Ugh

This is so how I feel right now.

I have returned from a gruelling four hour treck, to drag two crabby kids to the doctor. Today was the first time I really, truly cursed not having a car available to me.

Joan's appointment was set for 11:45 - school lets out at 11:15. To be prudent, i picked John up early, his lunch in tow, for the exciting adventure to the pediatrician, to find out why the heck Joan's not using her right hand. To be safe, I picked him up at 11, and had my bus route all planned out. I had Joan in her carrier, and I brought the umbrella stroller for John, because it's lightweight and compact, so it's good on the bus, and folds up in case he wanted to walk instead.

So the planning on my end was perfect. What I didn't plan for was a major dose of the grumpies with John. He didn't want to go on the bus. He didn't want t ride in the stroller. He didn't want to walk. He wanted to be carried, like the baby. He spent so much time spread eagle, face down on the pavement, we missed our bus. And the next bus. When I finally got him ON the bus, he was crabby. He didn't like it. Some of the lights were burnt out, and it was too spooky. It was too bumpy. Everything was wrong. When we got to our transfer point, he had a major blow-out. The trip was taking too long. It's too far. Everything was wrong. He wanted to sit on a bench. He wanted to go home. He wanted to see the birds. He wanted to do everything but listen to me. It was infuriating!

The doctor is maybe a 10 minute drive from the school, if you include the hunt for parking. On paper, it's a 20 minute bus ride. It took us a whopping hour and a half to get there. Of course, by the time we get there, the doctor is off on hospital rounds, and isn't coming back again. So, I now have an appointment for MONDAY, when I get to do it all...over...again.

So we turned right around, and headed home. It took us TWO HOURS to get home. It took a long time, because I decided to make the most of it, by stopping at Gore Park to show John the swarms of pigeons. Joan and I flopped on a bench, while John chased them around the park. Then we got a bun and fed them for a little while. It was a lot of fun, and helped salvage a very bad experience. The bus ride home was fun, too. John was too pooped to fight back anymore, and we were riding with some sort of class outing, of about 15 grade 5ish boys. They were quite taken by Joan. They all wanted to come touch her hands and cheeks, and were all competing to make her smile. Unfortunately, she was tired, and not very smiley, but they all ooohed and ahhhed when she nodded off. Boys are so cute with babies. Mike thinks I should have been much harsher with John, but frankly, it wasn't his fault. He was tired from school - he needed a little veg time at home between school and the doctor. We don't have to be there until 2 on Monday, so it should work out better.

So I'm sorry I have nothing big to report, other than the pigeons were fun. Oh, and that I'm SO taking a taxi to the doctor on Monday!