As the bird tweets, we miss a lot of fun activities! That’s because we’re always late to the party… literally! We’ve missed the better half of birthday parties, christenings, the walk down the aisle, the eulogy, the sun. You name it. We’ve missed it. Anyone else having trouble getting places on time since they had children (with or without special needs)? Getting places…. Finishing things…. Posting to blogs!
I used to be prompt-like-mad for work, for meetings, for life! 15 minutes early or, at the very least, on-time. I was only rarely fashionably late — and half the time I could (sometimes unfairly) blame that on my hubby. But there’s nothing fashionable about being an hour late or more now that I’m responsible for moving 3 children — 2 that look-alike and have Down syndrome — and a husband who mostly travels in the 5mph No Wake zone.
What’s that you say? It’s my fault? Yeah, I know… it’s always the Mom’s fault! Because I need to plan better, right? HA! I can plan a departure 2 hours in advance of what’s aggressively sufficient to arrive on time. I could be ready, coats zipped and walking out the door when the universe throws me the unpredictable curve ball. A nasty bowel movement, a sleeping child, a tire with low air, an en-route traffic jam. The unplannable, unthinkable bump in the road. You name it and you can generally find me on the receiving end of it… whatever it is that’s making us late.
Then, if I plan too far in advance, and, by the grace of God we arrive early or on-time, we have to wait for things to start. Waiting is my kids’ least favorite thing to do. And, when this happens, not only do we unpleasantly surprise the host, we run through my children’s 4-hours-away-from-home threshold and end up missing the end game. Or, if I choose to overstay that 4-hour window, I end up paying for that bad decision for days with grumpy, uncooperative or, worse, sick children. SO not worth it!
So who’s with me? Feeling my pain? Sharing it? Any answers? Ideas? Heck, I’ll take prayers too (LOL)!
(More by Maggie at [email protected])