Shuttle

Any parent, especially a stay home parent has spent an entire day feeling like nothing more than the taxi driver, or shuttle service!  Certainly back in the States I had spent a fare share of my time as “James the driver” for my kids.  Well, sadly the only difference here in Ukraine is that I get to be the shuttle on my own two feet!  Our Friday began with a busy morning of school while I tried to finish the dishes and be prepared for the rest of our day out and about.  At 10:50 we walked on over to the girls’ Russian lessons and I ran over to the store (I think I have mentioned that if I say I have run somewhere in Slavutich that it is literal), for a few things for pizza night.  It’s hard to stock up on drinks for the whole week so I end up at the store several times in a week; groceries are heavy when you have to carry them for ¼ mile or more, especially things like, milk, juice, yogurt and soda.  Have I mentioned that on this fine spring day it has decided to bestow on us so much needed rain, fabulous.  Now, bringing an umbrella seems like a good idea, but until someone figures out how to carry three bags of groceries with an umbrella and of course the least bit of wind then I would be glad to use the umbrella.  So here I am with my rain jacket with 3 bags of groceries and hustling home to get back and pick up the girls (on foot) and head off to Perspective (the school where some American and French kids are taught).  We participate in a Mother’s Day craft and just as our damp pants have nearly dried we have to head over to duet piano lessons for the girls.  Once piano is over we get to hustle on over to the girls’ first soccer session!  Boy they were excited for that; they did pretty well, the coach and other kids seemed glad to have them despite Rylie pulling out a cartwheel every two minutes during the scrimmage.  Ellie was pleased and eager to beat the boys in every race; she managed to place 3^rd or 4^th every time, no competitive nature there, ha.  Since it was a cold wet spring day outside it was also chilly in the gym, so by now I am shivering, it is after 5 pm and we still have to walk home in the blowing rain so I can make dinner and maybe sit down by 7:00.  I conversed with the Russian speaking coach (Vladimir), other than finding out what time soccer was the next week I have no idea what he said.  Off we go and I’m pretty sure we walked head into the wet wind the whole way home.  This time, in one hand I had the umbrella trying to shield the wet wind from the 3 of us and in the other, had a little worn out six year old that I was practically dragging along the uneven sidewalks.  17 minutes later, yes I timed it, we were home, tired, cold and hungry; no, a microwave meal or ordering out was not an option.  Thankfully Tony beat us home and was already grating the cheese, I rolled out the dough and we were all eating pizza and warming up in front of a family night movie within 30 minutes.  That is what the Shuttle Service looks like these days, sigh, maybe driving everyone everywhere isn’t so bad after all.  Although, all the walking was cheaper and healthier!