The Rocky Dance

We depend very heavily on help from different family members during the week. Some babysit, some help with drop off, and some help with pick up. PJ and I both work. Our children go to two different schools that are neither near our house nor our jobs. If we didn't have all of this help, we'd be lost. Prime example of our complete dependence - this past Monday & Tuesday


My in-laws were out of town on Monday and Tuesday. PJ and I realized that without the help of my father-in-law at pick up time, my children were going to have to learn to walk home from a few towns away or we were going to have to get creative. I teach until after the kids are out of school and PJ often has afternoon meetings. Monday was one of those days, so I had to take a sick day to be able to pick the kids up in time from school. On Tuesday, we figured PJ could go into work early and get out early enough to do pick up. Unfortunately, that left me to deal with drop off. 


On a good day, our mornings are a little nuts. I got up well before the crack of dawn to try to pull off numerous drop offs and still make it to work. The day started with the normal amount of chaos at a slightly earlier time. Lunches, uniforms, diapers, backpacks, water bottles and the like got packed. I got four out of my five children ready and into the car by ten past seven. Sean slept through the entire morning routine so I grabbed him out of his bed, threw a coat over his pajamas and tossed put him into his car seat. Away we went. 


I managed to drop Patrick and Lucy at their school at a reasonably early time. Then, I rushed Sophie into her school, hung up her backpack and chucked the little ones back into the car. (During this, I had a 35 second walking conversation with a friend I haven't seen in ages. Annette is so understanding of my crazy life!) En route to drop Sean and Charlotte with our babysitter (back in the town where the morning had started), I hit tons of traffic. Needless to say, I practically threw the kids at her - Sean still in his pajamas - so I could rush off to work. Now, I've discussed my caffeine addiction in the past. There was no way - late or not - that I was going to attempt to get through a day of work without a stop at Dunkin' Donuts. 


After more than two hours of driving and dropping off 57 5 kids at three different locations (and a much-needed stop for coffee), I arrived in front of my school only 4 minutes late. If that doesn't warrant the Rocky Balboa dance of triumph, I don't know what does.

Triumph, baby

Long story, short: we're completely lost without all of our baby sitters and baby transporters. Thank God for family!



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