By
Jennifer Ismail
Running an errand with two children under the age
of three should be considered an Olympic event. Getting the kids
dressed, fed and happy at the same time on a daily basis is a
challenge unto itself; taking them out and getting anything accomplished
turns it into a parental decathlon. Only the strongest competitors
can complete all tasks AND retain their composure.
I took my two-month-old son and my two-year-old daughter to a
government office the other day. I went early, hoping for a quick
in and out. No such luck.
I cleared the first hurdle effortlessly -- I was the first to
be served; however, my son started to cry while I was talking
to the desk clerk. I needed to fill in a form, so while my son
continued to cry, my daughter got in the spirit and proceeded
to throw all of my ID and credit cards around the office like
discuses. I was able to snatch the form away from her just as
she was about to decorate it with the pen I left there purposely
to tempt her. As I once again approached the counter with my now-wailing
son, my daughter began to play with the door to the reception
area and managed to pinch the tip of her finger so that she was
now crying, too.
As I was squatting down to comfort her, I noticed the smell.
Both kids had pooped. On a positive note, people are usually much
more willing to help you win the race when you have such a loud,
smelly entourage with you.
I held my head high and ignored the pitying looks as I left the
office. There was still one event left though -- I had to change
two diapers and feed both kids before we left the parking lot.
At least I had done what I set out to do without breaking down
and crying myself.
Honestly, doesn't that deserve some sort of medal?
Jennifer Ismail is a
stay at home mom and freelancer who enjoys writing lighthearted
essays from her personal experiences. Her work has appeared
in her local paper as well as several parenting sites. She
can be contacted at locito99@yahoo.com
|
