Just in case you have been wondering, there are still nice people out there in the world. Tonight, I left the stove and my computer turned on because I was only going to be gone for about 20 minutes. Lyn takes her piano lessons on Wednesday night. Five of the children and I were running to pick her up. I popped through the Walgreens drive thru afterwards to pick up a couple of prescriptions and that is when I made the fatal mistake. I turned off the van. It wouldn’t start back up, it wouldn’t even turn over, it just clicked. The baby started crying; the two other youngest children took off their seat belts and began jumping around. Then the four year old started yelling over and over again, “I said I have to go poop.”

Yup, definitely a seen from, “It’s a wonderful life.” I climbed out, popped the hood, and hooked up my jumper cables, and then I began looking for an unsuspecting victim. I saw a women sitting in her running car and talking on her sell phone so I asked her. She was waiting for a prescription to be filled and was willing to help. That didn’t seem to make a difference. I thanked her and tried to call Super Dad on his cell phone. Alas, he was up a tree deer hunting, and was either ignoring my calls or had his phone turned off.

Another unsuspecting victim pulled up behind me. I walked back and knocked on his window. I told him that I wouldn’t be moving out of the drive thru because my van wouldn’t start, maybe he could give me a jump. He too, was happy to help. He checked the connections, revved his engine, nothing. Finally, he pushed my van to a parking spot and offered to give us a ride home. Then he asked the big question, “How many of you are in there?”

“There are six of us,” I said expecting him to decline. He offered to make room for us and said it really wasn’t out of his way to drive us the six miles home. Ami, our 15 month old, completely freaked out. I’ve never seen her so terrified. She was clinging to me and trying to climb inside my body. I finally switched places with her, and put her near the door and I sat in the middle. That is when Super Dad returned my phone call.

If you have ever owned a Ford vehicle, you might know that they are infamous for having trouble with the solenoid on the starter. Ever ford vehicle I have ever owned has had this same problem. So, it only took Super Dad five minutes to fix it. The children are still talking about their adventure and the nice man that gave us a ride. It was just like camping the 10 year old said. Hmmm, not sure what memory she was referencing. Must have been one from her first seven years when she wasn’t yet part of our family.


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Photo Credit, Glen Fuller 2007