Not for the faint-hearted....

Afternoon school pick ups are not for the faint-hearted.  Best pop a few panadol before you come along for the ride. Here goes.....

I pick up the younger two girls from primary school, by the time we have walked to the car the high school bus drops the older 3 off and they join us at the car.   

Sometimes we are luck enough to actually all be seated and have the doors closed before it starts...today we weren't that lucky....

Miss 5..."I don't like these shorts, they hurt..."

Me..."Well we'll be home in 2 minutes so just hop in your seat and we'll drive home"

(all spoken at once) 
Miss 5..."They're hurting me"  
Miss 14....."Can I go to Japan?"

Me...."Well take them off then.  What on earth are you talking about?"

(all spoken at once)
Miss 5...."I don't want to take them off"  
Miss 14..."There's an exchange program"  
Miss 13...."I'd like to go to Italy one day"

Me..."Well just hop in your seat then.  Tell me about it later.  Thanks for sharing that."

(all spoken at once...with increasing volume) 
Miss 16..."Oh my throat hurts so bad.  Can I go the doctor?.  And that is so not fair if she gets to go to Japan again, she just went last year and I never get to go anywhere"  
Miss 9...."It was really hot today.  It is hot in the car.  Can't we go home?"  
Miss 5..."I don't want to wear these pants (as she finally takes them off)"  

Me...."Right now hop in your car seat.  I am not going to the doctors right now.  Yes it is hot in the car so let's go home"

(now with added crying and whinging) 
Miss 5...."I don't want to sit in my seat without pants" 

Me..."Aarrrrgh!!!!!!"

(all spoken at once...with increasing volume and some tears) 
Miss 5..."I want to wear pants"
Miss 14...."I have an email about the trip to Japan from my teacher
Miss 13..."I think I'd really like Italy.  Oh but I can't speak any Italian.  But I like pizza"

(with much less patience than 10 minutes ago)
Me..."Well I don't have any other pants that you can wear...so you'll just have to sit in your seat til we get home.  I'll read the email later.  Yes I like pizza too"

(all spoken at once, tears, screaming and a bit of leg kicking thrown in)
Miss 5...."I waaaannt toooo weeeaaar paaants......"
Miss 9...."I've got a headache.  Can everyone be quiet I've got a headache"
Miss 14..."So what if I've already been to Japan, I can still tell mum about it"
Miss 16...."OMG I have so much homework to do can we just go home.  And my throat hurts soooo much and I can't breathe and it is still not fair she has already been to Japan.  I wanted to do the exchange program but I wasn't allowed to and then I was going to go to Vietnam but the new principal is not doing that anymore so it is so not fair.  And my throat hurts.
Miss 13..."Mum at school today...."

Me...I don't have any other pants so get your school pants back on we would have been home by now.  Yes surprisingly I have a headache too.  I am not even talking about Japan I just want to go home.  If your throat hurts so much it might be best not to talk. Perhaps now is not the best time to tell me what you did at school today............

Some 10 minutes later miss 5 conceded defeat and put her shorts back on, finally I was able to put her seatbelt on and everyone else was told in no uncertain terms not to speak the rest of the way home!!!!!!!!!!!  So we finally arrived home some 30 minutes after the end of the school day when in actual fact we live a 2 minute drive away!

Sadly this is not a one-off....most afternoons seem to hold some sort of unexpected joy that tests my patience beyond belief!  Hope you enjoyed coming along for the ride!!!!