I knew there would come a day when one of my main responsibilities as a parent would be driving my sons from one activity to another. But I never imagined how much work it could be.
Yesterday afternoon was a rare day off for me as Taxi Mom. After taking Jimmy and Ronnie to their orthodontist appointments, I had nowhere to go but home.
We made the wise decision to pick up pizza for dinner, which gave me yet another break from the daily routine.
And just to mix things up a little more, we went in the ice cream shop for a few scoops while our pizza was cooking.
Once we made it home, I decided to spoil myself again. Instead of loading up the washing machine, I sat down on the couch to watch a movie with the boys.
We deserve some down time together, I told myself.
The most productive thing I did for the rest of the day was brush my teeth before bedtime.
What drove me to behave so decadently on a Monday afternoon?
I can only blame the stress of having to spend too much time on the road lately, most of it during the afternoon rush hour when everyone is grouchy.
Last Friday was the most hectic day for this Taxi Mom since school started.
First, I had to pick up Jimmy from cross-country practice at the high school.
Then, I dropped him off at home and picked Ronnie up for football practice.
The two practices take place within a half-mile of one another but are on different schedules, leaving me to drive up and down the same road up to three times on weekday afternoons.
Jimmy’s practice ended around 4:30 last Friday, so I picked him up, came home to get Ronnie and headed right back out again.
Ron was able to bring Ronnie home, but in the meantime, Jimmy needed a ride to back to the high school for the football game.
Traffic in northern Virginia is at its ugliest on Friday afternoons, but Taxi Mom came through for her eldest son, delivering him back at the high school by game time.
I was more than a little nervous as I wondered what Jimmy would be doing instead of watching the game. It didn’t calm me to find out his ride home was the brother of a friend.
Jimmy slipped that little nugget of info by me as he got out of the car.
Earlier, when Jimmy had told me he was getting a ride home with his friend, I had assumed that meant the friend’s parents would be at the game.
I was uneasy and more than a little ticked off at having my oldest son pull a fast one on me yet again. My mind began to fill with images of teenagers bouncing freely around in a sports car.
After making Jimmy promise to wear a seatbelt, I drove away. But on the way home, one question haunted me: Did I do the right thing?
When I finally slipped between the covers at the end of that hectic day, I knew the answer was no, just as I knew sleep wouldn’t come until Jimmy was delivered safely to our door.
Minutes later, the phone rang. Jimmy was calling to report that his friend’s brother had deserted them at halftime.
Although Ron wasn’t thrilled to be making another trip out, I was flooded with relief.
Jimmy was in good hands and would be home soon.
Next time, I will insist on being the late-night taxi instead of allowing Jimmy to arrange his own transportation home. After all, I’m going to be wide awake anyway.
A mother of three boys, Pam Zich has been married to a Marine for 17 years and currently lives in Springfield, Va. You may e-mail her at homefront@stripes.osd.mil or visit her Web site at www.lifeonthehomefront.com.