Rain Rain Go Away . . .

Rain is the bane of every mother trying to get her kids on the bus in the morning. The Big Three (what I call my three that go to school, the younger two I call the Itty Bits) had to run through the rain to catch the bus. In my defense it wasn't raining nearly has hard two minutes before. It's a judgement call, and when there's two little ones to have to schlep into the mix, the call usually end ups on the side of what's easiest.

Option One:
Give the kids umbrellas. Sounds easy and at one point they did each have their own umbrella. However they played with them and broke them. Now the only umbrellas we have are in the cars, negating the simplicity of the whole umbrella thing. In addition I don't have one big enough for all of us, so there would be fighting over who got to hold the other umbrella, someone would complain that their arm was getting wet, and I'd be yelling before 7:30 am. Never a good way to start the day.

Option Two:
Load everyone in the van and drive them to the top of the driveway to wait for the bus. In theory this is also sounds like a simple solution and I've done it a time or two. It does have a couple of drawbacks. The van is not parked in the garage, therefore the kids get wet fighting over who gets in the car first and waiting for the others to get in. And then getting out of the van means they get wet again. And what do I do with the Itty Bits? You get the picture.

Option Three:
Rain coats. Sounds very reasonable but honestly the expense (as small as it may be) times 4 (because the oldest Itty Bit would insist on having one also), multiplied by the few times they'd need them and the hassle of storing them when not in use, equals not going to happen. So I don't win mother of the year.

Option Three:
Stand on the porch until the bus stops at the stop sign right before our house, then run. By the time they get to the top of the driveway the bus is waiting for them. This is the option we usually use unless it's a deluge. Of course this only works because we know the bus driver will stop at our house even if the kids aren't out there. I turn the porch light on as a signal that they are coming (not that I've ever discussed this signal with the bus driver, but he seems to understand).

So this morning my kids ran through the rain that was heavier at the time of the running than at the time (2 minutes previous) that the decision to run was made. M & E's hair will not be in the pretty glossy state it was when I sent them out the door. They will arrive at school looking like partially drowned rats, but so will half the other kids, so I can't be the only mother that made her kids run through the rain.