Just an Hour

I am parked in my same-as-always spot on the side of the street by the school.  One huge rain drop slides down the windshield right in front of me.  It lands there after dive-bombing from one of the many branches of the huge live oak tree that I am so familiar with.  It quickly disappears on the way down, the mini microscope it was providing me, now gone.

In the background I hear the Scottish accents of “Brave”, my little girl completely enthralled with the story of the curly, red-haired princess.

I take a sip of my tea from the travel mug I got in the clearance section of Target a few months ago.  It tastes extra delicious on this soaking, rainy pre-Spring day.  I recognize the cars opposite me in the line and wave at an acquaintance from the school.

In the seat next to me I have placed snacks that my boys will surely ask for with their first breath as they enter through the open door of the van.  My growing brood seems to be eating more and more these days.  I think about how it may be time re-plan my grocery shopping.

I make my move in a game or two of Words With Friends and glance at the clock, 3:04.  I should be able to see the boys walking towards me in my side mirror soon…

It is not raining right now but the streets are full of puddles containing the fallen rain and the sky is still deep grey.  It could start to rain again any minute and I realize after a few extra minutes that the boys are expecting me to pick them up in the car line instead of meeting me at the van like they usually do.  So I go, getting to almost the end of the line, feeling a tad guilty for waiting.

They pile in and they are not THE very last kids and they are happy with smiles of “school’s out” all over their faces and so my Momma guilt readjusts to low.

They open granola bar packages and chomp on apples as the movie continues to play and we make our way to the next thing in our just busy-enough lives.

“Seat belts please!” I holler from the driver’s seat

I don’t see the texts on my phone that alert me that the “next thing” is cancelled due to potential severe weather and we end up in the parking lot anyway where someone comes out to tell me the very same thing.

I sigh a little realizing my planned grocery store trip with two kids will now include three.  Something I am not at all used to, and neither are they.  So we go and it’s crazy and I cannot concentrate so I get the few things we need and send the boys off after a forgotten onion, saying a silent prayer that G does not make an entire display of oranges or apples come tumbling down in my absence.  It could SO happen that way.

We get through check out with two rambunctious boys, one crying 3-year old who wants candy so bad she can taste it and the ingredients for taco night.

We head out with no rain falling… and I count the little blessings.