The Village

No, no, not that M Night Shyamalan movie, although that would make a great post later... (Movies I hated for most of the movie then loved afterwards?  Movies that weren't quite as good as the director's first try?)

No, I'm taking about Hillary Clinton's Village---the one from the late 1990's, that according to her it takes to raise a child.  Her book (and speeches from that era) always leave me conflicted, because although I disagree with many of her beliefs and stands, the older my kids get, the more I think she could be right on this Village thing.

In the past couple weeks, through a comedy of chaos, I've had to text friends more than once to save my you-know-what. Here's an example...the other night, I somehow ran over a large drill bit (not kidding) and shredded my tire (back passenger side, in case you were wondering) as I hurried to pick up the kids, run them home to change clothes, eat dinner and go to Cub Scouts.  Acura roadside service and the Acura dealer couldn't have been nicer--navigating the tire warranty for me and putting me in a loaner when they couldn't get the new tire until the next morning. IM was tied up in meetings and other things, so he couldn't get away to get the kids. While I waited in the Acura waiting room, I texted friend #1...."If you haven't picked up your kids at school yet, can you please take The Boy a pair of shorts?" (He needed them for a Cub Scout activity, she did) then friend #2 "Can you walk the kids from after school care in the cafeteria to the multipurpose room?  The after school lady won't let them go by themselves..."  (She did).  A couple days later I was again stuck (figuratively this time?) when I had to teach until 3:00 and The Girl had to be somewhere for cross country practice...enter friend #3, who took my child to school and had her husband return The Girl to after school care.  Needless to say, without my Village I would have had to take time off work or the kids would have to miss things...whew...Thanks, Village...I owe you (all) one (or more....)!