What we did today.

So guess what I did today? I took KT to the DI to shop for some things and I was going to get a couple of shorts for Em. Katie also needed to do some shopping for a bday party at 1. So we go through the store, Katie tries on about 20 pairs of jeans, we look at shoes, shorts for Em, belts, etc. Then Katie decides she wants to go to a different store for the present. No worries, it's 12:15, if we hurry, we'll be okay. So we get in line and it only takes about 10 minutes to get through the checkout - yikes, now we really gotta hurry. We run out to the car, get 2 kids buckled in and go around to the other side. Uh-oh. The tire is flat, I mean completley flat. Did we drive on it that way? Can't remember, but if it was low before, it's completley flat now. Shoot, what do we do? No cell phone. Run back into DI (leaving the kids and KT in the car). Do they have a phone I could use? Nope, it's against policy. I tell my sob story, mom with 4 kids in the car, no cell phone, no cash to use the pay phone. The lady sitting with the handicapped door greeter (she really just sits there to watch him, probably his nurse or something?) overhears and offers to let me use her cell. Nice lady!!! Call mom. No answer. No worries, it's a new number she probably didn't recognize. She'll answer if I call twice right in a row, right? Wrong. How about 3 times, 3rd times the charm, right? Wrong. No answer. Okay, I'm tuff. I can figure out how to change a tire. The rain has mostly stopped, and I do have Katie to help watch the kids. Okay, open up the back, is this the thing you lift up to get to the other thing you need to change the tire thing? Yeah! Success! Okay, now where do you put the lifty up thing? And where is the tire anyway? Oh no, it's under the car. And yes, I am a bit of a girl, we are parked over a puddle, the ground is wet, my hair is down, and I'M WEARING A NEW SWEATER! Okay, have to re-think this. The nurse lady that let me use her phone inside comes out and says, "Your mom's on the phone" whew, she called back the buggy number. She wanted to know if I could drive it to the tire shop. No way, way too flat (I'm proud of myself that I knew that much!) So she's going to call dad and see if their insurance covers that kind of stuff - you know, the kind of stuff you might break a nail, get your hair dirty or ruin a sweater kind of thing? And will call us back. We realize we are across the street from Shop-Ko, good place to go bday gift shopping, so Katie and Em run over to do their stuff. 20 minutes, no call back from mom, the nurse is feeling a little annoyed of having me hang over her shoulder and watch her cell phone. She offers to let me just take it. Debbie tries on skirts and twirls around in the dressing room, admiring herself in the mirror. Liz is hungry and wants her bottle, but I figured we would be home before she needed one, and had already had the days messy diaper, so I didn't feel a need to pack a diaper bag (just say DI the next time I say we don't need a diaper bag!). The only thing Liz wants to play with, is the cell phone, that is NOT mine. Baby cries, Debbie twirls, we go look at toys. Lizzy plays in a tiny chair, Debbie climbs on a big chair, we go to a new part of the store. We call mom - she left a message with insurance agent 30 minutes ago, will try again. We play in the garden center, we look at more shoes, we have seen everything in DI, we have seen some things brought in and purchased (10 minute turnover on 10% of the store, 9 month turnover on 90% of the store). Call mom again, not to be a pest, but what's going on? She'd left another message, waiting for a call back. We head back up front, Katie and Em are back and the nurse needs to leave, they are off. Mom calls as she is walking out the door. A towtruck is coming, where are we parked? Go sit in the car, truck should be there in 15-20 minutes. 25 minutes later it's 2:00. Baby's hungry, turns up the radio and dances, mom turns down the radio she cries, baby turns up the radio and dances, mom turns it down, baby turns it up, mom turns it down, baby turns it up, mom turns it off - Katie jokingly cries we all get punished for baby's game. man knocks on the window - did you know your' tires flat? yup! thanks! Man walks by the window and and points to tire, makes a squishy hand gesture - we give a thumbs up - yup! thanks! We find graham crackers!!! Tow truck shows up!!! Everyone gets out to watch - this is the most fun we've had in 2 hours! Off comes lugnut one! Off comes #2! 3, 4, 5, .... 6 is stuck. It's the wrong size, almost stripped. Tries tool 1, tries tool 2, tries tool 2, tries tool 2 - success!!! Pulls on the tire, pulls on the tire, pulls on the tire, gets a sledge hammer and pounds on the tire, tries again, and again, tires comes off!!! (2:45 - party started at 1:00) Tire goes on, kids in seats, we are off!!! Kids fall asleep 2 minutes into the ride, we make it to Hollow Road by 3:15 where mom is waiting to take Katie to the party. Everyone was good, everyone was happy, everyone was hungry! Moral of the story? Pack a diaper bag, have some change, and know how to change a tire. By the way, my kids were troopers. There was a little crying here and there by the baby, but everyone obeyed and helped their little sisters.