When I set out for Aldi and ended up at Audi

Life is a grand obstacle course.

It starts early: look at what it takes for a tiny human to even get out of his mom's body!

Then notice all the tumbles and bumps it takes for a child to learn to walk.

There's a pretty standard set of obstacles that most children go through at a fairly standard pace. Some, however, face insurmountable obstacles early on, and parents are forced to recalculate and innovate to navigate the course.

At some point,  the obstacles differentiate greatly, and one adult's obstacle course looks very different from another's. 

Some people enjoy navigating through obstacles; others despise it. Maybe it's why some adults manage to appear happy most of the time, while others are plain down grumpy every time they hit an obstacle. In my lenthening experience of being an adult, I've discovered that, on my course at least, obstacles are everywhere. I can either embrace it, or hate my life.

All that to preface how I set out for Aldi and ended up at Audi.

 ......

I planned my day:

Take child to Grandma's,  pick up Walmart order, get a huge amount of buns at Aldi, go home.

Obstacle 1: Thanks to Craig's dad reminding him that we had the Expedition scheduled for some work at the repair shop, my Big Vehicle was absent.  I remembered this when I was ready to load my children into it.

Recalculate.

Plan B: Take Toyota Corolla.  All children to Grandma's.  Get Things. Bring things home. Empty car. Retrieve children. 

Obstacle 2: The children who were supposed to be sitting calmly in the car waiting for their mother were, well, not sitting calmly.

Recalibrate. 

Children exit car. Children wait in line, get in car one at a time. Buckle in. Keep your bodies to yourself. Thank you.

Obstacle 3: Forget to add air to tire. Oh well, it will be okay. It's still plump. It's not that far. It'll be fine.

Execute Plan B.  Walmart? Check. Aldi? Check.

Look at tire.

Oh, duds and bummers.

I can't drive home on a pancake! At least it was a little plumper than a crepe- I could limp somewhere to get air. 

But where

Can I find air?

It's all around 

Yet can't be found. 

"Hey, sir!" I said to the guy parked beside me. "Where is the closest place I can find air for my tire?"

He looked around.  "Go to the dealership across the road. They will have air."

My courage and pride both felt a little wilted at that moment,  but it truly was the best option. So I drove my dusty, rusty, out-of-shape 2007 Toyota Corolla to the Audi dealership, past the blue and red and black grand, brand new vehicles,  and asked for air.

The fatherly gentleman at the desk was very kind, told me where to pull in for air, and served me himself.

"My car feels a bit out of place here," I said.

"Why is that?" 

"I've been driving it a long time!"

"You've gotten your money's worth out of it."

Yes, indeed.

And that is how my trip to Aldi ended up at Audi.

Now-off to face the next set of obstacles!

Our toddler, equipped and ready to face the obstacles!

Chain Cleaning

When I was young, my favorite church service was the monthly hymn sing.  Depending who the song leader was, he would state "We're going to do some chain singing." It was a copout, really,  for the song leader who didn't want to lead the acapella four-part congregational singing, so he could go sit down. That's how my 15-year-old self interpreted it anyway, with an inward groan.

The song leader would say the number of the hymn to be sung, then pronounce the name of someone in the group. That person would pick and lead the next song, two or three steps up or down from the given pitch, and pick the next person to pick the next song. And then the next person would pick the next person, and so on and so forth until 8:20 when the chain was broken and the Amen was said.

One day, I was tidying the house. At least I was making a noble attempt. Like I often do when Clutter has taken over, I just gathered an armful, put the stuff away, and wherever my Putting Away Journey took me, that became the new launching pad. I gathered 10 things, put them away, and wherever I landed, I launched from there, with 10 more things to put away. Pick up 10 things in the living room, take them to where they belong. If the last thing to put away was a cup, it goes to the dishwasher. While at the dishwasher,  make the counter better and gather all the trash. While at the trash can, gather the shoes on the floor and take them to their home. While at the shoe closet, pick up the dirty socks and take them to the hamper in the bathroom.  I realized I was chain cleaning!

Kinda like chain singing,  in chain cleaning, the last place decides the next place, and the stuff in that place determines the next spot to tidy.

The short-term goal is to make a small difference in a small place. 

Eventually,  the whole house looks So Much Better.

Chain cleaning may not be the most efficient way to clean a house, but it's an excellent way to display the Big Difference that a making a series of Small Differences can make.

Go make a small difference,  somewhere-anywhere.

It just may start a chain reaction. 

Better yet, snag some teammates,  and do some chain singing while you chain clean.

Tra-la-la!

Teeth of Different Value

Two sons each lost a tooth.

One son misplaced his newly lost tooth. "Oh no! Now it will never be part of my collection!" 

One son said yes, his mother could have his newly lost tooth.  And yes, she could throw it away.  "I just like to give it to The Fairy," he said.

The Fairy took the tooth, bent over and gave the son a kiss. Then she flew the little tooth to the trash can.

The End.

image from pixabay.com

The Shoe Saga

Four kids and one mother, all packed into one Expedition,  went on an expedition.  

En route to Destination, it was discovered that one kid had no shoes.

A call was made to another mother of different kids. "Hey, are you going today? Got any shoes? Please?"

Shoes were brought and attached to the unshoed kid.

Much tromping and stomping through woods and adventureland was done and pleasure was experienced. 

Borrowed shoes were returned. 

Four kids and one mother, all packed into one Expedition,  returned from the expedition.

En route to home, it was discovered that three kids had no shoes.

A call was made to the park. "Got any shoes? Please?"

An additional trip was made to the park office a few days later.

"I see some shoes that belong at our house!" said the mother.

"Ah, yes, please take them!" said the lady. "At least you're not the only one!" she said, pointing to the second pair of shoes.

"Those are ours also," said the mother.

The End.