Being On Time!! It Just Never Happens!

This morning as I made the mad dash to get out the door so that I could make it to work on time, I had to stop. Baby Jeremiah stood on the other side of the gate and waved. "Byeee!" he said in his cute little boy voice. He wore jammies with the feet and his blondish hair stood on end as he looked intently at me. 

"Byeee!" I said. "Byeee!" baby Jeremiah repeated. And then he blew me a kiss. I knew that if I didn't leave right then and there, I had a chance of being late for work. I stood on the steps holding all of my stuff and almost dashed out the door, but for some reason I had to stop. I ran back up to give him a kiss and hug and let him wear my flower bracelets for a moment -- he always wants to wear them and then give them back...then I let him point to my ukuleles and say something in his own language about "Ulleles!"

As I finally closed the door, knowing Baby Jeremiah was watching me and hearing his little voice say, "Byee!"...I remembered another time...a long time ago when his Dad was young.

Being on Time (1991, Salem, Oregon)
I woke up this morning to the sounds of screaming kids and a blaring television set.  I groaned and looked at my alarm clock which said five minutes to seven.  I wondered why the kids hadn’t gotten me up.  We had exactly 50 minutes to get out the door so I could be at work on time and get the kids to school.  As I dashed into the bathroom to get ready, I wondered if the daily hassles of life were really worthwhile.  I had three kids to raise alone and a career and education to juggle all at the same time.

At the breakfast table, the boys fought over who would get the last of the frosted flakes.  Stevie spilled milk all over the kitchen floor, and Jeremy yelled that he couldn’t find his tennis shoe.  Melissa, my seven year old, spent half an hour trying to figure out what to wear and cried because she missed out on the frosted flakes.

The television continued to blare looney tunes.  After telling the kids to turn off the television three times, Jeremy informed me that he still couldn’t find his tennis shoe.  We had five minutes to get out the door.  By looking in the most unlikely places, we found Jeremy’s tennis shoe on top of the bookcase in the bedroom. 

As we dashed out to the car to make our getaway, Melissa informed me she had forgotten her brownie sash and book for her meeting that day and Stevie had to find his baseball hat and glove for Little League and the valentine cards he had carefully written out for his class the night before.  We ran back into the house for the mad search of last minute items.  Five minutes later, we all piled into the car after an argument of who would sit in the front seat.

As I drove to work, I felt like a grand prix race car driver trying to make it to the finish line as fast as possible.  Stevie informed me that he forgot his homework and whimpered when I told him it was too late.  He would have to face the consequences.

I dodged in and out of traffic down Capitol Street.  Now, the kids argued about whether to listen to the radio or a tape.  I pulled into the state parking lot and came to a screeching halt in the first parking space I could find.  We all piled out of the car, and I coaxed to kids to hurry up and get their things together.

As I rushed the kids down the street, I glanced at my watch.  I had three and a half minutes to get to work.  If we hurried, I would get to work right on time and still be able to watch the kids cross the street to school.  I considered myself fortunate to work so close to the kids’ school.  It saved time, and I needed to catch every bit of extra time I could.

Stevie mentioned that it was a nice, sunny day and that they would be having a Valentine’s Day party at school.  I was in too much of a hurry to notice the weather or the squirrels my kids always stopped to look at.  And, who could remember to do anything about Valentine’s Day?  We got to the corner, and I told the kids to go to school.  I had one minute to be at work.  I watched the kids cross the street as I started to go into the building.  I waved good bye to them, and then I heard Jeremy yell at me.

I turned around for a moment to wave again.  “Mommy!” said Jeremy, “you forgot something!”

“What’s that?” I answered as I held the door to the building open so I could make my getaway.

“You forgot our hugs and kisses!”

I started to say I didn’t have time today.  I had 30 seconds to get to work, and that would make me late.  I saw my three kids standing on the other side of the street looking at me and waiting patiently.

I let the door fly shut and ran across the street.  “I love you guys,” I said as I gave each of my kids a big hug and kiss and watched them go into the school building.  I slowly walked back across the street to work and noticed the flowers in bloom in front of the building and smiled.

Jeremy, Melissa & Stevie (around 1989 or 1990) in Salem, Oregon