Driving around town in my pj's

I am not one of those moms who is showered and dressed before she wakes her kids for school. Me, I linger in bed until 7:25, and then race around the house waking up kids and slapping together lunches. At the beginning of this school year I started making the kids pancakes, or scrambled eggs for breakfast. The kids were ecstatic as this was my first weekday foray beyond cold cereal, bagels, or oatmeal. I was able to accomplish breakfast, lunches and school prep in 35 minutes flat by driving the kids to school in my pajamas. It feels like the perfect solution -- I stay in bed until the last possible second (heaven), I don't have to jockey for position with four kids in the bathroom, and the kids have my undivided attention before shipping out for the day.

But there is a dark side to this strategy. Once upon a time we lived in California. I employed the same drive-the-kids-to-school-in-your-jammies methodology. But alas, tragedy struck and one day I drove my second grader and my kindergartner to school only to have my tire go completely flat as I pulled to the curb for drop-off. I looked for my cell phone to call for help only to discover that, as usual, my handbag and cell phone were still at home. I quickly assessed my appearance: bedhead, unbrushed teeth, rumpled pajamas, bare feet, and no bra. My twins were similarly attired in Pull-ups, a pajama top and, of course, no pants or shoes. We were quite a motley crew.

In the end the twins and I left the car to summon help. I did the 35 year-old housewife's equivalent of the walk of shame en route to the school office. I'm certain I passed every single mommy I've ever met me on the way. I used the school's phone to call AAA (because Pat was out of town, of course) and waited for salvation. The twins and I were rescued, and lived happily ever after in spite of my humiliation.

Oh, this was embarrassing. I wish I had pictures of some of the "looks" I got. It was epic, and yet I didn't learn my lesson. Here I am, three years later, driving the kids to school in my pj's, and many days my phone still gets left at home. I do put a sweatshirt over my jammies to hide my bra-less physique, but that is usually as far as I get. Who knows, maybe knowing the world has already seen you at your worst is liberating?

So if you see a wild-haired, middle-aged mama driving around town with a car stuffed full of kids, honk and wave. It's probably me...