Just running by

It's been one of those weeks where I just seem to be always running from one thing to the next. The first two days were pretty normal, if not light, in terms of activities but I was running around the house trying to get a few things caught up. Today has started the days of "What does my house look like again?". Today we left the house at 2p in the hopes of picking up a toaster oven off Craigslist on the way to the DMV so I could renew my license. This is how it went....

Drive the long way round to get over to San Bruno rather than going straight over to San Mateo. Wonder aimlessly around the block for a few minutes because 853 is labeled only over the driveway of the apartment building in dark numbers on dark brick unlike the bright brass numbering on the front of the same building that says 1099 and the one just up the street that says 1101. Finally find numbers, pull in and call the phone number you were given for seller's partner who is supposed to be meeting you. Have phone answered by a woman who has no clue who "Ivan" is and says you must have a wrong number. Beat yourself up for not having an apartment number nor the regular cell phone number of the person you've been dealing with but realize that you are already running really late to get to the DMV in time for your husband to grab the kids and get them home before his phone conference.

Drive like a maniac to the DMV to still get there almost 20min late. Continue fuming about the idiocy of people who give wrong phone numbers and no apartment numbers while berating yourself over the stupidity of not bringing the original phone number since the person had already given the wrong address once before and not realized it.

Apologize again to husband for being late and thank him for getting you a number so you dont' have to stand in one of the DMV line. Head in and leave him to deal with kids.

Get in to see that there is now a F019 up on the board and your number is F018. Wait for 25min to not see another F number at all and it's now 20min past your appointment time. Go see front clerk who tells you he has no idea what the problem is, numbers are called randomly, sit back down and deal.

2 minutes later see F020 get called up. Go see clerk in the front again and get told "you must have missed it when they called your number, here's a new one" which is now F022. Considering it's taken over 30min for one F number to get called, settle down for another hour plus wait and seethe quietly to the people next to you about the fact that you had an appointment which obviously means nothing and the fact that the number could have only been up there for a minute or two in order for you to have missed it which is less time than many people take in the bathroom. Roll eyes repeatedly at the stupidity of the DMV and Drs. offices who love to exemplify this.

Do a little happy dance when F021 is called after only 20min and a huge happy dance when F022 is called immediately afterwards. Go up to the little window and get asked for the letter from the DMV stating you had to come in.

Whoops

Get asked for the form you were supposed to fill out.

Whoops again

Fill out the form while at the little window. Grimace at the "weight" question and consider lying but realize that you won't be that weight for a long time, if ever again. Sigh loudly and move on. Start sweating at the thought that they are going to be handing you a written test and while you haven't had a moving violation in almost 10yrs, you don't necessarily remember the exact number of feet you need to stop behind a bus with flashing yellow lights or other weird nuances, you simply do this by route now.

Realize the woman at the desk is handing you a bunch of paper and telling you it's your temporary license and receipt and that you need to go to Window one for a new picture. Wait! She said nothing about needing to take a test. You start to do another happy dance until you realize that you have to go get another stupid DMV picture taken. You'd think they'd be nice enough to have stylists on hand to keep you from looking like the dorkiest version of yourself. (Note to self, this would be a fabulous business to start, a chain of saloons right next door to DMVs for those last minute touch-ups before getting dorky picture taken)

Get in the car and call husband to find out that he still isn't home and is likely to miss his rescheduled meeting. Apologize again but be thankful he made it to the bank and went inside and you now have the money to pay the ginormous credit card bill he ran up with all his buisness travel.

Stop at the dry cleaners on the way home to pick up his suit for his whiskey thing tonight. Grimace again at the pinstripes on the trousers but remind yourself that a) you aren't wearing it, b) you don't even have to look at it for long, and c) he got a great price on them at the thrift shop so shut up and deal. At least you get to laugh at him for wearing a monkey suit.

Rush home and drop off the suit. Check email, debate calling Craigslist person but decide you still aren't ready to deal with her and the language barrier. See husband out of the house and get boys ready for KSW. Leave oldest home to nap and make dinner once he knows we are on the way. Drop middle two at class and head to New Leaf with youngest in tow. Try letting 2yr old walk through grocery store. Conversation goes like this:

"Nico climb out of the car. No, you can't go through mommy's door, it's already locked, come through your door. Fine, I need to get something out of the back. Why don't you climb back and get out from there?"

"Nico, we aren't going that way, we are going into the grocery store. Mommy wants some nice salmon for her birthday dinner. No, we aren't going that way, let's go this way and see what we can find at New Leaf."

"Nico dear, we only need one basket and mommy has one. You really want that one? Okay, fine we can use that one and I'll put this one back. We can both hold the basket ok? No, Nico, we really don't need to each have a basket, we can share one, let's share this one Nico. Okay, we can share that one. No, Nico, we really only need one basket. Come on Nico, let's go see what they have over here?"

"Nico please don't kick the basket since we are about to put mommy's salmon in there. That's expensive and we don't want to hurt it. Okay, fine, I'll take the bakset. Nico, you need to come back here. Mommy is not going to play this game. I'm counting to three and then we are going to have to get the monkey. 1...2...Thank you Nico. Please stay with me. Do you want to hold on to the basket or mommy's hand?"

"Nico, why did you just put cookies in the basket? Do you really want those? Ok, I guess you can have them. No, you may not put the baby oatmeal in the basket. You didn't even like it when you were a baby. No, we don't need any more cereal. I know you like that one but mommy just went through the cereal yesterday and we have over 20 boxes in the house so let's eat that first."

"No, Nico, we don't need to get any rasberry licorice hearts tonight. You have some at home. Please get your hands out of there. Ugh! Did you just grab one and stick it in your mouth? You can't do that love. Please sit right here while I get some yogurt raisins for your brothers. Please don't eat anything off the floor, that is really nasty."

"Nico can you please put the basket back with the other ones. They don't need it down the aisle. No Nico, you don't need to get anything else, we are done shopping here. Please come back with the basket. Nico, I'm counting three and then I'm going to carry you out of here. 1...2...3 Ok, you made your choice. Now mommy's going to carry you back to the car. I'm sorry dear, no, you can't walk. You chose not to listen to mommy and come back when she asked so now you need to be carried. When you listen and stop when mommy says, then you can walk more. We'll try again over at Safeway."

Get child in car and drive across the freeway over to Safeway. I'd repeat the conversation there but it's not much different than the one from New Leaf except when I told him "This is mommy's angry voice. I'm very unhappy that you aren't listening to me and I need you to sit right here while I find some blueberries." Of course, if I hadn't had to go through 20+ things of blueberries to find 6 that didn't have mold, we might have gotten out before what little patience he has (and his cookie) ran out.

I had the brilliant idea when checking out to have him help me unfold the Chico bags so that kept him busy and out of the candy while we waiting. Then he helped me carry the groceries out to the car which went well. Our walk while waiting for the boys to get out was not very successful. After the 100000000000000th time of running away and not listening and refusing to hold hands, I told him that was enough and made him sit in my lap until the end of class. This resulted in him screaming "Maaaaa....Yon....Maaaaa....Yon....OUT!" at the top of his lungs to his brothers who were doing cartwheels. This continued for the 5min they had remaining of class tho it felt considerably longer.

We finally made it home. I made sure the salmon got into the house and fridge since I have no wish to repeat that disaster. Nico refused to sit for dinner and wanted to go around tearing up bread and putting it into everyone's soup (clam chowder) all while picking his nose. Um, sorry honey, you can only pick your nose and handle the bread you are planning on eating. I'm pretty sure that's a commandment or one of the rights afforded in the Constitution.

Now to get them all to sleep and try to sneak in some time with a good book in peace and quiet. Yeah, I know, I'm not holding my breath after Nico's nap either but hey, hope is what keeps me going somedays so don't throw cold water on it.