The days when you feel like lying underneath a train

Before you panic, don’t worry, because due to the public transport crisis in Melbourne at the moment, it seems 90% of the trains are stationary and not looking like moving much in the near future, and so no harm would befall me if I lay across the sleepers.

Which brings us to the start of my day. Adam calls to say he is stranded in a neighbouring suburb (he along with hundreds of other very p—ed off people) and could I please come pick him up? Sure. I fight traffic to get over there, with two children in the backseat I literally just picked up and threw into their car seats. Then, when I get there, he asks me to drive him another couple of suburbs away where his boss has said he’ll take him to work. Hmm…OK. By now, Keira’s thirsty and car sick in the back due to all the stopping and starting. Riley, by some act of God or Karma – perhaps I patted a cat or was nice to a dog at just the right time sometime lately – has fallen asleep. Just how he stays asleep over Keira’s complaining is beyond me. We crawl along. We get there. By now I’m thirsty. We haven’t even made it to playgroup yet, which is what was distressing Keira all along.

“Playgroup,” she whispers in the backseat, as parched as a dying man in the desert would ask for water.

“Fine, fine, we’re off” I say, after stopping briefly at home to pick up the nappy bag. We get to playgroup. Then for the next two hours, I sit for a grand total of about ten minutes in between breastfeeding, chasing kids, pushing kids on the swings.

Then, oh joy of joys, I come home to this:

Snap cards anyone? No trouble to play, they’re already out.

Washing up? What’s that?

Look at me mum! I got my way, got to playgroup, and I haven’t even had my hair brushed today or had my teeth cleaned! It’s great to be alive!

Mum, you haven’t cut up my polenta to the right cubic consistency and I’m just not going to eat it! And that trick to mix it up with strawberries to make it more interesting? I’m not buying it. Plus, I have a dirty nappy. Surprise!

Wow. Lucky me!

This has been written in mind with Jessica’s recent reality check in mind.