LETTER GRADE F!

Yesterday was full of fun adventures! The typical day of crusty with three boys involved the morning routine of SPIDERMAN Cereal and FLINTSTONE Vitamins.
My children graced the start of my day with sleeping in. Figures though, just like the car that makes the noise until you bring it into the garage, we had a PTA meeting at 9:45am at Jackson's future school. So, kids in tow and the baby in an umbrella stroller, we walked the short walk of a block away to his new school.

It was so cute to see all the little "kindergartner's to be" strolling on the school grounds, peeking through the windows of all the classroom doors- closed doors mind you (compliments of my two year old-gotta love my baby Sulli)of grades K through 5th. They already acted as if they owned the place.

We finished up with the school meeting and tour and said our goodbyes to a fellow friend of mine -who also named her first son Jackson and lives a block away, and likes to drink wine and beer-and has three children-and is a stay at home mom with a former career, okay, foot of the gas, I'm just charged up that there's a cool hip mom that is interested in being my friend.- So we headed home, did the lunch thing, dropped Jackson off at school and returned home for laundry, naptime and peacefulness for mommy. The peacefulness and laundry didn't happen, nor did the naptime. But, c'est la vie, my boys did sleep in so beggers can't be choosers I guess.

After we picked up Jackson from the carpool line (which reminds me every single time of the scene in Mr. Mom where it's a complete line of minivans and chaos) at school we headed out to have a test done.

Yes, you read right, a test. The forgotten emissions test that I was supposed to have done before April. But, BEFORE you get the red form stating that your drivers license is pending suspension. So, kids packed in the minivan with fingers covered in spilled Mcdonalds apple juice and extra salty $1 fries we headed to the test site out in Downers Grove, Il. Pulling into the center and proceeding to take my ticket by the automated machine directing me kindly into which lane I was to arrive in, the kids eyes wide as windshields, not saying a PEEP.

Going through the process of passing the emissions paperwork to foreign dude #1, underneath the plexi-faux glass dome, I followed his instructions to a tee. The children-Benny included, not saying a word just eyes still as wide as windshields, mouths catching flies and a small surfacing of drool boiling up on the moats of their mouths. Moving on to foreign dude #2, he instructed me to turn off the car, and remove the keys from the ignition and step out of the vehicle. Kids still looking like a scene out of Beavis and Butthead. Not a second after I was out of the vehicle, the children still frozen in the domes of plexi-glass, their eyes began to show slight fear, like "where's my all and everything, my hero, going?" All three of them! It was amazing how I could read their very feelings without hearing their voices-strictly recognizing their natural expressions-the core of who they are silently and slowing growing before my very eyes-even in silence you can SEE growth. It's just INCREDIBLE!

At this point the foreign dude #2 advised me to step back in the car as he detached the hose that would make the biggest elephant self conscious over his trunk, that was umbilical corded to my vehicle. I got into my mommovile (sullivan calls mobile, MOVile) as FD#2 printed up some paperwork. Kids still quiet but the fear was gone from their eyes, as their "center" had returned into their area.

I lean out my MOVile and ask the gentlemen if I needed the certificate that was attached to the paperwork I gave -and didn't get back- FD#1. "To show prove of passing the test," I explained. FD#2, not doing anything but turning around and sticking a piece of paper with his teeny tiny fingers, "YOU FAIL! Go around to the front, park and go into the customer service center."

WHAT? I FAILED? I'm 32 years old, beyond my college highschool,elementary and don't forget junior high days, how in the hell did I just fail? And why am I obsessing about it? Geesh, maybe I should up my dose of zoloft. Not only is my short term memory failing, but now I have to add FAILED to the list of most recent?

All that was said as I obsessed about letter grade F was this, "mommy, you just FAILLLEDDD? That's really bad, right?"

NOW, they speak.

Welcome To Crustybeef~
Even though I failed the material side of life, I didn't fail emotionally, because I just feel overcome with such love for the four loves of my life. It's great to be looked up to, isn't it? It's great to have balance. It's great to have moments of challenges to bring you one step closer unto eternity, to love one another even more. So, yeah, life is good in crustybeef land, life is good.