My friend and I texted back and forth yesterday that we live for carpool. Ive never been one of those moms whos ashamed to drive a minivan. Sure, Id rather drive something more stylish, but it holds a lot of kids, so for now, I drive a frumpy vehicle. I admit it. And its not that we dont have anything better to do than wait for our sweaty boys to come out of football practice, sometimes up to an hour after we thought practice had ended. After all, coaches are often overgrown boys who dont own or look at their watches either. I dont fault them for their work ethic and intensity that keeps my kid at practice well after dinner.
Im just saying I have had a change of heart about waiting around for kids. For one thing, hurrying all the time just isnt good for body or soul. I realized this one day lying in bed as my heart pounded so hard I thought it was going to wake up my husband. It was a sure sign that I had to figure out how to relax. Around that time, I was invited to join a carpool. I was honored. Apparently, no one told them about all my speeding tickets. If my son doesnt tell, well be fine because carpool is a beautiful thing.
We have a carpool coordinator who texts us each Sunday evening with the weekly schedule. When she went on vacation this summer, we struggled to figure things out without her. We ended up driving our own sons most days because hunkering down and doing it yourself makes sense in isolation. So a carpool coordinator, whose only job description is to tell everyone when to show up, is essential.
One day I went a little off my rocker and quit carpool. I have no idea what I was thinking. I had deadlines caving in on me, and I went to pick up kids who were not where they were supposed to be, so I called everyone and quit. They talked me down, forgave me, and picked up my son all week while I recovered. They insisted that I should let them help me out. It was humbling but heartwarming that they would do that for me and my family. I was back on the schedule the following week with promises of phone calls when children went missing.
Carpool is a little community and a helpful way for a mom to recover some time in her schedule. If you only drive two out of six days, that saves about four hours each week, which is a big deal to this workaholic, sleep-deprived wife, mom, writer, and editor. I can complete one more assignment, clean my house, or make dinner on those nights I am not waiting in the school parking lot. Or if youre like my favorite character, that mom on the TV show, The Middle, you can lay in bed and eat chips with your extra four hours. Its not likely for any moms I know, but I just thought Id throw it out there as an option.
But the best thing about carpool is that you get to hear what your kids are talking about with their friends. Or better yet, the other parents can spy on your kids for you. Seriously, I want to know what my kids say when I am not around, so how perfect a close-knit carpool is for checking in on how they are doing. They think youre just driving them around, but those conversations in the backseat are priceless. Like I said, carpool is a beautiful thing.
