I have no actual pictures for the tale I'm going to tell, so you will just have to imagine it. Two nights ago, Bryan and I got Robby to bed around 8:30 and settled down to watch a movie. Within 5 minutes, we had to pause because Juliet was hysterically crying upstairs (a very unusual occurrence). So, we go to check on her only to find her covered in throw up. We got her bathed, changed, and changed her bedding. Then we did that twice more before retiring to bed at 1:00am. At 6:30, Juliet and I were back up starting the routine again, which we did until 2:00, when she went down for her afternoon nap.
Meanwhile, Robby went to school, and while Bryan was picking him up from school, he got a call from CSS for a showing from 6:30-7:30. We had less than two hours at this point to get our house clean, completely rid of the puke smell, and ready to show. We managed to pull it off in the nick of time despite also caring for a sick toddler and keeping our other toddler from leaving pockets of destruction wherever he went.
At 6:20, we are in the car and realize we need a game plan for the next hour. We haven't had time to feed the kids, so that is obviously the first priority, though Juliet was still really not eating as she was throwing up water just a few hours before. We take stock in the situation only to realize that it is the middle of winter, and we have one kid in shorts and a sweatshirt and the other in pajamas and a coat but no shoes. Besides the fact that we don't want to expose Juliet to anyone, obviously going out to eat is not an option at this point.
So, we go for Plan B, which is to head to Wendy's, get some food and go park our car close enough to the house to be able to see when the people come and go so we can get back into the house and get the kids down (Juliet's bedtime is 7:00pm). So, by 6:30, we are parked in our car with Juliet in my lap and Robby in Bryan's and Wendy's spread out between us. We decide Juliet is not getting any food because the idea of her puking in the car is a bit much. After five minutes of her whining, we give in and give her one fry. Then two. I think she got up to five before she was finally cut off.
We were embarrassingly naive about this whole situation, thinking that surely they would get there in the first half hour and that we would be in the house within 15 minutes of Juliet's bedtime. By 7:00, the kids were getting antsy, and frankly, so were we. The food was all gone at this point, and there was not much to do but watch for car lights and guess as to whether this car would be it. By 7:10, I'm predicting that they aren't going to show. By 7:15, Bryan and Robby are going for a walk around the block. 7:20, we are imagining the less than nice things we want to say to the realtor who schedules this showing and then no-shows.
Bryan wants to wait until 7:35, but I have to use the facilities something fierce by this point, and at 7:31, an argument comes very close to breaking out--and then, the lights of the two cars passing us slow down and stop at our house. We have one extremely tired and fussy baby and one toddler who has been cooped up in the car far too long, but at least the people showed up.
After 90 minutes of sitting in a parked car right by our house, we finally got to go back inside. Strangely though, it was something of a bonding experience. But, I promise that if we get another showing during evening hours our kids will be dressed and wearing shoes, and we will find a better diversion than sitting in our car.
