Multi-tasker's delight...then disaster!

My name is Cindy and I am a compulsive multi-tasker.

If I can be doing one thing, then I can probably be doing two or three things at the same time. This morning Tom and I decided to check Craig's List for a used Pack N Play for our upcoming trip. We already have one for Natalie, but Konrad has already outgrown the bassinette, so we need one for him too (I was trying to keep him in the bassinette through next week so we could just take the basinnette, but it's not working...he's nearly touching head and toes in there).

So I found a few listings for used Pack N Plays, sent emails asking those who didn't include phone numbers to call my cell, printed out the ones I was interested in, started two loads of laundry, let the kids sleep in until 7:20, then got them fed, dressed and out the door by 8 am for Natalie's therapy.

I popped in my new Bluetooth headset (Christmas gift) awaiting the phone calls. One came while we were on the road, so I pulled over and wrote down the phone number. Then when we arrived at Natalie's clinic, early, I used the time to call one seller who was near her clinic. Their Pack N Play was still available, so I dropped off Natalie and went to look at it, and bought it for $20.

Still time for a trip to Wal-Mart!

But first Konrad had to be fed, so we drove to Wal-Mart (called Tom on the way to tell him of my purchasing success), where I parked and fed Konrad in the car. Lukas asked for a CD, so I put in one of his favorite Signing Time CDs of songs. When that one was over, I popped in the CD from last summer's VBS (I was the music teacher). Everything was going great: Konrad was feeding nicely, Lukas was singing along to the songs, and then...

...the car battery died.

Oops! I left the lights on WHILE I used the CD player with the engine off. No problem: that's what AAA is for. Wonder of wonders, the truck arrived within 5 minutes, gave me a charge, but here is where the multi-tasker in me cringed: I had to leave the van on for 15-20 minutes to recharge the battery.

So that meant no Wal-Mart trip. Lukas was upset, because we were going to get more beads for his bead set. He settled for a treat from Jack in the Box (picked up in the drivethrough) that I gave him while we parked with the engine running at the clinic. When he asked me why we couldn't just go to Wal-Mart with the engine running, I said, "because someone might steal the car."

Lukas: "then how are we going to get Natalie?"

Well, I was planning to leave the engine running while we went in to get Natalie, but the concept of someone stealing our car had now entered Lukas' mind, so he was certain someone would steal the car while we walked 20 feet to pick up Natalie.

Small fit ensued, finally got him out of the car. Thankfully Natalie's therapist was right there and we could get back to the car (Lukas crying, "someone will steal the car!" the whole time).

Back to the car. Back home.

Hey, we made it home without calling AAA again. That's a victory for this multi-tasking mom of 3 kids under the age of 4 (for two more weeks).