Unicorn: verb. to take something sucktacious and turn it into something good.
Sucktacious: adjective. Generally bad. (see also: craptastic)
I realize I need to start an ETST glossary for my made-up words. Actually, there’s probably an entire archive of them buried in posts. What fun it would be to alphabetize them and actually define them for you, but then again–ya’lls pretty smart; I bet you figured out their meaning on your own.
So, I figured out a way to unicorn Car Line–Car Line, of course, being the proper noun attributed to the sucktacious afternoon event of sitting in your car between three hundred other cars all crammed together in a giant “S” that overtakes two skinny parking lot lanes at school. There’s a strategy to Car Line–an exact time you can arrive that doesn’t make you too eager beaver, all first in line with a whole hour of awkardly looking out your window at the other eager beavers lined up next to you (me, first day), and yet avoiding the holy-crap-I-almost-forgot-to-pick-up-my-kid end of line straggler (me, every day come the last two months of school) who comes whizzing up the curb at the end of the day while safety patrols clean up the traffic cones. The thing is, the strategy to nailing the perfect Car Line wait time is kind of a mystery as you never know how many parents on one particular day are going to attempt to arrive at that perfect time. Brett has no patience for it. In fact, when he says the word “Car Line,” it sounds like expletive, expletive, Car Line, expletive. Me? Well, I try to practice the language of my unicorn heritage as much as possible, so I smile and say things like “it’s not that bad.” And now I’ve actually figured out a way to turn “not that bad” into so good that Car Line is one of my favorite parts of the day. I go an hour early, get first in line, bring my laptop, work in the car and listen to one “This American Life” podcast (thank you, Pam, for the app tip) while I wait. Car Line is now up there with getting a manicure–peaceful, quiet, productive.
Enjoying…
* Lainey climbed in the car after aforementioned Car Line today and said, “Mom, guess what? I saw a boy crying today and me and a girl named Reece helped him.” My heart skipped a little happy beat.
* My girl who loves to do my hair while I work.
* Abiding by one of Florida’s Ten Commandments: If thou drive past the beach, thou must stop at it.
* Seeing a turtle at the beach.
* The way she thinks running toward the camera is a game.
* Dash’s new tripod. We count to maybe ten before we notice pre-teeter-over movements, and then we swoop in to save him from a fall.
* Cat Piano Concert for Duck Audience.
* Dreaming about the day this boy will sleep more than two-hour stretches.
* Making dinner with Lainey last night and letting her use a blunt butter knife to cut garlic. She thought she was Top Chef.
* Swiper. He’s particularly fond of Brett’s crib mobile doppelganger.
* Sisters who read together.
* The balloon game.
* Ice cream just ‘cuz. We do that a lot.
* Finding this amazing song by Vance Joy (thank you, Nicola!) and realizing that their album is called “God Loves You When You’re Dancing.”
God Loves You When You’re Dancing.
I love that. I really love that.
Happy day, friends.
Goodness, am I first?! Lainey and Nella are both such little beauties! And Dash too of course! xoxo Lacy
http://lovinglifessimplicities.blogspot.com
Kelle, you may know this but you need to Google – Scotland National Animal!!!
Love reading about your family! Thank you for keeping it real.
I used to love car line too! : ). I loved smiling at the other moms. I also liked to whip my laptop out and get as many of my case notes from the day into it before Kaish came running to the car. I always felt so bad for the parents that come right in the middle and sit and sit and sit.
I love the album title. Brilliant. I love that you visit the beach so often. Love that you stop for ice cream. What a sweet family you have.
love this. so fun. and “plain jane, good old day” but fun. and your children are just darling. they want me to have babies sooner!!! you make holding out a few more years until the big 3-0 harder!!
I love it all! Nice outlook on the car line. I enjoy peaceful moments in the car more and more these days. Glad you’re getting some, too. Oh and running at the camera, Arya totally does that one. And then there’s me running backwards, still trying to get a.decent picture. Most days I fail, but she loves it, so it’s worth it. 🙂
Ack! Turtle! And Lainey cutting. And dash SITTING.
If you love “This American Life”, check out “Radiolab”. It’s the only way I get after dinner dishes washed. NPR is amazing.
Seven Silly Eaters — best book EVER!!!!!! You got it, car line can be unicornish!!!
God loves you no matter what. I picture Him smiling and maybe tapping a toe when we dance. 🙂
I’ll be enjoying the wonders of car line again starting on Monday. I figured out last year that all you need is a smart phone or tablet or a good book and the time flies crazy fast. This year will be the first time without a munchkin in the back… Wonderful photos as always.
Wait, you can listen to This American Life AND work? That is ultra-unicorning.
That picture of Nella running- so cute!!!
I don’t have to do car line anymore for the kids..all grown-up..but do it for niece..I park far away and walk. saves my blood pressure lol…love the pictures 🙂
My son starts 1st grade at a new school and I’ve already heard that car line is brutal. No way around, but through, I guess.
My baby boy does he same scrunch with his big toes as Dash is doing in the pic of him sitting with his toys.
My older son had that same cat piano (in blue/green 6 years ago) and LOVED it. We sold it and I so wish we’d kept it.
The Seven Silly Eaters is one of our all-time favorite books! Love. And love that teetering tripod of Dash. xox
This is all so perfect, Kelle!! Love it! 🙂
I must have read the Seven Silly Eaters a million times to my daughters…and I dropped the youngest off at college yesterday. Now I wonder where I put it?
Kelle, I just saw that peg/ puzzle stacker online a few days ago. Was thinking about it for my almost 1 yr old…do the girls like it? Thanks!
LOVE the seven silly eaters! Your kids just keep getting cuter – enjoy!
How are you able to sit in the car peacefully for an hour with two little ones? I presume that you are in car line because they are with you.
I totally get the timing factor ! And DREAD when it is pouring at pick up time ! 😉
Your girls are reading our family’s favorite book!!!! We found Seven Silly Eaters years ago, when we only had four kids. The first four in the book were just like mine, same gender and spacing. Daily, we would read that book, taking our time to find each child on the page, then look at the illustrations to find all the things about their house that was just like ours.
I’ve been reading your blog for over a year, but this is the first time I’ve jumped and said, “I need to comment!”
While I’m here, might as well tell you, I so enjoy reading your blog and looking at your gorgeous photos. You have a gift.
BTW, I’ve figured out the perfect time to get there: 2.43. I did it the past two days and was outta there before 3.05. Not bad, my friend!
<3, the felon
It is “Doppelganger” not Doppenganger.
I’m in Canada and no longer get your playlist at the bottom of your blog 🙁 I used to swear that your playlist was nearly identical to what’s on my iPod and I recently discovered “Riptide” as well. Great song!
I loved car line last year. My preschooler would fall asleep during the 10 min. ride there and then I’d sit and read or listen to Terri Gross interviews on NPR. This year I”ll have a baby and the preschooler so it has the possibility of turning into Brett’s idea of car line. We shall see.
OMG – I LOVE the Car Line. I try to arrive early just to listen to my podcasts, read, write, or edit photos. It’s the one time I can guarantee a stretch of 30 minutes in which no one will hang on me, poke me, or physically force me away from something. I used to hate it until I realized I could harness it to do something fun, and now I love it. I only wish I didn’t have to drive 25 minutes each way to drop off/pick up Gabe from school. It means around 2 hours in the car every day. I haven’t figured out how to unicorn the sucktacious drive yet.
Still loving our Aussie-American vance dance party, thanks for the shoutout 🙂
I actually did the same thing as Car Line, except it was bleeping bleep Apple Store Wait time bleep.
But I got some tacos, sat in the mall food court and voyeristically watched high schoolers be awkward on dates. Which sounds creepy written down, but it was unicorning which is the antithesis of creepy, right?
Nicola
http://www.mindfulgrateful.blogspot.com
If you like This American Life, check out The Moth. The podcasts are shorter, but they have some really great stories for when you run out of TAL for the week.
Hi Kelle,
I have been a silent reader of your blog since a year. When I came across through your blog, I was (and still have been) amazed with the pictures you post. All most everyday, I surf your blogsite for twice, just to make sure I haven’t missed any post :-). Love the way you are taking life and calls from life. And finally you are one of the inspiration, to make me start my blog.
I am from India and I started this blog (http://www.anoptimistic.wordpress.com) before 7 months. Generally I post short stories, inspirational notes, my motherhood musings and personal experiences.
I was wondering if you can write a guest post on my blog. It would be a kind of big honor for me.
Waiting for your “YES” 🙂
Thanks !!!
I love your Car Line revelation! I figured out the same thing with my daughter’s school last year. I started arriving 20 minutes early and voila! Time to sit and read and not multitask! Alas, she’s taking the bus this year, so I’m going to have to find a new way to “recharge.”
Oh we saw Vance live a couple of weeks ago In Brisbane. AMAZING! x
Kelle, I think you’d love our new project as I think you, like me try to make the best out of every situation and always aim to be thankful.
We’ve just launched our thankfulness project http://www.southerninlaw.com/2013/08/hashtag-SIL-give-thanks-a-thankfulness-project.html?m=1 #SILgivethanks and I’d LOVE you to join in and share what you’re thankful for with us! Xx
Turtle at the beach ! Wow !
You guys do eat alot of icecream….wow!
Car line….so what if your kid is not there ready to jump in? Do you get tooted, abused, or do you have to go to the end of the line again?
Adaptation of the species is adapting to car lines….I’m rambling now….
Kelle always love reading your posts, I love that you’re doggedly optimistic- if there is one thing to refuse to let go of it has to be optimism!:) Have a lovely weekend!
I love your pictures. As far as picking the kids up, I park at a distance and hoof it over. IMO, it is way better than the car line because you get to connect with other parents instead of being isolated in your car, communing with an electronic device. Also it serves as a bit of a transition from school to home to have that little walk together with my kids. Different strokes for different folks! Try walking from a parked car and see what you think. 🙂
Unicorn as a verb. I love it.
Way to unicorn the hell out of that car line! I thank God every single day that we live two blocks from school, but you make car line sound downright enjoyable.
Love, love LOVE the balloon game picture!!
Kelle, Oh mama you are good at honing perspective to make life be what you want it to be. What a gift to turn that hour into a blessing. Love that and love the enjoying list, especially the tripod and Lainey doing your hair. xoxo
Loved, loved this post. Thanks so much, Kelle. (If you’re ever planning a trip to Denver, let me know and I will throw you a Bloom party.) Phyl
I am looking for something to listen to during, wait for it, three car lines, at three schools for three kids. I am trying for a peaceful attitude. Thanks for sharing.
I LOVE the This American Life podcast. They have an extensive archive that is pretty spectacular! I love all of the love stories! Thanks for sharing.
we get to walk to school! Wahoo, no carline for me!!
Love seeing your kiddos. No car line for this mama..I am changing my work schedule this year so I can be the be at home BUS mama to meet my little man off the bus. He starts kindergarten in a couple weeks and I am so nervous for him.
Were you going for the “Ice Ice Baby” picture in those last 2 of Nella eating icecream? Kinda like this one: http://pandawhale.com/post/12082/ice-ice-baby
I am a teacher, and I am in charge of the car line in the afternoon. I usually refer to it was a “Cluster” (short for clusterfuck), because it really is that sucktatious. Even on our best days, it takes about 15 minutes to get that many kids in the right cars in the safest way. The worst: a kid whose parent only picks them up occasionally, so the parent is in the line, but the kid accidentally got onto the bus, and by the time you realize that, the bus has already pulled away. Cluster.
I love The Seven Silly Eaters! Great, great book!
Keep up the unicorning. It is inspiring.
-Charity Mack
cmacks.com
this is going to sound bad…like really bad. but you know what’s worse than sitting in a claustrophobic car line…standing at a bus stop with people you just don’t really click with. that’s a nice way to put it. it’s ackward and extremely icky all the way around. I look at my toes. I count the minutes til the bus comes. it’s not fun at all. I need my own little dictionary:) love this post as always.
I used to read Seven Silly Eaters to my nanny kids. I’d forgotten all about it. Thanks for the reminder, my girly will love it.
And you should know, that your pictures over the years of your girls enjoying ice cream like there’s no tomorrow have completely inspired me to let my girls just go at it when we get ice cream.
Happy car line times to you!
Hey Kelle thanks for Vance Joy tip off! Love the music, and he is Aussie yay!
Seven Silly Eaters….love that book. Just read it last night to my girls. Love your blog. Thanks for all you share.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Also a big This American Life fan and also of Ira Glass. Search for the Peter Pan disaster one. So funny, one of my favorites. Another great time killer in the car are the interviews on “FreshAir” with Terry Gross. Search the archives for the Matthew McConaughey one. I was never a big fan of us until hearing the interview, he seems like a normal guy.
I love you, Kell. I will always love your blog for its realness and just the way that you embrace life and you’re totally okay with everyone else embracing it their own way. You totally rock.
…and I hope you never stop blogging.
I see I’m not the first TAL lover to comment here. Let me just quick recommend episode #203, recordings for someone, act #1. It was my gateway episode to the show, plus had coffee coming out my nose. Win win.
Love this post, as always.
Loved reading this post! Thanks for adding a little sunshine to my cloudy day <3
On the subject of back to school…I’m sure you’ve since this, but JUST in case you haven’t: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gaSx44pEvk&feature=youtu.be
ok commenting on correct post this time- Can I ask where those green oxfords are from? I’m all set on the kids over here. Just need those shoes! ;p
If you like “This American Life” check out “Radio Lab” – it is by far the most amazing thing I’ve ever discovered 🙂
love love love love love love love this post. hugs and best wishes to all of you.
Where do you find the beautiful neclaces that Nella and Dash are wearing? I am obsessed with them 🙂 Kind regards from Norway
Lainey and Nella are so cute and lovely . i really love all picture of you . and the method you tauch the children
whatsapp apk application so hot 2017
Where do you find the beautiful neclaces that Nella and Dash are wearing? I am obsessed with them 🙂 Kind regards from Norway
nice sharing ….
Cute kids, and nice pictures
Thanks for the lesson, I have to learn a lot in your blog. very helpful
i like your blog, this articles very good
Lovely kids, thank for share
love this. so fun. and “plain jane, good old day” but fun. and your children are just darling. they want me to have babies sooner!!! you make holding out a few more years until the big 3-0 harder!
I love The Seven Silly Eaters! Great, great book!
Keep up the unicorning. It is inspiring.
If you like “This American Life” check out “Radio Lab” – it is by far the most amazing thing I’ve ever discovered
what a beautiful family. 😀
im looking for refference for my private blog for my family.. i have a beautiful 2yo daughter.. 😀
nice blog
I have a boy at home, thanks for the information.
i like this website design, good job.
This article is very helpfull
Thank you
your writing is very inspiring
you are the best, thx !