Oh what a day!

It started out pretty normally. I woke up a little later than I intended and didn't get the time to work out. (More on that later) I got cleaned up, got the boys up and dressed, etc. Things were going along according to plan, when we headed out the door. 

Note: Instead of nanny coming to our house this month she is going to Holly's house, so I drop the boys off over there whenever I am working.

I was pushing the boys into the van when Levi pointed out that my right front tire was FLAT. Run back in, grab the Honda's keys, switch carseats over, push them into the Honda and head off. Drop them off, no problem and head to work.

I get to work and find out my hours have been cut, again. I get to work 3 hours today and then go home. I really love what I am doing, but the constantly changing schedule is getting to me. 

Cruise through the morning, head back to pick up the boys and head home. Eat lunch and then hook up the tire-inflator plug-into-the-lighter socket thingy. Watch the tire inflate and see large bolt in the tread. Hatch plan to get van to tire fixit place. Find a can of fix-a-flat in the garage, hook it up, it doesn't work. Doh. While watching tire inflate, Ahren comes sauntering by and I see a streak of gray as the 6 lb Cujo makes a mad dash to freedom. Double DOH! Get tire full, try and catch dog (no luck) load boys in the van and start to drive like a madwoman to tire place. Get down the road and realize I forgot my PURSE. No doh this time, more like a few choice words. Head back to the house, grab purse, see dog running in the woods and try and catch her. Get 10 feet from her and she turns and runs. More bad words. 

Get back in van and drive. Halfway there tire is making very funny noise. Pull over and check it. It looks half full. Get back in and DRIVE. Pull into tire place and park. As I am getting out of the vam I hear a POP and a loud hissing and the front end of the van slowly lowers down to rest on the concrete curb. Whew!

Enter shop and talk to pubescent salesman who informs me the only tires they have in stock for my van are $130 per tire. Manage to swear only in my head and tell them to replace all 4 (needed it) and give me the hazard coverage. They tell me it will take 45 minutes. Retire to the waiting room with boys. Call Katie and she has returned home and captured the wayward Cujo. 

Wait 20 minutes and then the manager comes to tell me that

 1) they couldn't get the hose from the shop to reach far enough to inflate my tire in order to move my van so they used my little inflator thingy.

2) they didn't realize it ran off the battery if the car wasn't running so now my battery was also dead. 

3) they needed my help to figure out how to move my van.

I head to the parking lot, tell them to jump the van, then inflate the tire with the van running, and then drive QUICKLY into the shop. 

They manage to accomplish this. I am amazed. The level of testosterone is high, but my confidence is NOT. 

We wait, we play, we drink sodas. An hour later they come out and tell me I need to have the van aligned. It will cost some more $$$ but I need it, so Ok. 

We wait some more. An hour passes. The boys are playing matchbox cars on the floor and getting filthy. I am watching trash TV, which is what they have on. 

Another 30 minutes and we are playing the whisper game, whispering things back and forth to each other. Ahren goes to the potty for the third time. 

They tell me my brake pads need replacing (which I also knew) I tell them to schedule me for another day, the kids won't last that long. 

Thirty more minutes. Ahren is whining and rolling all over my lap. (He is 40 pounds of hot, sweaty discontent by now) Levi is still doing well, praise the Lord! I am hanging on by a thread.

They tell me it is almost done. I about cry with relief. We keep waiting. And waiting.

Almost 3 hours after limping into the tire place, we finally re-claim our van and hit the road. The man/boy told me the total cost but I blocked it out in a moment of self-preservation. Just take my credit card and do the dirty deed. I don't need to know the specifics. I take my sweet boys home, we put on swimming suits and hit the water in an attempt to wash away the grime and time. 

Now I am going to go to bed early, put my head under the covers, and pretend today never happened.