For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord

Well Lord, I think we need to sit down and have a chat, because your plans for today and mine were certainly at opposite ends of the spectrum weren't they!

MY PLANS: Take the kids to school, go shopping with Joey, come home, relax, read a book, surf a little, pick the kids up from school, let them crash in front of the tube watching Go Diego Go while I clean up, have dinner, put kids to bed and enjoy my evening in my clean cozy tidy family room - maybe sip hot chocolate by the fireplace.

THE LORD'S PLANS:
Lets start off with rain - and lots of it. Thats always fun to drag three kids out into.
Just for added measure, lets have Duncan throw a tantrum, right outside the school door - because he's realized that his umbrella is the wrong colour, and he must have the black one that Matthew is holding - Never mind that the door is being held so I can wheel my double stroller in; Duncan goes tearing off down the field refusing to come out of the rain until he can walk in with the black umbrella over his head.
Mummy loses patience, as Joey is getting cranky sitting in the stroller, Matthew is holding the umbrella, also in the stroller, but letting the water drip on to Joey's head.
Push the stroller inside - run and collect tantrum boy who is now collapsed in a crying heap just outside the door. Now he's mad AND wet. He wants a towel which I do not have. Luckily, his classroom is the second door in, and his teacher is watching me struggle. Blessed teacher says to me "It's Ok, I'll take care of him, you can go".
She has a soft spot for Duncan I think. She is very good with him, and allows us to go through our goodbye ritual before she leads him into his class.
I make it back to the van, unpacking soggy kids and stroller, and make it to Matthew's nursery school only 5 minutes late.

Matthew loves school, so it's not difficult to get him out of the van. He hates rain though. He must be carried in, because the rain is trying to get him (he has the same reaction with snow, wind and anything other than a still pleasant 72˚ day) .
We get inside and horror of all horrors, his teacher is not there! Teresa is sick, so they have a supply teacher in. Her name is Maryann, and she is very nice, but Matthew ignores her because she is not Teresa. Maryann assures me all will be well. I am not so sure, but leave anyway.

Take the baby to Walmart - Why is it so busy at 8:50am??? Not a close parking spot anywhere. Drag soggy baby inside with me, where he is content to sit in a cart and play peekaboo with his hat. I love this kid. He is beyond good natured.
Grab my 5 items that will no doubt cost $53.00 and pick the slowest checkout lane imaginable. There are only 2 lanes open, and of course I pick the slow one. I am unconcerned, it's only 9:30.
Get home, to find a message from the school secretary telling me that I have to pick Duncan up - his eyes are red and crusty (so she says) and it looks like pinkeye. Please call the school.
I call the school.
I call my mum to come babysit while I take Duncan to the doctor, and grab the baby who has only been released from his carseat for a total of 6 minutes, only to plunk him back in so I can pick Duncan up. He does not complain. Have I mentioned that I love this baby!!!
Duncan is waiting in the school offic; happy as a clam that he gets to leave school.

His eyes do not look red in the slightest.

I mention that it was a rough morning, and his eyes may have been red due to the colossal tantrum he had right before getting into class. They don't want to take any chances with the possibility of pinkeye. I play the part of the understanding parent, and take him home, promising to get him checked out by a doctor.
By this time, I figure there's no point taking him home and making ANOTHER trip to pick Matthew up when his school is done, so I pick him up early too.
Get home just in time for my mum to arrive (Yay mum!).
Take Duncan out to the clinic so he can get his eyes checked out.

1 hour later we finally get to see the doctor - It takes 2 minutes. the doctor says "It doesn't really look like anything"
I roll my eyes and admit that I am only here because of a panicky school secretary, worried that every tinge of red is the beginnings of pinkeye. He sympathizes with me - writes a prescription "just in case" and tells me that if it gets worse, then I can get the RX filled, but it may clear up on it's own.

Knowing that my plans and the Lords plans are simply not jiving today, I get the prescription filled anyway. We have a drug plan, it can't be that much.
It's not.
It's 45 cents.
But now I'm stuck at the pharmacy with a filled prescription and not a penny in my pocket. DOH!!! I feel ridiculous pulling out my debit card for 45cents when I notice something in my wallet.
It's an American one dollar bill!! I slap it on the counter, and the cashier says "I can't give you an exchange rate on that".
I don't care. Take it on par. She hands me 55cents in change and we're off - God Bless the USA.

Get home and thank my mum profusely for her emergency babysitting services. Get the kids lunch and try to put eye drops in a 4 yr old - yeah that's fun.
Put the baby down for a nap, and finally blog about how The Lord's plans seemed to really suck compared to the ones I had.

Seems I can never see the benefit of those plans except in hindsight.

Tomorrow will be a better day.