Why we were 5 min late to Co-op this Friday

I have the key to the church.  I am the co-ordinator.  I sort of set the tone.  It’s important that I set a good example…right?

If we leave at 9AM, then we get to the church before 9:25AM, and while most folks are there in the parking lot already, I’m not late.  Friday morning the phone rang at 8:50, it was so interesting to hear this Mom describe homeschooling, part-homeschooling and sending a kid to "pilot school," as we talked about Lego League.  Then as I hung up, it was 9:10.  Well, the kids all had shoes on, and everything we needed was in the back hallway ready to go since it had been laid out Thursday night.  I called my trusty eldest son, asked him to take my key, and load the car.

I grabbed the toddler, and joined the boys, already in the their places strapped down, ready to go.

"Where’s the key?"  I asked. 
"Oh, it isn’t in your purse?  I didn’t need it after all, the car was unlocked." came the reply.

I growled about how we had to walk down to Daddy’s work now, because our neighbor with a key had just gone to bed from her night shift.  Despite my growl, K began to sing a happy song about seeing Daddy.  I strapped her into her travel stroller, glanced at the garden for some serenity, and noticed that the workshop window was not latched.  I opened it, summoned M, hoisted him through, and told him to open the front door.

As I waited on the porch, I heard his footsteps pounding to the backdoor.  "The other front door honey!" I yelled. He let me in, I found my key, then he ran to the car through the back door, leaving it open.  I shut both doors, joined the boys, who were standing arond K in her stroller, looking at me blankly as I hustled them into the car again.  M told me what fun it was crawling through the window, and could he do it again?

K wailed, "No…Daddy?!!!"  then spread eagled herself so that it was nearly impossible to fit her into her carseat.

I popped the Steve Green CD of memory verse songs into the car, spilling my old coffee from yesterday onto my purse and maps in the process, but the wailing turned to hums and clapping. she loves that cd.

Traffic thickened on rt 118 South, although unlike last week, no horses were loose.  This time it was construction, with no one directing traffic agressively, it was sort of passive direction.  I hate passing things, but took a deep breath, and crossed the double yellow line, at about 30mph.  Just then an ambulance appeared on the crest of the hill only about 7 car lenghths from me, no sirens, but lights blinking and coming fast.  I definitely could not stop and back up, so I sped up, then pulled over.  "Phew!" said M.  The ambulance siren-ed me (or perhaps the passive traffic director?) in annoyance as it passed, then a fire truck came by.  We prayed for the responders, and the people who might be hurt, thanked God we were fine, then continued to co-op.

We were only 5 min late, although I don’t know why. I think I’ll take the other route to co-op next week.