Divided We Fall, United We Stand

I had to go yesterday to register my son for kindergarten.  Normally, I wouldn't think of it as a big deal.  I go in, fill out 20 minutes worth of paperwork, and I'm done, right?  Well, I don't think I've ever done anything the "easy" or the "normal" way.  Seriously.  Ask anyone who's known me for a long time, and they will tell you that I have a "creative" way of doing things.  So, when I knew I had to register him, I was truly hoping it wouldn't end up the "Gina" way, but the normal way.  But life throws curve balls....

Here's the deal.  I have a beautiful 6 year old pixie of a daughter, a 5 year old ASD son, a 3 1/2 year old son, and another daughter who will be a year in 14 days.  Bringing all four of them with me to fill out paperwork at a time when it's not breakfast, nap, lunch, or nap take two time, is a real juggler of time.  Throw in bathroom breaks, diaper changes, and well, there goes today!  Started heading out the door at 10 but got there 10 after 2.  and that's 10 minutes AFTER registration closes.  I tried it 4 days with no success.  I finally got the affidavit of residency turned in to my daughter's school last Friday only because their office is open until 3pm.

So on Sunday, I'm trading stories with a friend who also has 4 children, albeit a little more spread out than mine, and she offers the greatest sacrifice!  She offers to come over to my house to watch the kids while I go sign him up.  She is truly an answer to prayer!  Of course I'm worried about the condition of my house...getting rid of clutter but that's for another day's blog..or maybe a week's....hopping back on track now.  But she's a gem of a girl and says not to worry, she knows what it's like sometimes.  And, having 4 of her own, I know she does.


Monday shows up and so does my friend with her brood.  After the apology for the shape of the house and the brush off comment (which truly does, I might add, help take a load off my mind :) ), we talk for a few minutes while I finish a few things before taking off and give the kids a few minutes to get acclimated to the new adult in the house.  PLUS I get some adult conversation in the mix, and so does she, so GO MOMMIES!

I drove the mile down to the school, got out the required paperwork, and filled in the school paperwork, and was back before the hour was up!  It was a cinch!  It took me hardly any time at all!  YES!  Mission completed!  So I came home, happy as a lark, and talked with my friend for another hour while the kids played and had mac and cheese for lunch.  We wondered at how quickly you can get things done when the kids aren't "helping."

And I realized that I'm not in this alone.  We shared stories of trying to do all these different things with the children underfoot and how it takes ever so much longer!  We ALL have to juggle time with these little ones.  Sometimes we can gt it accomplished, eventually, and sometimes...  Well, sometimes, we need someone to step in and be willing to help us so we can get the job accomplished.  We need each other.  We need help.  I certainly need help sometimes.  And this dear jewel helped me.  She stood by me and watched my kids while I registered my son for school.

But more importantly, she was attuned enough to realize that I needed help and was willing to offer it where she could.  She talked with me and listened.  We shared bits of our lives with one another and just enjoyed the company.  I will forever be grateful because what she did was take a day that could have been another failure and help turn it into a great success just by being there for me.  She was my right arm and helped me to stand.