Reality Strikes

Lest anyone think I have my act together, let me describe my morning.

Every Monday, we attend a children's music performance at 10 am.  We leave at 9:30.  Every Monday, for months and months now.  You'd think I would have it down to a science.

Yet this morning, for some bizarre reason, I was cleaning up the breakfast dishes, and noticed it was 8:55 am.  We had to leave in 5 minutes!  Where had the time gone?  I scrambled to get the kids ready, confine Rory (who is increasingly destructive when we're out of the house), change Sweet Pea's diaper (someone always poops when you're trying to get out of the house), buckle everyone into their carseats, fold up the stroller and stick it in the back of the car, etc.

Whew!  Finally, we're out of the house and on time for music class.  I wanted to get there early because it's a school holiday today and I knew there would be an especially large group there.

We pulled into the parking lot ... which was empty.  Crickets.  I was stumped, until I looked at my watch and realized it was 9:25 am.  Not 10 am.  AAARRGH!!  I must have lost my mind.  9:30 is the time we're supposed to leave the house, not the time we're supposed to arrive!  Awesome Mom Moment #1. 

Yes, I was feeling like an idiot.  But at least we were early, not late.  And at least I'd get a great parking spot -- right in front!  I decided we would go for a meandering walk in the enormous parking lot, but two minutes into the walk I realized it was really too chilly for a walk without coats. No, I hadn't brought coats, because I didn't think we'd be walking around outside!  Awesome Mom Moment #2.

Brilliant idea!  Let the kids play in the back cargo area of my station wagon!  I'm such a fun mom!  I opened the hatch, popped the kids inside, and crawled in, shutting the hatch behind me.  We had a great time in our warm little space, wrestling around, tickling each other, laughing, tossing some toys around.

Around 9:55 I noticed the parking lot was filling up.  Time to get out of the car.  Except ... there's no way to open the hatch from the inside.  Awesome Mom Moment #3.  Literally, I was locked inside my car with my kids.  I had to climb over the back seat, into CC's car seat, clamber over Little Man's car seat, practically dislocate my elbow trying to reach the door handle, and almost fall on my face out onto the parking lot when the door opened.  

There's really no way to look cool doing that.