When Everything Goes Wrong (On the Same Day)

Sigh...

Everything that matters is well, but today a few unexpected things went positively very wrong -- particularly for our boys.

First, the car broke. It was the minivan and I wasn't driving it (PHEW!). It broke in the elementary school's parking lot when K was picking up our oldest son from his bell choir practice at 5 pm. After the car failed to start even with a jump start, a classmate's father gave K & Kel a ride home.

The car is still sitting in the school's parking lot because we don't have any type of roadside assistance!* I know we'll figure out what to do to get the car to our mechanic (only 6 miles way) and hopefully the car can be fixed, but it's a huge inconvenience not to have the car for who knows how many days. (I can drop K off at U#1, go to work at U#2 and pick him up on the way back, but Tuesdays & Thursdays are complicated!)

The worst thing, however, is that Kelvin has a field trip tomorrow and K was driving him and some classmates and now K can't go anymore (no room & no need for more chaperones). Kel is devastated because he's been complaining for months that in the past two years we haven't been to any of his field trips, but have gone with his brother. (mostly true) :(

The second problem is that months ago when I found out that my in-laws were going to be here for Thanksgiving I invited them for the Thanksgiving Banquet that the elementary school prepares for all the seniors in the community. The boys were ecstatic because they were going to be with their grandparents for the very first time (most kids have theirs attend). It was a big deal for the boys particularly because it is going to be Kelvin's very first bell-choir public performance!

You know where this is going, right? We told my in-laws which day the banquet would be, but when they asked my husband to confirm the date last week, he said that it was a "Thanksgiving Dinner" and they assumed that it would take place in the evening. So they bought a ticket to go to Massachusetts & scheduled the return flight for 9 am so they can't be here on time for the banquet.

K is on the phone with them right now and they are checking their options (it was a 60 dollar non-refundable ticket to Providence which cannot be changed)... so maybe there's a slim chance they could still come.

When I walked into the house this evening after K called me to share the double bad news I went into damage control mode immediately! I told the boys I would cancel my class to come to the banquet and see them perform. Poor Kelvin said that it was the only good news all day... Sigh... I have emailed NH to ask whether it would be OK to cancel classes for that day or whether I would need to find someone to come show a movie or something. I haven't heard back from hir yet...

Sigh... Wish us luck!

P.S. yesterday I was less than 10 minutes late to class!

P.S.II Somehow these misunderstandings feel like a "bad omen" regarding our end of the year trip. I hope not!

* Ha! I keep telling K to do something about this! With two very old cars it's a pressing need! We always had it through our car insurance, BTW, but now we have the cheapest insurance for car+ home in the world and it doesn't include it.