Why I Make a Bad Soccer Mom

Education comes first.

And I obviously cannot plan a logical timeline.

Yesterday after school I needed to go to the post office, and I wanted to go redeem my 25% coupon at Barnes and Noble for an audio book for our trip home, and I wanted to the office supply store to exchange binder I bought for a larger size. I also needed to meet my sweetie on the other side of town when he got off work so we could drop one of our cars off for repairs by the time the shop closed by 6:00 p.m. And, all of this had to be accomplished between 3:15 p.m., when the kids were out of school, and 7:30 p.m., when I needed to leave for night school.

(That is much more than I ever attempt to do on a week night, but this going-out-of-town-for-Christmas business throws the whole schedule off.)

Before I could accomplish anything, I thought it was important that we run home for bathroom breaks, snacks, and homework time, which is typically about 30 minutes.

Big mistake.

That put us in a line at the post office at 4:00 p.m. Apparently everyone in front of me was trying to mail bombs to Guam or something because I was in that line for 45 minutes, and I was only about 10th in line when I started.

After my 30 second transaction at the counter, where I felt a little cheated that I didn't get as much time with the postmaster as everyone else, that put me with the 5 0'clock traffic to cross to the opposite side of town. Freeway or surface streets? Either way, my life sucks.

(Reason #456 that being a teacher is awesome: no evening rush hour traffic!)

Every ten minutes my sweetie called: "Where are you now?" At a never ending light. On the freeway looking at brake lights. Behind 30 cars waiting at a stop light. Am I behind an accident and don't know it? So close, yet so far away.

We made it to the dealer service department in time to drop our keys off to a real person, rather than a drop box. (The appointment was in the morning.) The trip back across town wasn't as long, but there was no time for a book store or office supply store stop because kids needed to be fed and bathed before getting ready for bed.

Most days, those few hours between the end of the school day and bedtime are pretty short and hectic, without errands or activities. How do those soccer moms do it?