Getting in the car

There are many simple daily activities that are no longer simple with children, getting in the car is one of them. I am not sure it is the most difficult of activities, but it is up there. I like to think that if I had a nice big attached two car garage (preferably heated with painted floors and a shoe organizer rack) that my life would be significantly easier. Truth is, if you make one activity easier there is usually something waiting in the wings to pop up and say, "ha! now you have to deal with me too!"

Anyway, as I was getting in the car the other day to take Jonah to school I turned to look back towards my house and at my three children attempting to make it to the car (or not) and I thought, I MUST write about this. Some day I will forgot this and bee-bop out to my cute little two door sports car, hop in and drive off without a care in the world (that is if we ever get this birth control thing figured out).

The distance from my car door to my front door is about 30 feet I would guess. It is a straight shot, with a nice sidewalk (usually cleared off, even in the worst snow, by my husband). There are not that many distractors along the way, mostly grass and a couple potted plants by the door. We keep the porch swept and free from toys, shoes, rocks, etc. However, on this particular day (which is typical) I looked back and this is what I saw:

Jonah, to his credit, was closest to the van but had dropped both school bags, his lunch and almost lost his cost which was dangling down around the bend in his elbows while he bent to lick some snow off a muddy leftover lily steam. I believe there was actually a dead lily branch in his mouth.

Elias had made it half way up the sidewalk before he managed to trip and face plant into the one an only spot of mud on the cleared side walk. Instead of getting up he laid there and tried to lick the snot off his nose, for entertainment I suppose.

Bebe did not even make it to the sidewalk. She was still on the porch, crouched down by the flower pot happily eating dirt.

I took a deep breath and in my nicest voice reminded Jonah that he would have nothing to eat if he left his lunch in the front yard. Although he was closest to the van he ended up being the last in. I picked up Elias first and buckled him in - a quick aside note: I greatly dislike car seats in the winter. Trying to buckle a toddler into a tight, 5 point harness WITH a winter coat on is as close to impossible as it gets. But, I did it, as I do everyday at least twice a day.

Bebe was next and she screamed the whole time because I took the rock that she was chewing on away. She is slightly easier to fit the seatbelt around, but has much more, um...personality to deal with than Elias does.

Jonah was last. I don't even remember what he was doing by the time I got his brother and sister buckled. I know that I shut the doors and drove off about 10 feet in order to get his attention. He started screaming, "Don't leave me!!! Don't leave me!!!" so I stopped and let him in. Not because I didn't want to leave him, but rather because he was the whole reason we were getting in the car in the first place. He climbed in and like a true parent, I just HAD to repeat myself a 15th time and say, "get in your seat!" I know he knew that was what he was supposed to do, but sometime you just can't help yourself. He stopped and looked at me for a moment then said, "You know mom, you're kinda annoying."

"Oh, ya?" I responded as calmly as possible.
"Ya, you just keep saying the same thing over and over."

I said nothing, but rather buckled him in and finally drove off towards school. Someday I will reread this and just have to go jump in my car, all by myself and drive off with ease..............just for the hell of it!