I should point out

that this morning was the kind of carpool morning I dread. Not quite carpool from hell, but certainly carpool purgatory. Neighbor needed to be elsewhere, so she asked if I could take the kids to school. Oldest would now be late, but there weren't really other options so I said OK.

Everything is hunky-dory until we get the first non-related-to-me kid. She's gotta sit in the middle between two boosters because the other kids are smaller. As it is oldest is sitting in the front seat (BAD BAD BAD DADDY!), as I drive a Civic for crying out loud, and there's barely room for three teeny weenies in the back. Picked up child starts whining that she doesn't want to be there, not in the middle, not next to youngest, not...

Fortunately it was dad there, and he had a train to make. "Sorry, kiddo, here's where you gotta be." Down the block to get last kid. Ring ring ring. Nobody home. Call Mrs. - "is the kid at his cousin's house?" What day is it, asks she. Thursday? Yep, he's there. Drive the block there, whine whine whine. My youngest joins the sobfest. Dad's phrase that pays, my lovely child, is "too bad."

Cousin's house, ring ring ring, no answer, side door, there they are. Dig seatbelt out from under whiny non-related kid, head over to school. Mercifully only a block away. Kids out one by one, up the stairs into the arms of loving teacher, whining & crying from all three. A cheery goodbye from VERY late dad & oldest, & off to her school.

Mamma's return can NOT come soon enough for me, for a wide variety of reasons.