Exercise in Futility

Today, I had a plan.  Matt is out of town for the 2nd day, so I decided I would actually get up early and have some time with Jesus before my kids woke up.  Then I got them both changed and milked up and back in their beds (because that first wake up of theirs is crazy early!) and while they rested/slept, I got showered and dressed and so by about 9 am, things were rolling around here!  Kids were dressed, I was getting them fed and we had a plan!  The plan was to finish Nana's birthday cards (sorry for the spoiler Nana, but you may never get them, so this might spoil exactly nothing for you!), go to the post office and mail them, while also checking our P.O. box for any lovin' from the ole' US of A.  Simple, right?  Well, then I thought, "How cute if I take some pictures of the kids and get them printed and put them in the cards!"  So we took some pictures.  Selected our favorites, threw the jump drive in the diaper bag and we're off.  First we head down the elevator (we live on the 8th floor) to the car.  Usually when Matt is out of town we don't have a car, but this time he hitched a ride, so I was happy to have use of the car.  When we arrive at the car, Zain's carseat has been moved to the trunk.  Not sure why-I didn't drive the car last, but no big deal.  I figure out a semi safe place for him to sit while I get his carseat put back in place.  Then we head to the photo shop.  I am surprised and thrilled to find a parking place just down the hill from the shop.  Parking is EXTREMELY difficult here and streets are narrow and crowded, so I debated walking, but strapping my 20 lb kid onto my body while pushing my 2 1/2 year old in a stroller (cause trust me NO ONE has time to keep pace with the slowest walker on the planet) in this heat sounded awful (plus it's Ramadan so we couldn't drink any water outside while making this trek, which sealed the deal for me!  So we (and when I say we, I mean I) get both kids out of carseats (nearly being taken out by traffic driving very close to us and our parked car) and hike up the hill to the shop where we wait for a few minutes for someone to go get someone else, who tells me their machine is broken.  So I ask if they know any other places in the area.  Several nice patrons give me directions.  We walk back down the hill, get the carrier because now that we're officially exploring, I need Zain in his carrier.  We go in search of the other photo shop, which we walk right by without realizing it.  Then we ask at another shop.  And then we wait for 5 minutes while he yells at someone named Ahmed on the phone.  Then he sends us back the way we came.  (and I hope my child does not notice the porn sold openly at the magazine shop we have to pass going both ways)  Maya announces that she has to pee.  Although she is wearing a diaper, (because we have temporarily suspended all potty training efforts to prevent child abuse), I don't want to discourage her being aware and wanting to use the toilet, so I ask if she can hold it.  She can, so we proceed to photo shop #2 that we walked right by.  We arrive and he boots up his machine.  It strikes me as a bit ironic that it looks just like the machines in WalMart, where they have parking.  And baby changing tables.  And cold drinks.  Then he puts the jump drive in.  And there's nothing on it.  And I realize that I have a folder of cute pictures for Nana's birthday card sitting on my desktop, NOT on this jump drive.  I have to decide what to do now.  I contemplate mailing the cards without the pictures.  After all, we're already downtown, but with a 20 lb kid on my sweaty chest and the planet's slowest walking 2 1/2 year old, there is no way it's within walking distance from where we are parked.  At this point I remember that Maya needs to pee.  So we go into a coffee shop where I know there is a bathroom.  Why are all the bathrooms in this country in the basement or on the 2nd floor?!  So we (ever so slowly) make our way downstairs and she uses the potty and we get the diaper back on (while standing, mind you, because there is never a place to change kids here and this floor is DIRTY, so I'm not gonna lay her down on it).  I begin to have intestinal cramps and fear I will have diarrhea, but decide there's no way I can do that with my 20 lb kid strapped on my chest.  And I can't bear to put him down on this not so clean bathroom floor, so I just will myself well and we move on.  We climb back up the stairs, greet a few cute old men gawking at Maya, and hike back up the hill to the car.  As we get back in the car and I try to decide whether to go home, put the pictures on the jump drive, go back to the picture store, print the pictures, move the car to the post office, try to find parking (again), go up the stairs to the post office, wait in line forever. . . you're getting the point.  Plus Zain falls asleep the moment we are moving in the car again.  At this point, I decide we'd better just go home, eat lunch, take naps, and try the whole thing again tomorrow.  Wish me luck. . . And Nana?  Don't hold your breath. . .