Back to School Night-One woman braves the crowds with three kids in hand.

Tonight was a food failure.  Fast food nation forgive me...I took the kids to McDonald's.  Blame it on back to school night.  At 5:22 I got a call from my loving hubby, he said they had a bowel dissection and a burst appendix to take care of before he came home.  Translation...Mrs. MD you are on your own, one parent, three kids...totally outnumbered...make a plan and you just might survive. 

Equipment-I'm already one hand short so every object needs to be carefully planned.
one umbrella stroller
one baby sling
one squashed fruit (like a fruit roll)
one cell phone
one muslin blanket

Time Line-
By the time all the kids had a chance to chat with their father and say goodnight we were down to less than an hour, no shoes on any feet, nobody fed.
5:30- Have a race to get shoes on.
5:34- Grab and carry equipment with one squirming daughter dancing in the street and the other under arm.
5:40- Stop by bank to get cash.
5:50- McDonald's drive through....let the kids order a "happy meal".
6:10- Get to the school in plenty of time to eat and get parking in front of the building.
6:25- Put baby in sling, middle child in the stroller, have oldest lead the way and open doors.
6:30-7:05 Sit at cafeteria table with 100s of other parents listening to the principal go on and on about how awesome the school is and PTA beg people to volunteer.  Shush baby with squashed fruit.  Placate middle child with cell phone camera.  Have oldest play peek a boo with baby and the muslin blanket.  Sweat profusely with the stress of trying to keep all three kids quiet and seated.  Pray the talking will end soon.
7:05-7:10-Navigate the overcrowded hallways to the first grade wing.  Congratulate yourself on being smart enough not to bring the overly bulky double stroller. 
7:10-7:30-Visit classroom.  Marvel at how cute and young 24 looks (The teacher).  Be amazed at how a teacher barely starting her fourth year can be so organized.  Notice that the kids that came out of the other kindergarten classrooms still grip their pencils incorrectly and are wiggle worms and wonder why your kindergarten teacher was so stringent.  Grab the globe as it comes crashing to the floor thanks to daughter number one.  Set all kids up at the table coloring.  Pack kids back into the stroller/baby carrier and blow a sigh of relief at making it through another passage of time alone as a single parent :)