Monday, December 13, 2010

all i want for christmas...

last night, ryan asked me what i wanted for christmas. he said, "mare, i really need a list." and then he paused, and finished with, "...and don't say a car."

well, now, that's not fair! you can't ask what i want for christmas and then qualify it like that, mr. scrooge. 

when leah was born i decided i could definitely make it with one car until we had at least two kids. at that point, it would get harder to shuffle them around and leah would most likely have playdates and library class and dance class and whatever else. what i didn't realize at that point was that i would be shuffling leah around at a much earlier age for very different kinds of classes. i also thought we would for sure have two by now. 

since things rarely go as planned, we've continued to make do with one car. it's fine. it works. but really, it takes at least two hours out of my day. i drive ryan to work, drive leah to school. drive home. then i pick up leah and drive home again. then, later in the evening, after piano, i go and pick up ryan {whenever he is ready, not at a specified time}, which usually makes cooking dinner very difficult. like i said. it's fine. it works. and i know we're lucky to have a car and to have ryan work so close to where we live. 

but, a second car would have really come in handy last monday. we planned to go to the christmas creche at a nearby chapel. {if you're local and you haven't ever been, you should. it's amazing.} i got leah all bundled up in her coat. i bundled up. {it was a chilly 50 degrees here, people.} i grabbed my phone, my camera, my purse and my keys, shuffled leah out the door, locked the handle and slam. wait. i meant to say i didn't grab my keys. those were still inside. 

so, i laughed. then i called ryan {because i did remember to grab my phone} and said, "so, it's going to be really hard for me to come and pick you up because the keys are inside the locked house and leah and i are outside." ryan couldn't just hop in the car and come home. because we only have one car. and it was sitting right by me, locked. 

so we waited. and we took pictures while we waited {because i also remembered to grab my camera}.



ryan ended up getting a ride home about a half hour later with a friend who happened to be leaving work and happens to live across the street. {thanks m and c!}. when he pulled up, he unlocked the car door, we piled in and made our way to the creche. 

see? it works. it's fine. 

but really, ryan, wouldn't a second car be so nice?

9 comments:

Erica said...

car! car! car!

or one of those rock thingies where you could hide a second set of keys?

Mary said...

I swear, the day we get a second car I'm going to feel like I'm 16 again, getting my first set of wheels. Freedom!

Dyan said...

It works to have one car, but it is much nicer having two. I am impressed you have done it for as long as you have...maybe he will surprise you??

t.t.turner said...

We're learning to appreciate the bus system here in Seattle, although it takes twice as long to get somewhere!

Rob and Marseille said...

can't he always get a ride home with that friend?!? or going to work? Can't they plan to finish their work at the same time?!?!
My parents had one car until I got married. Thats right. I am their oldest, and my dad is a teacher & doesn't get paid that much, but I do feel very lucky to have my own car.
Rob and I determine together how much we are going to spend on each other, then ask each other for ideas. I like Heather Lant's idea to cut out pictures of things she wants for christmas. (and putting which store they can be found at). This year our limit was $50/person for everything-stocking stuffers included. But, I got my present in September- a professional kitchaid (bigger bowl/motor). Definately over $50. I was making a case that it would save us money because I'd be making bread instead of buying it (which I am- I haven't bought bread since Sept), but it is still an extravegant gift. I'm expecting slippers in my stocking and that is all for Christmas. (I wear mine every day and they died a month ago). How much money would you save on gas?

mj said...

nope - can't ever plan to come home together because they always finish at different times and they rarely know when that will be until much later in the day - which is why it makes carpooling/cooking dinner/etc. very hard. carpooling in the morning is a bit easier and we've done it, but it's always the wives that coordinate. :) and ryan goes in a bit earlier since i have to get leah to school on time.

carolee said...

I'm glad you had that beautiful Cali weather and not yucky Utah weather to wait outside in!

Jen said...

I would never have guessed when I saw you later that night at the mishaps that evening had already brought. :)

Afton said...

Wow, you have such a good attitude! I'm very impressed with how positive you were! I'd vote for the car, just get a beater, seriously! A cheap old beater that just gets you from a to b. Or rather him since you should have something safer and more reliable with Leah:).