It's okay to laugh at this one. Sort of.

Today was the first day of school, and I'm so overwhelmed with way too much to do and no energy that I thought I would blog instead. Besides, I have a great story...

Some important but broing background info-We are having a bit of a hard time figuring out how to shuttle everyone around on Mondays. Leah gets home from preschool while Hannah's sleeping, eats lunch, then Brian needs to be leaving for work at the same time that I'm getting out of class. The joys of having one car! We decided that he would drop the girls off at the Fine Arts building (where I was) and I would walk home with them in the jogging stroller. That way Brian would have the car for his long shift which ends at 11:00. I should mention that the road leading to our house is severely icy-a true skating rink. No one can walk on it, especialy little awkward munchkins. That's why we decided on the stroller over taking the bus.

Anyway, we bundled up and started walking home- in the middle of a snow storm. Leah was bawling after two blocks because her hands were too cold. Then the stroller got stuck several times in the snow piles from the last ten storms. I had to pull in from the front, sliding all over the road in the process. I kept saying things like "Okay! How about if we eat a lifesaver when we get to the cemetary!" I sounded more like a camp counselor than a frazzled mom. Leah kept trying to jump out of the stroller and tip it over (keep in mind that snow is falling and piling up on us. And Hannah's softie.) We got to the fire station and I finally said "We can ask a guy to help you or we can walk home." We only had two more blocks to go and Leah doesn't like men, so I thought she'd pick the going home option. She was all about going into the fire station, unfortunately. So I walked into the station and talked to the first friendly firefighter that answered the door. "Um, my kids are freezing...and I'm really struggling to get home...and was wondering...is there someone..." I felt totally stupid! What was even stupider was that it took three firefighters to figure out how to help us get home (across the street and up a block or two). They decided to load us and the frozen stroller into an AMBULANCE and drive us home. Maybe they thought we'd like it but I was mortified. Hannah thought it super cool and Leah was still to frozen to care.
I gave them a warm bath to thaw out a bit. Neither girl has brought up the fire station event since we've been home! I guess we have a few kinks to work out this semester.

Comments

Brian said…
Oh My Gosh! That was so sad and so funny all at the same time. Sad for our poor little munchkins freezing so much and too young to get why; And, sad for you being stuck in such a crappy situation.

But funny for getting stroller-stuck, offering lifesavers as a reward, Getting gobs of snow dumped on you, begging three firefighters for help, and getting emergency escorted in an ambulance to get two blocks! Funny hah hah, and yikes!

on a lesser note, I thought the plan was to take the stroller to get to and from the bus easier. I never would have suggested that you walk the whole herd home in a frigid snow storm. I would have missed treatment team at work and been late to work over leaving you to that! Sorry!!
January 5, 2009 at 10:44 PM
mrswade said…
This is the stuff that you'll be able to tell your grandkids about years from now. And this is the stuff that your kids will tell their kids the other side of the story. Tim had boat shoes that froze when he walked to school. Mom and Dad's side? He HAD to have them or he wouldn't be cool. You decide! :)
January 6, 2009 at 6:57 PM
Jennifer Walker said…
Oh, Carrie--you're the only person I know who could pull off a story like this one! Priceless!
January 9, 2009 at 3:23 PM
Larri-Lea said…
PLEASE keep a record of these great adventures that you will someday look back on and laugh about. That is the best ambulance ride I've ever heard of! I'm sorry it was at the expense of cold hands and feet, though.
January 12, 2009 at 8:15 AM
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