13 years ago, I had to commute an hour and fifteen minutes each way to the university. (Gee. Wonder why I may have dropped out before graduation?). I learned to work every second of that time. I would record my notes onto tape and listen to them as I drove. I got through countless audio books. I would eat a bagel for breakfast, drive with velcro curlers in my hair, and put on mascara at the stop signs. And if I ever had to wait somewhere in my car-- there was always a book to read, something to write on, or something I could clean out. I was a fierce car multi-tasker! I can only imagine what I would have been able to do if I'd had a cell phone, an ipod, and a DVD player......
And now, in my role as Mom, I can referee "disagreements", sing the alphabet song, try and hear what Glenn Beck is saying, pass out hand sanitizer,help the older boys memorize the preamble of the constitution, and bend over to pick up the dropped binky with one hand while still keeping my head above the dashboard and the other hand on the wheel!!!!
I was pleasantly surprised when earlier this week I happened to find myself with 15 precious minutes before cub scouts was out. My multi-tasking skills while driving were still pretty impressive after all these years, but I fear my waiting skills were out of practice. I forgot my book. Talk radio was all commercials. No people to watch. But I just happened to have my camera. And to make sure I had something to show for my time, I started snapping pictures. I think what I caught was pretty sweet:
This was probably the main reason why the wait seemed so significant. If this one had been awake, it would have been all chatter and questions ;)!
I see James is awake.
This one's up now too.....and picking his nose! He'll LOVE this photo when he's older!
Binky is our ever-faithful companion, and so is......
Bo-bo the dog. Such tiny, precious hands.And now let's make this more about YOU-------
What do you do while you wait in your car? Or even more exciting, what can you do while you drive?!?!
23 comments:
I am with you, a book in the car is a must... otherwise it's like watching water boil... bor-ing.
I love to get to my son's school early and call my best friend whom I don't see much, but can chat with endlessly... it's like a my little piece of luxury in the quiet of my car.
Too funny! I keep bible studies in the car that I can't ever get to at home and knitting because I hate sitting and waiting without something to do.
Smiles!
I strap my kids in the car and drive to Sonic where I put in a movie for them and order them slushies and I get a sweet-tea. From 2-4 drinks are half-price. And then I call friends. I never get to do that without being interrupted every two minutes.
I actually sit in the car and do nothing. Because that is the only time of day where I can do that and not feel guilty about it! And What do I do when I drive? I DRIVE! However, I do have to referee the occasional fight, or hand back a water bottle, or change the blue Curious George storybook CD to the yellow Curious George storybook CD even though I want to toss all of them out the window because I have had to listen to them one million times. Or I sing as loud as I can and my kids tell me to be quiet.
I don't usually have much wait time in the car because I AM ALWAYS RUNNING LATE! bad, bad habit of mine!
While driving I usually listen to the radio, talk with the boys about their days while telling them to get their cleats on, call my sister Kris, change cd's back and forth between the Jonas brothers and Arthurs story time (of which we only have one, I wish we had more!!). My kids talk ALOT, so there is never a quiet moment in the car.........and they rarely, if ever fall asleep in the car anymore!
That was awesome! I love listening to books in the car too. I've been through many. But I don't spend a whole lot of time in the car these days. We live so close to everything!
I'm with Trish- Always late! I guess it's a trait we inherited from our mom. I hate being late. I was NEVER late befroe I had kids- before I had 2 kids- even before I had 3 kids- somewhere along the line from 1 to 5 I stared running sadly behind! In the car we memorize AWANA verses (on the way to AWANA. Shhh, don't tell.) Sing the "Books of the Bible Song", watch a movie if the drive is going to be longer than an hour, talk about heart hurts with the oldest if we are the only ones in the car, yell, sing, or think if I should happen to be alone. Pray. A lot. I always carry some sort of bag in the car so that if I have a second I can throw out ALL. THE. TRASH.
By the way, I check in on your blog from time to time. I love your template, your music, and I have been praying for God to heal your "heart hurt" as well.
♡ I've totally done makeup in the car too. On long drives I usually have my arm behind my chair grabbing stuff that the kids drop or holding feet because they just won't fall asleep and they're whiny. And for some reason it helps them to calm down!
I am a little scared to say just what I do while I drive. I do listen to books on CD, this is how I got through the Harry Potter books. I can't sit down and read them. I use my phone alot (which is bad, I know). I can pick up things on the floor of the middle row of my Expedition while still staring straight ahead. When my kids were younger I could open up their happy meals and get the food to them while in transit. I now keep magazines and my planner in the car to keep myself busy during practices and other waiting times. I don't put makeup on though, if you knew me, you'd know that I rarely wear makeup though. Love your posts, they are so much fun. You are a very creative person.
Love the nose picker shot. Why must all kids do that? I like to consider myself a pretty talented multitasker while I drive as well. Talking on the phone, eating (SO bad), picking things up off the floor, changing DVD's (behind me), and anything else a mommy has to do while driving. But as for the wait time, I don't do anything. I like to just sit and watch people. It's so interesting to me.
Looooove the dog one! What a precious moment you caught!! :)
I sing!!! At the top of my lungs sometimes!!! My kids say, "oh mommy" when I sing at them (only when the lyric is appropriate).
I love to be at a stop light, with a good tune, and tap my hand on the steering wheel while trying out my, 80's early 90's, shoulder bouncing dance moves (while sitting of course).
When I have to wait, I dig through my purse for my tweezers. Isn't this horrible!! I pluck those darn eyebrows. Luckily, I have tinted windows and feel pretty hidden behind my vanity mirror. You can tell when I haven't been sitting and waiting for a while because the eyebrows need attention!
I'm a little embarrassed to share this!
I don't do anything really strange, and I am glad I am not on the road with any of the above people. Hee Hee. I will talk on the phone sometimes and a book is great if I have to wait. I can daydream forever though, if given half the chance.
I have a huge stack of magazines in the car: Country Living, Country Home, Home Companion, Family Fun, American Patchwork & Quilting, Property by Owner, Treasure Valley Family magazine & Pottery Barn Kids. They are all just waiting for me & car time is only time I have to read them. It's an escape. But it makes the car even more messy. Laughed out loud at the nose picking & the moth story. You are great writer. Party on at BSU! Good for you.
I have a ghetto blaster radio and turn it up as much as I can get away with having kids in the car. We all sing to the music.
So I'm a bit behind on the blog reading but I just have to say, O Brave and Wise One...congrats on the decision to get your writing degree! That is awesome...
Needless to say that I have gotten alot of great ideas on what I can do with all my time in the car. Eyebrow plucking has to be the favorite.
In my wild and reckless days I used to change my clothes in my car while driving. I think that the other "mostly male" drivers liked that one. Now I think that I would get an "Indecent Exposure" ticket and be asked to NEVER, EVER do that again!
Side note: You must go to Women's Conference. There is nothing better that you can do for your soul then to take the time to nourish it. I go every year with my dear friend from Idaho (where we used to live-Meridian - best 5 years of my life).
One year they anounced where people had come from, we had 1 sister from England and a group from the Filipians'. Is that how you spell it? Anyway, when you can do it!!!!
If I have to wait in the car I play games on my cell phone. Or take random pictures with my camera phone.
As for what I can do while driving....as I am currently learning my way around a new town, I can do nothing but concentrate on getting where I'm going. I cannot talk on the phone or in anyway get distracted. If I do, I add about 10 minutes onto my trip trying to figure out where I am and getting headed back in the right direction.
Wow that is quite the multi-tasking!!! Often to get a good parking spot at our oldest's school in the afternoon before pick-up, I have to get there about 20 minutes early. We have a big Richard Scarry compilation book and I just read my kids stories from there. It's actually pretty fun!
Yup...I'm a car multitasker...we live in the boongies and when we do leave the house...we're in it for the long haul...you think it...and I've done it...and all in the car.... bible study, crochet, quilting, homeschooling, cleaned up massave pukeage with only baby wipes, refashened mcdonald toys into really cool toys, painted fingernails, changed my clothes for singing performances, and so much more...all with four kiddos in tow :o) Funny thing is...I would do it all over again...some of the sweetest moments were found in the car.
~simply~
In the car I listen to podcasts (shows I don't get to hear during 'kids time'), and make all the calls I need to make, but don't have time to otherwise.
Jennifer I happened upon your blog quite sometime ago, think it was when you were sick, but anyway I have enjoyed all the expressions and thoughts you have put into your blog and it was very obvious that you loved your life as wife and mother. Now I have been reading about the tough times you are going through, but yet you still show that love you have of being a Mother. Remember no matter what no one can take that title away from you. I just want to wish you a Happy Mother's Day. Keep your head up because you have so many reasons too!!!
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