Isn't that the story when you're a Stay-At-Home-Mom? Yes, it's true that I drove more back when I was a florist delivery driver...no gold lamé suit or winged hat for me, though I was speedy and polite ...
But I do drive a lot. This morning, the issue was not so much the mileage as the juggle... 4 kids, 3 different things all before 11 a.m.
9:00Certificate of Merit piano exam to be administered 30 minutes away from home for Big G.
10:00Skateboard Class at a location heading back toward home for a 20-minute drive from the piano thing for Q-Man.
11:00Gymnastics heading back in the original direction another 10-minute drive from the skateboard thing for Big G and Baby X.
Lots of back-and-forth going on. Every time I got in and out of the car and had to look at how hoopty it's getting, this video came to mind. You see, there is a medium-ish dent in the driver's door of my minivan, a ding in the hood and another on the tailgate and enough food on the floor to keep us all alive for about a week... if we were stingy with the portion-sizes and desperate enough to tolerate subsisting on stale Cheerios, rice cake crumbles and broken pretzels. Thinking about this video kept me sane because it makes me laugh. I find laughter really helps me in the insanity-prevention department.
Of course, the fun didn't end with the arrival at gymnastics. Nope. It was at this point that momming kicked into high gear. Chasing a bored-now-rampant toddler who has been being schlepped all over town for her older brothers' and sister's activities while simultaneously coping with the whining of a bored, Doritos-craving kindergartener is grueling... especially in a confined space filled with lots of observing parents drinking cups of coffee without handy lids. Finally, after 55 minutes of that, we got to go home to have lunch and fight with our siblings and drive mommy more batty and eventually settle down when the toddler went to nap.
After my rough housewife/mommy morning, I was in serious need of some REAL housewife humor. I know where to go when THAT is my jones... and if off-color language offends you and/or your kids are in the room, consider yourself warned... I don't let my kids listen to this one!
No need for oxycontin washed down with Jack D for me. Listening to Sally Brooks and laughing so hard no sound comes out is my Mother's Cure :)
Do you spend a lot of time in the car? Do you enjoy driving?
–While I spend more time in the car with my kids than I prefer, I do enjoy driving quite a bit :) I love road trips and would love to do that with the kids... not loving all the kid-commuting as much.
What is your go-to for insanity-prevention?
–Other than a great laugh, I pick running.
Grandpa Lindow (1912-1996) was the first in his family to be born in the United States. Both of his parents came from a teeny-tiny village in Northern Italy... in the mountains... and his older brother was also born in the 'old country'.
circa 1941
Like so many immigrants, they came to America because it was The Promised Land... The Land of Opportunity. They settled in northern Michigan...
the Upper Peninsula ...
the U.P....
they were Youpers.
And they were dirt poor. I often wonder how much better off they were for coming all this way.
His real name wasn't Lindow. I found out his real name while in the process of obtaining dual citizenship two years ago. It was Olindo. And I found out that the teeny-tiny village in Italy in which his parents and brother were born is still there. It's still teeny-tiny. And it's very pretty.
I hope to see it for myself someday soon. Grandpa Lindow never did.
Have you ever done any genealogical digging around? Did you find out anything interesting?
–I found out that my Italian great-grandfather came to America at least twice before finally settling here. And that he arrived for the final time with $1.80 in his pocket (according to the ship manifest).
Have you ever seen your ancestral "homeland"? –While I have been to Italy, Germany and England (where my ancestors are from) I have never been to the actual cities or towns in which they were born or lived. I do hope to someday.
