes evident that it will be easiest for me to drive the kids. Everyone else is employed - in a go to an office, get paid and get in trouble when you're late kind of way. I scramble to think what I need to do to make this work for me.
First - I need a cup of tea and a bra.
Second - I need to deliver the three year old to a before school play date - who can then deliver her to pre-school.
Third - I need to take four kids with me while I do this then get them to school on time.
Shouldn't be too hard.

I pull it off and we head for school. I am almost there when I remember the meal I was bringing for a family in need is still in my fridge. I narrowly avoid teaching a second, third, fourth and seventh grader a very bad word. Once all children are safely delivered, expletive free, to their classrooms, I remember that today is the day I volunteer to serve lunch. Which means that I don't have time to return home. Which means I don't have time to work, blog, pay bills, do dishes/laundry and/or any of the multitude (fun) things I do when both kids are at school.

I call the family waiting for their food and work out an alternative. I sit at a vacant desk in the school office and achieve as much as I can with my iPhone until it's time to serve lunch. I serve lunch and jump in the car to go get the three year old. Serving lunch makes me about 15 minutes late for pick up but a school friend plays with her until I get there. It's as I'm driving that I realize that since I wasn't at drop off I didn't arrange the after school play date. So, now I'm simply late. I am greeted by a very upset and angry three year old and a less than impressed teacher. I spend twenty minutes smoothing feathers. It is 1.40pm - I have not eaten or cleaned my teeth.

It's at this point that I question life, the universe and the general state of my world. My planned day was filled with good deeds and good parenting. I was going to be productive and hard working. Why pick on me? I can think of several twenty something celebrities who need a life lesson more than me right now. I still have nap, school pick up, food shopping and a thousand other things to juggle.

"One little wrench in the works and the whole day goes to hell."
Amen sister.