Bad day at the office!

Today was one of those days where everything was destined to go wrong from the moment I opened my eyes (at 5:30am might I add).   It started off when the heavens literally opened up on me during my morning run.  I'm not talking a bit of English drizzle - I mean good, proper, bucketing rain!!!  There was so much rain that it was pooling everywhere and a bus drove past sending a huge tsunami sized wave right over me!  Not funny!  I was about 2 or 3km away from home at this point so by the time I got home I literally looked like something the cat dragged in.  At least I can be thankful I decided not to do the coastal run otherwise I probably would have been blown off the top of the cliff. 

First stop of the day was Josh’s swimming lesson.  After circling the car park for over half and hour trying to find parking (and there is NOWHERE else to park other than this particular car park) we finally found a space 10 mins after the lesson had started!  I was livid and Josh was howling in the back of the car.  What to do now???   As this was the same car park where I had not so happily received a $200 parking fine on Monday I decided to go in with both kids in tow and complain.  I was just not in the mood today.  Unfortunately the 18 year gym manager really wasn’t interested, so to stop Josh from wailing I had to resort to bribery (a great parenting tactic if I don’t say so myself).   As Josh has been so desperate for a pet and has talked about nothing else for the last few weeks, I suggested that we go to the Pet Shop and get some fish.

Phew, a happy boy again!!  Off to the Pet Shop we go.  (I should mention that just about everywhere I go at the moment I have to carry a potty with me as Hollie, not so long in her ‘big girl pants’ does not yet have the greatest bladder control.  As I have not yet figured out where all the public toilets are, I have just resorted to carrying a potty everywhere I go as its very handy to have in those frantic  ‘wee wee’ moments.  So far today we’ve had to have a wee in every car park!! )  After a good few minutes of trying to choose ‘the perfect’ two fish, we ask the shop lady to get them for us.  Josh is so excited at this point to FINALLY be getting his own pet he is hopping from one foot to the other.  “Could we have the junior fish tank started kit with two fish please” I ask.  “Of course” she say, “I’ll get the tank ready for you and then you can come back on the weekend for the fish”.  I almost get whiplash as I spin round “Sorry” I say, “did you just say we can’t take the fish today????????????” “Yes, you need at least three days to get the water ready before you can put the fish in it”.  Oh god, here we go again – I’m sure in my day you used to be able to chuck a goldfish in a bowl of tap water and it would be just fine.  “You don’t understand” I protest, “I really need to take those fish home today.  I’m sure they’ll be fine.  Otherwise you can break it to him” I half jokingly say glancing over at Josh.  “But they’ll die” she says.  “And………” I’m thinking……I’m about to have to deal with my second melt down of the day”  After a couple of seconds of silence I realise I’m not really thinking of the poor fish and mutter “okay, we’ll just take the tank today then.  “Too Easy” she replies all cheerily!  Grrrrrrrrr

Second round of bribery of the day and we are off to the mall to get milkshakes (via a quick stop in at the doctors to register and make and appointment).  Another ‘wee wee’ in the car park and we set off in the lift.  We arrive in the doctor’s surgery and it is HUGE.  Far bigger than my old surgery back in England.  The waiting room is enormous and open plan with a pharmacy on one side.  It also looks right down the long corridor with all the doctors’ rooms leading off it.  It is pretty full today too.  I double check that no one needs a wee and then settle the kids on some chairs whilst I go and speak to a receptionist.  Two seconds later I am back at the kids after discovering that they are not taking any new patients until the end of July.  Wow, this day really is just getting better and better!!  Final wee check and this time it’s Josh who’s desperate.  I leave all the bags etc on the chair in the waiting room and quickly take them down the corridor into the disabled toilets.  This may be too much info, sorry, but just as I am mid wee Hollie decided to pull the lever under the shower and this massive fountain of water come blasting out of the wall all over her and she just freezes (probably in shock).  There is not much I can do except shout at her to move out of the way.  Finally I jump up and turn it off!!  I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at this point.  Surely this kind of thing only happens on comedy shows!!!  Josh is now rolling on the floor laughing and Hollie is literally drowned – with water even dripping off her eyelashes!  I very quickly realise that I have left the bags on a chair in the waiting room, so I can’t even get her changed (luckily I have spare clothes, the one advantage of potty training).  I have no choice but to walk back down the corridor with a soaking wet and dripping child back through the pharmacy and waiting room as if everything is perfectly normal!!!

All this and it wasn’t even lunchtime yet!