The flat tire incident

I have to tell a little bit about that flat tire incident on the way to Odyssey of the Mind.

To start, you should know it takes a lot for me to have a meltdown.  Really, I just don't get mad, usually.  But with the right circumstances and a lack of sleep, it can happen. So, I really had a crazy week last week.  Darren has been gone for clinicals and I have been doing almost everything myself.  Which really, is nothing new, Darren has been a full time student for the last like 6 years- he has been through 9 years total. I don't mind doing a lot myself, I am actually very grateful, because he is an awesome student and very hard worker.  He has not gotten anything lower than an A since he went back to school.  I feel like we are a pretty good team.  He works hard at school and I work hard with the home and kids. And hopefully, someday soon it will pay off.
Anywho, back to my story about me getting mad and a flat tire. I had a crazy week (I said that already)  It was the morning of the big event.  I got up at 6:30 and had gone to bed at 1 the night before, so I was pretty tired.  I had the cardboard set for OM in the back of my van.  I had 3 of my kids with me.  Ellie went up with Jane.  We left at 7:30 and were supposed to be there at 8 and their performance was at 9.  We were barely going to be on time. (no snickering please)   So down the freeway we were going when I heard a loud banging against my car.  Yea, my tire had pretty much exploded.  I knew that was going to happen! I knew I needed new tires, but remember how Darren has been in school for 6 years? Yea, tires were not a financial priority till Saturday at 7:50am. Hey, I'm just trying to be "green" and get as much use as possible out of them. Actually just trying to save some green.  Back to the story, so I pull over and the kids were freaking out.  I stayed calm and pulled the car on the grass.  Oh man.  I had the set with me! So I texted the coach and got to work.  I took out the cooler, and the costumes and the spare.  There was a call box up ahead so I sent Paul up to try and call someone.  Then I noticed a police car on the other side of the freeway.  I had Paul and Kyle jump and wave to get the officer's attention.  It didn't work.  Neither did the call box.  Thank goodness I know how to change a flat.  Thank goodness I know that the jack is in a different place than the spare.  I think last time we spent half hour trying to find the jack. I have also learned to put the torque wrench on the lug nuts parallel to the ground and stand on it to loosen them.  If you jump up and down it works great.  So, I loosened them and started jacking up the car.  Meanwhile Gabe was screaming.  seriously screaming.  And  Paul was freaking out, "Mom, what are we going to do!! Mom, I told you we were going to be late! Mom, they are going to deduct points from us for being late!  Mom, what are you doing?  Mom, that tire is the wrong size, Mom, we have the set with us! MOM!"  - Baby screaming in the background and cars flying by at 80 mph.  6 kids waiting at the school for us. No husband.  ughhh!!  Just then someone pulled over.   It was a nice older man with his son.   They didn't speak a lot of English, but they were fast.
Soon we were on the road.  I called Darren and pretty much let it all out.  (remember this story is about me getting mad?)  I cried and told him I had had it with feeling like a single mom.  I am sick of him always studying, and me doing scouts, pinewood derby, lessons, etc. by myself.  He took it pretty well and calmed me down.  He reassured me that he is almost done with school and it will be worth it.  No matter how mad I get Darren can always calm me down within 10 seconds and 1 sentence. He always says,  "But babe, your so hot!" which always makes me laugh.  By the time I pulled up to the school I felt better and we actually made it with the set in time.  
So there you have it.  My husband has been in school for 9 years meltdown.  Does he get to have a meltdown? He's the one in school! One more year to go. We can do it.