A LONG Car Wash

So much good happened today.

I finally got the car washed. I didn't really know the process so I have been afraid to do it. But i really needed it done today. So i got there right when it opened, at 9. I left Oliver and Grace home playing battleship, and said i will be back soon, it can't take longer than 30 minutes. Famous last words.

I knew the car wash dirty but not that dirty. I was getting nervous because I was supposed to meet a babysitter at our house at 9:30. I called and she was there and everything was fine. Fine: meaning I was able to entertain the three youngest at a car wash for thirty minutes that stretched into a nerve wracking one hour! I was super nervous because I was supposed to meet the mom of a boy in Oliver's class to follow them to their house at 10.

An hour, for a car wash. I used to try to do it super fast at those do it yourself places with the spray guns. It couldn't have taken more than 10 minutes. The car was beautiful, though. It was more like a car detail than a wash. It cost about $19 US. Later I learned that most people drop off their car and do shopping or something and come back for it. Live and learn.

But it all worked out with babysitters and caravanning to friend's houses. This friend of Oliver's was a kid he had a serous fight with at school. It turns out they have a lot in common and thanks to good counselors and teachers at school they were able to come to a better understanding of each other.

I couldn't be more grateful. The boys played great with each other. And it gave me a chance to visit with such a wonderful, kind lady. She lived in upstate New York for four years, then one and a half years in Chile with her young family. She knows how hard it is to move to a new country. She was such a lovely person. It was great for me to meet a new friend too.

Oliver wanted to keep playing and I needed to get the babysitter home so Oliver stayed. He stayed at the boys house for 5 hours. Amazing.

At home everything was fine. The babysitter didn't speak any English, and I don't think she said anything to the kids. But apparently my shy boy, Felix, grabbed her by the arm and led her through the house telling her about everything there is to know about it all. I did teach the kids to say, "Suco, por favor." Which I think means, "Juice, please." The most vital phrase at our house.

Later that afternoon Grace wanted to play Monopoly. I was a nice mom and said yes. But it turned out to be a game with a ten year old, a five year old and two three year olds involved as well. Lots of things like, please don't touch that money, don't hide my properties under the board, don't touch my village I spent the whole game making it. The younger ones grew tired after fifteen minutes or so, so Grace and I played for about seven minutes of a real game.

We ended the day playing legos together. We used up all our screen time for the day. It was so much fun. I was Voldemort. Grace was Stan Turnpike. Oliver was Harry Potter. Abby was the owl, Hedwig. Miles was a pilot from Star Wars. And Felix was Hagrid. I played a repentant Voldemort that was no longer evil and went around giving hugs to everyone, and sang One Direction songs to himself in a Polly Pocket mirror. The kids thought it was hilarious and I guess that is what counts.