Who in their Right Mind?!

This was the question I was asking myself as I took five neighborhood kids to Les Schwab today for a new battery . . .

This was not my initial plan for the afternoon . . . I saw myself watching the kids ride their bikes in the sun with a smile on my face . . .

Instead, our van decided to make a crazy sound and not start - this brought me to call AAA (which my dad started buying me when I moved out and has kept up for me ever since - thanks dad!!) which I just got the new card on Monday (ironic - I don't think so . . .)

Anyway, the call brought out a very kind tow truck driver who hooked up his special battery charge box and jumped the van - it worked! YEAH! So I turned off the van (apparently, you're not supposed to do this . . . some of you are probably laughing at this point as you already know this fact?!) . . . I waved the tow truck guy back as I realized it didn't start again to which he said (in a VERY firm voice) "You can't turn it off?! You need to leave it on and drive to get new battery?!" Okay - you didn't say this at first and I don't know these things . . . I am not a mechanic or all that car savvy . . .

So this is where we get back to my initial question . . . I have no choice but to quickly check with their parents and load them in the still-running van . . . and head to Les Schwab . . .

Battery selection is pretty straight forward - you tell the nice employee what's wrong and they do the rest . . .
During this process, you have the privilege of dining on their fine free popcorn - a HUGE blessing when you have five hungry kids stuck in a tire/mechanic store . . .

And yet, there are inherent flaws in the plans when you watch the five kids taking turns accidentally spilling the free popcorn on the "tire/mechanic/not-the-most-clean-floor store" at which point I take a picture for this blog then rush them all into the bathroom for a complete surgery ready hand washing . . .

And although it was insane and not my idea of a fun afternoon, the kids were sooo good, our van got fixed and we all got the giggles about "the great tire store adventure" - sure to be the next great children't book . . .