Finalizing the preparations, matey!

I had so many things on the agenda today, in addition to packing, and I wondered last night (like I often do) how I managed to get to the day before we leave and I am still running around like a madwoman. I mean, I have known about this wedding for what, 10 months now?

Oh well. I knew I needed a plan. So, I sat in bed last night and made my list of things to accomplish in the morning with two kids in tow. It was a lot.

I have read in Parenting magazines ideas for making these errand-filled outings more enjoyable, but the suggestions have always seemed crazy, time-consuming, and unrealistic. After all, shouldn't Jack just behave out of respect for me and an inherent desire to be part of the team?

Yeah right. So this morning, Mommy got out the Sharpie and drew a treasure map. Oh, yes I did. I told Captain Jack he was a pirate, and we were going on an adventure to look for a treasure. I gave him the pink (it was all I could find) cardstock treasure map and explained that he could cross off each item as we completed it. If he behaved at each stop, he could get a surprise treasure at the end! He was all excited. I told him he had to be completely dressed before he could even see the map. Funny, he didn't need any help at all getting dressed, and he took a fraction of his usual prep time. Amazing.

He loved it and couldn't wait to leave. Wow, what a change of pace. While I finished getting ready, he colored the items. So, the stops included a haircut, "chewy gums" (his favorite snack), Mom's eyebrows and toenails, pick up pants from the tailor, lollipop, his choice of restaurant for lunch, library to get books for the car, pick up a prescription... and then... secret treasure! I wasn't sure what the treasure would be, but it would have to be something from CVS, since that was our last stop. He always wants something there. Besides, if he had not behaved, we could just use the drive-thru.

He was so excited with his map and crayon in hand, and was a champ about his haircut, until the guy snipped his neck. It happened just as I snapped a photo. As he screamed, I looked like a terrible mother standing there with my camera. Oh well. Won't be the last time.

He cried the rest of the haircut, and then yelled to everyone in the waiting area, "Everybody STOP LOOKING at ME!!!" Great way to start our adventure. Oh well, the "chewy gums" put the pirate back in the right mood and we pressed on.



The pants were a perfect fit, thank goodness. He resumed the incessant pirate noises through the curtain as he tried them on. I told him not to get them caught on his peg leg. I am sure the nice Vietnamese seamstress thought we were weird, but we were having fun.



You guessed it. Captain Jack scored a treasure. He picked this obnoxious Godzilla figure. We accomplished all of our errands and even squeezed in a stop at Payless in four short complaint-free hours!

I recommend this activity to anyone taking a toddler on a long day of errands. The keys to its success were - making the map in one draft. If you spend any more time on it (those who know me know this was hard) then it defeats the time-saving purpose. I also put a snack after each of the longer activities. This gave him more things to cross off and kept his interest. I also said he couldn't cross anything off until he was completely buckled in his carseat, which sped up the process even more. Other suggestions would include adding silly things like singing a song, drawing a picture, or counting to fifty or something... if there is too much time between activities.
I know this might sound crazy at first, but it took about five minutes to prepare and our day went so smoothly as a result!

ARRGgghh! It's 4:15 pm! Enough procrastinating... time to pack.