Murphy's Law Strikes Again

Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Isn't that Murphy's Law? Well, we were victim's to it today. I woke up with a plan this morning. Maybe that was my first problem. But I did have a plan. I was going to get up, get all 4 kids ready in time to drop Gracie off at school and then get some groceries and get home in time to clean the house before play group at noon. It was a good plan. And everything was sort of going according to plan. We got out the door about 8:45. Gracie's school starts at 9:00. We had perfect timing. Normally Gracie rides the bus, but the bus stop has become a problem. Getting 3 little boys dressed and ready to walk to the bus stop is hard. Brigham is kind of small to ride in the double stroller. Benson is too little to walk because he doesn't really understand about not running in the road. It takes two hands to push the double stroller. We live too close to drive, but the bus stop is out of sight of the house and across a semi busy road so I don't dare to let Gracie go alone. So far the best option is to put Brigham in the baby carrier and the older boys in the double stroller. It isn't ideal and I don't know what I am going to do when it starts to snow. Anyway, that is why I was taking Gracie to school today was part of my "plan." Well, about 3 minutes from the school I heard a loud clunk, clunk, clunk as I was driving. It was a sound that was vaguely familiar to me. A flat tire. I pulled over at the first business I came to because in my hurry to get out the door this morning I forgot my cell phone. I remembered it about 2 minutes after I left my house. I thought to myself when I remembered, "What is going to go wrong? We will be fine." Little did I know huh? Well the business that we had pulled into was a self service laundromat. I got out of my van and walked around it trying to figure out which tire was flat. None of them was. But then I saw it. The hugest screw with a gigantic bolt sticking out of my right front tire. This thing was enormous! At least the diameter of a nickle and who knows how long. I looked around for some help. There was not a human being in sight. And no pay phone either. So what could I do. I got back into the van and drove across the street to a convenience store... clunk, clunk, clunk. But they had a pay phone! I locked my van doors with all of my children inside (not the best looking place) and ran inside to find out what the address was of where I was at. Then I went out to the pay phone to call David for help. I kind of know how to change a tire, but it was cold and my baby was crying because the van wasn't moving and I knew in order to prevent a total melt down (my own) I was going to need help! Did I mention that this was the very first time I had gone out alone with all four kids since Brigham was born. Maybe all of this wouldn't have been so traumatic if it hadn't been my first time. So, yeah, I went to the payphone to call David for help. The payphone didn't work. So I went back inside and the lady who worked there was kind enough to let me use the store phone. I called David, and despite trying to be strong I could hear the tears in my voice. I don't think I have ever been more grateful to hear his voice on the other end of the phone! I was so thankful that he was at a point in his schedule that he could come and help me too. Had he been in his office seeing patients they would not have let him come and save me! After I got off the phone with him a kind man at the convenience store actually offered to help me as well. Isn't it wonderful to know that there are kind strangers out there willing to help other people! I told him my husband was on his way, but it warmed my heart to even have him offer! When David got there he sent me to take Gracie to school in his car while he got out the jack and donut tire. He jacked up the car and the jack broke. Didn't I tell you anything that could go wrong did. So we called road side assistance (thank goodness for car insurance!). They came in just a couple of minutes. Wow, the guy was fast! He got there and had the donut on the van in less time than it took me to go into the convenience store to get some cash out of the ATM to pay him! Then we took the tire to the tire store. Two tires and a car inspection later (the one with the gigantic bolt in it wasn't reparable and the other one didn't pass inspection which we were way over due for) and the van is ready to go again. I don't know if I can say the same for myself. The grocery store wasn't fun, Sammy has been talking back a LOT lately, and he fought with the other kids at the play group as well. Gracie just got home and she had a bad day at school. Can we just have a do over? Or can it be bed time and have this day just end? I think it will be a while before I venture out on my own with all 4 kids again. I guess the silver lining to this day is that they finally have canned pumpkin at the grocery store. I think I am going to go do some therapeutic baking... if only my kitchen was clean...