The Parking Situation

As I write this blog entry, I am sitting in the middle row of my mini-van with a cozy blanket and my mp3 player, listening to Bieber Christmas. Just in case my laptop loses power before school dismisses in an hour, I have packed snacks and a reading book. It’s raining here in Huntington Beach. When it rains, school dismissal is obnoxious. I admit that I am not a strong driver. I do not like making last minute decisions like “Should I drive through that puddle or slam on my brakes and splash the pedestrians on the sidewalk?” I play it safe and arrive early so we (the kiddos of the carpool that I affectionately call “Make Way for Ducklings”) can walk a short distance to my car and I can just hit the slider door button and they can rush in. I don’t like crossing busy streets with that many kids. I only have 2 hands. It looks weird holding onto 2 hoods with one hand and a backpack of another.
Last time it rained, I could have just driven around the neighborhood, gone home, parked in front of my house and then walked to school. It would have been closer than the parking spot that I took. Water rushing on both sides of the street made it difficult to even cross to get onto the sidewalk. I made it to the front of the school but once I got the kids and we made the return trip to the car, it became somewhat of a challenge. We attempted to cross the street, but the kids ended up in water to their shins. The current almost took them away and a stranger, teenager…or just a strange teenager ran over to grab the littlest one and carry her to safety…in the MIDDLE of the street where there was a small pathway of road that was dry. So we walked to the car in the middle of the street. I had them by their backpacks and jackets. The bus was driving slowly behind us.

I am determined not to ever repeat that day again. And so I sit here….2nd car in line to the school ready to grab those kids and make our get-away in dry socks and without assistance from strangers.

On un-rainy days, the parking situation can also be a bit hairy. There are so many cars! There is no parking! I still come early. I don’t mind sitting in my car. I like to craft. It gets me away from my sweat-shop sewing that I’ve been doing lately. I can’t use my machine in the car…but now that I am utilizing the back of the car for blogging, I think that I can possibly set it up in here. OMG! I know where my new craft room is going to be now!!!!!!

Here are a few items that I have made while waiting in my car for the kids:

Cute Halloween ornaments:


Cute peacock ornaments:


A pretty necklace:


I've even cut paper kimonos (and got a bestie to help me) as we sat and waited at soccer practice: