And Then There Was Tuesday.

So.

I have to tell this story. Because I keep this blog, mostly as a record for us to remember the moments that make our family who we are. And this is one of them.

Let's take ourselves back about a week and a half, to last Tuesday.

Tuesdays are special. Claire LOVES Tuesdays, because Tuesdays are when the puppets come out at the library and do storytime with the children. It is most definitely a highlight in our week. And this particular Tuesday was even more special, because it was on the storytime schedule as the "Fall Party." So not only was Claire going to see the puppets, but she was also going to dress up in her butterfly costume that her Dobby got her. And I was going to make rice krispy treats out of cereal, almond butter, and agave nectar, so that my allergic child could enjoy them! So we were both excited about Tuesday.

Tuesday morning, 9:40. Storytime starts in 20 minutes. We are both dressed, bags are packed, rice krispy treats are ready to go, butterfly costume is laying by the door. I begin to look for my keys. They are nowhere to be found. With a sinking feeling, I realize that my keys are in the console of the car...which Spencer has driven to work.

Fight or flight kicks in, and my mother instinct says, "NO!!! I will not allow this day to be ruined! Claire will not miss the fall party! I WILL PUT HER IN THE STROLLER AND RUN TO THE LIBRARY!!!"

Then I realize that the jogging stroller is also in the car.

Bummer. But, we still have the old Graco stroller that we got for $10 at a yard sale, the big one that fits a carseat that we don't even have. I run upstairs to change clothes and shoes, pull the big stroller out of the closet, strap Claire in, put the rice krispy treats and the butterfly costume (and the camera) in the bottom, and we are out the door. (I realize that I won't make it by 10:00, but luckily our library has back to back storytimes, one at 10:00 and a repeat at 11:00)

Well, immediately I realize that this is no jogging stroller. And since there is no sidewalk for half the journey to the library, it's going to be a struggle. But, determined, I plow through the grass and the bumpy shoulder of the highway and jog along, five months pregnant and everything.

And then there was the bridge.

For most of the way, the shoulder was pretty decent. And I knew that once I made it into the city, there would be sidewalks for the rest of the way. But there was this one spot, this one little bridge, that really didn't have any room to run on the side. So I waited until no cars were coming, and then decided to sprint across as fast as I could.

You can't sprint with the Graco.

We made it to the other side, but as soon as I pushed the stroller back off the road, one of the front wheels got caught on something, causing the stroller to stop in an instant, and since I was just finishing up my pregnant sprint, the momentum was too great - and yes, I flew right over the stroller and onto the ground, crashing the stroller along with me.

It was at this point that I realized, this was not the smartest idea I've ever had.

Claire was fine, of course, in the monstrous stroller, but she was a little upset about being sideways on the ground. Of course, I immediately jumped up and used my wonder-woman strength to heave the stroller back to an upright position, unbuckled my crying child and held her. I asked her if she wanted to just go back home or go on to the library, and of course she wanted to go to the library.

I was not going to let her down now.

So we finished the trek, and finally arrived at the library all in one piece, for the most part. Well, my knees were bloody and bruised, but I didn't care. We had made it. Claire was going to be a butterfly. And she was going to see the puppets. And, by george, those kids were going to eat my rice krispy treats.


I sat in storytime the entire time, thinking about how I absolutely did not want to make the 4-5 mile trip back home. But we did, and we are still alive to tell about it.

Although, the next day... I. could. not. move.