The Best Laid Plans...

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray."
Isn't that how the quote goes? Sometimes I think that should be my theme song. A few other options would be:  Expect The Unexpected...or The Joke Is On You.

Eric surprised me with this 1986 Jeep Grand Wagoneer for an anniversary gift about 8 years ago, it is so cool...my dream car. Well, one of them anyway and I love it. It has not ran for several years and since we moved into this house nearly two years ago we have had it in storage. Me and the kids go out and pay our storage bill each month and we always drive by to check on it and often we park so they can get in it and play and we talk about how great it is going to be someday when we can really drive it. We recently decided that we were ready to see if it can become drivable again. Eric talked to the mechanic about looking into the possibility of fixing it and it was scheduled to be towed to the shop Wednesday morning. I was so excited about the possibility of actually being able to drive my Jeep again depending on what exactly is wrong with it and what kind of financial obligation is involved of course. This baby is old. You know where this is going, right?

So Tuesday night I left the house and literally got down the block when my car died. Totally broke down. Music went out, lights dimmed, car died. It was the alternator. Not good. So instead of having the Jeep towed to the shop yesterday morning, my car was towed instead. Four hundred dollars later I have my car back with a brand spankin'-new alternator. So the Jeep is going to have to wait a littler bit longer. I'm trying to have a sense of humor about it today but that was not the case Tuesday night. I wanted to throw a fit and cry about how unfair it is. Well, I did cry but I really wanted to throw a fit. Seriously. Then I reminded myself that I am in fact the parent here and you can't really do that in front of the kids. So I told them (and myself) that we will get it in there someday. And we might just get it running one day.

                                  But seriously now, ain't she a beauty?

Today.

Some days--okay, most days--I have to remind myself throughout the day to slow down, look away, count to 3 (or 10), take a deep breath and enjoy the day. Now, it's not that I don't enjoy these days at home with my kids, but you know....after breaking up countless fights, the dog peeing on the chair, running out of milk when you were just at the store, no one liking what you fixed for dinner...it can wear you down. I have to try to make a conscience effort to stop what I'm doing right then to go and  see what one of the kids wants to show me, let the dishes wait and not notice the Legos that are all over the floor--again. The messes will always be there. Always. The kids, unfortunately, will not always think I am the greatest thing in the world (after daddy) and want to spend every day with me. Stop, slow down and appreciate the day, that's what I am telling myself today.

This morning we had a couple errands to run and since it is Bench Monday Wyatt said we should take his new bench with us, so we did. After dropping off three huge bags of clothes at Catholic Charities we went out to pay the storage bill for our old Jeep Grand Wagoneer...ummm...somebody got a little behind on the payments and I am TOTALLY blaming the storage place because they do not send you a monthly bill-you just have to remember to pay it. The nerve. After I got that straightened out we got out of the car and got in the Jeep because the kids think it is the greatest thing ever, and they played in it for like twenty minutes and I didn't even hurry them. Today is a good day.