Fed, dressed, and packed up the children for school. During my two hour break from kids, I fit in a work meeting where we packed in three hours of conversation by talking real fast.

At 11:30, I had a 45 minute meeting with Ian’s teacher and therapist who showed me some new techniques and crowed about how quickly he’s catching on.

As we walked into the house and I removed Ian’s shoes, the phone rang. It was the school secretary. During gym class, Jonah had kicked a ball so hard that his shoe fell up and onto the roof of the school. He needed a new pair of shoes pronto.

Jonah only has one pair of shoes in his size 13, so I dug around in his closet for an old pair that fit close enough, a pair of 12-1/2 sandles, and jumped in the car with Ian. Since he hadn’t had lunch yet, I thrust a sippy cup of juice and bowl of peanuts onto his lap.

On the way to Jonah’s school, Ian began to screech in pain. I pulled over immediately and he managed to tell me in sign language that he had inserted a peanut into his nose.

With Jonah’s shoes on my lap, we raced up Hillsdale Avenue and into the principal’s office where Jonah sat with a glum look on his face. I guess he was worried that I was going to yell. No time for reassurances. Ian’s nose was trying to expunge the peanut from his left nostril with a hundred small sneezes. Here, Jonah. Got to go. Your brother has a peanut up his nose.

We drove straight to the doctor’s office, where I quickly explained the situation, and he was rushed into an examination room where two nurses held him down and the doctor pulled out the peanut with one swift movement with a long necked tweaser. A red lollipop and all was well.

At dinner, Jonah said, I can’t believe that Ian did that.
Well honey, at the same age, you were rushed to the doctor because you had put a Kix brand cereal up your nose.

Rocket scientists.