Friday Fright Night

There are many moments, hours, even days at times, where I ask myself - "what WAS I thinking?" The night before Halloween, was one of those times.

I thought we could have a great family experience. I thought it would be fun. I thought it would be a memory cherished for the kids.

I thought wrong.

Although it made for a memory.

I got an invitation to a Halloween party for the kids to come dressed up, play games and win candy and prizes. It was at a middle school, put on by a church. I dressed up the kids and we invited Bella's friend Carlee. So it was me, a little butterfly, a fireman, and 2 witches. As we approached our destination, I felt something pull under my foot on the gas pedal and out of the corner of my eye caught a glimse of an impressive splash from hitting a mud puddle. I was slowing down, hit my blinker and began to turn. For a second, I had a funny feeling in my stomach something may have happened. Sure enough, as I went into my turn - there was no doing without full strength of both arms. Yep, the power steering was out.

Oh great.

I carefully steered the car into a self made parking spot and brought the troops inside. Not wanting to spoil the fun, I brought them in and resolved I would figure out something. As we went down the long hallway to the gym doors we encountered many costumes. And Anthony apparently encountered a growing sense of anxiey when we finally reached the doors. As the girls were all excited to go in and try their hand at bean bag toss, fishing, the cupcake walk and many others, Anthony proceeded to do as he usually does when faced with fear. He backed up.

He backed up to the wall across from the gym, took off his fireman coat and hat, crossed his arms and said "no". "Time to go home".

Oh great.

Honestly, I did expect it could happen. It proved to have been a good idea to explain that if this indeed would happen, the two older girls would go in and be in charge of Emma. And I would sit in the hall. So all I had to say was, "okay girls - you got Emma." And off they went.

Thus giving me opportunity to figure out the issue with the van. I found a worker for the event and asked her to sit with Anthony in the hall while I went to go check on the car. Since this has happened before, I looked under the hood and went for the serpentine belt. Yep, it came off when I hit the puddle and the water loosened it. I felt kind of cool, self sufficient in a way, that I could confidently diagnose the problem with my car. I knew it was time to call a tow truck.

Oh great.

As I was on the phone for the tow truck Anthony heard me say "tow truck". Now he was very upset for a whole other reason. He does not like watching the van get hauled away by the tow truck. Yes, this is not his first time. He was panicking and signing over and over - "no tow truck, mom car not broke".

This story is quite a long one, so here are the highlights of the rest of the night.

Anthony freaks out over the phone call.
Yelling to me while I am talking to the AAA lady.
I go down that long hallway with Anthony to look for the truck and anthony is yelling and running, faster than me, "don't leave, don't leave, mom car not broke." Meanwhile my heart is breaking.

We wait for a bit by the front doors.
AAA says they will call when they are 10 minutes out.
I call Bella's friend's mom to pick us all up. She says she'll call when she gets there.
Phone says 10% of battery is left.

We go back to the gym to check on the girls. Emma comes out and is done with all the activities, and I have missed all her "firsts" with this kind of event. And the guy at the front door comes to find me to tell me the tow truck is here.

I leave Emma with the same nice lady I left Anthony with and go meet the tow truck guy. Anthony runs with me.

The guy asks for my keys.
Can't find them.
Run back to see if they are by the coats in the all across from the gym. (This damn hallway is really long.)

Find them,
run them to the tow truck guy. (Who I just left Anthony with.)

The car leaves, Anthony is mad, and we head back to get the girls. I see the lady I left Emma with, but no Emma. She tells me she is with one of her friends. I think to myself - "hey, I don't know you, who the hell is your friend?!"

Run back. No Emma. Look in the gym. Go in the gym.
Leave Anthony at the door and pray he doesn't run away. Find the girls, they don't know where she is. We all look for her. (Freaking out a little now.)

Grab Anthony and head back down long hall way. Some cowgirl asks me if I am looking for a little ladybug, I say "no, how about a butterfly?" "Yes", she says, "she's with my mom".

Then here comes big smiley Emma with some lady dressed as a gypsy.

Okay, so now I have all four kids. Enough candy to skip trick or treating the next night, and gypsy lady sees fearful Anthony and goes and gets him a six pack of cars.

Anthony is so happy, he is ready to go play in the gym. UGH. Why did I not meet her when I got here??

Then Carlee's mom arrives.
Okay, finally, let's go home.

Oh wait, one more surpise... she leans in to me and says, "the d-o-g is in the c-a-r."

Oh, frickin' great!

(Anthony doesn't really like this dog.)

I look at the chocolate cupcake Bella won for anthony, that he wouldn't have anything to do with, and I say - "Well, I think I am going to need more than chocolate tonight."

We head to the car and as expected, Anthony freaks out over the dog, won't get in the car, it's raining and I am standing there asking myself - "what WERE you thinking?"

Finally, we get everyone in, and home.

I bought myself some wine for the next night. I wasn't taking any chances.

I laughed and laughed over this night. Still do.

That's the one really great thing about having a chaotic life... when shit happens, it's just another day.