Appointments, Missed Buses and Sous Chef

Another full day which started off with a trip to the US embassy to get Benjamin's US passport renewed.  We made an early appointment so we all rode our bikes to school together, parked our bikes there, Josie went on to school and the three of us hopped on a bus and headed to the embassy.  There is a consulate that is just a couple miles away which is super convenient that we don't have to go to the actually embassy downtown.
We get there with plenty of time and snap a quick photo before they take our backpacks, our cell phones and my pack of chewing gum??  Not sure what was so illegal about that.  It was a very quick and efficient process.  And they say we should get his new passport in a couple of weeks.
After the appointment we ride the bus back to school, drop Benjamin off, went back home and got a ton of stuff done around the house and then I had my first appointment with a new Dr to help with my chronic back pain.  I have seen a couple of doctors here and none of them have helped at all.  I was a bit skeptical with another recommendation but I was a bit eager as my back has been pretty painful and tight lately.
It turned out to be one of the best experiences I have had in relation to helping my back. She asked if I had a chin injury... why yes!  I was hit by a bike while roller blading (nearly 20 years ago!!) and flew over the handle bars and landed right on my chin. I have had problems with my jaw and chin ever since but I never bring that up with anyone.  It seemed unfixable.  She had me walk back and forth and asked if I had problems with my feet.  Why yes again!!  I have had a bad case of plantar fasciitis ever since my Cuba trip where I walked 10 + miles in flip flops! But even when I went to a podiatrist he just diagnosed me and prescribed a boot that I had to wear at night.
She really found every spot I have problems with and then really and painfully dug in... to my feet to my hips to my back.  OUCH!!  But with the long term value of paying off in the end.  I left sore but happy.
On Wednesdays Josie has a special math class at the university. Normally I ride the bus with her and then she returns on her own.  This week I told her that I had a dr appointment and she would have to go on her own.  I texted her with the exact time she should leave to catch the bus.  I couldn't have been clearer.  I raced home and waited at the bus stop she should have gone to to get to her class.  She didn't show up.  I was so mad!!  I marched home pissed to find her on a video game with her brother.  She was so distraught that she has missed her class but I was still so mad.

I am the default parent.  When Marty and I decided to have kids we wanted one of us to always be there for the kids.  I quickly became the "default parent" as it is much more difficult to raise a family as a teacher's salary and I knew that teaching and parenting is the same emotional draw.  I could not do both well.  Which means that I am the one to always be there for the kids.  To get them to and from their activities and appointments. To make sure that they have their PE clothes on PE (here called "sport") sign them up for camps and after school enrichment.   Josie is very much old enough to get herself to her activities on her own but often times she wants me to go. Truth be told, I half hate it (I have so much to do) and half love it as I know my time with her is numbered and soon enough she won't want me to go with her to places.
We decided that she should still go to her math class even thought she would be a bit late. We hopped on the next bus. When we got to the stop at the University we ran as fast as this 50 year old body will allow me to go.  She ended up being less than 10 minutes late and here everyone is used to missing a bus or two.

After we said goodbye I got back on the bus and crossed town for the umpteenth time that day.  When I walk in the house  I dive right into making dinner.  I had hopes of making a more complicated vegan dish for dinner but now my time was rather tight.  Benjamin asked to help and at first I said -no way!! but then I thought, what's the rush? He turned out being the best sous chef and we made a delicious vegan meal complete with vegan gravy.  We are not gravy fans but this Shepard's pie with Rockstar gravy from the cookbook "Cookin' Up a Storm" was seriously amazing.

Josie came back from her math class barely phased by the trauma of missing her bus and we had a great, vegan meal together.
A full and frustrating day.