So, as you can imagine, this blog entry is about me having a flat tire on the Suburban. I went out to take Haddi to the store and flurump, flurump, flurump, my tire was flat. I suppose I'm lucky because I've just turned 38 years old and I have never had a flat before. At least I was at home!
So I backed into the street on to a level surface and my poor husband was elected to change it. Turned out to be quite an ordeal because the jack was buried in the back of the car under a mountain of junk (those of you who have seen my car can realize that this is no exaggeration). Once that got moved, poor Rick is laying on the hot pavement of the street on his back, 1/2 under the car. To make matters more fun, Haddi is outside watching with her lawn chairs, umbrella for shade, bottled water, sunglasses and PinkBear (her constant companion) asking one million questions. Nothing like being peppered with "What's that daddy?" "Why are you moving that thing Dad?", "What happened to our tire Daddy?", while laying in the street. All she was lacking was a cabana boy.
So, the jack won't work, can't get the car up high enough to get the tire off now that I've driven a few feet on it and the tire is all rolled up on the rim. Can't jerk it off - too much weight still on the tire. So we get an additional jack from Rick's avalanche - and place it precariously under the wheel axle. We're about able to get it up high enough and get the tire off. Then, the inflated full size spare is too big to go on. Can't get it jacked up any higher, so we're trying to turn the tires, and move the jack...you get the picture - all the while with the contant soundtrack of 2 3/4 year old questions. "Can I help?"...
Then - disaster strikes and the car falls off the jack and because we had just put it in neutral to turn the tires in an effort to get the Dar*ned tire back on, it begins to roll towards Daddy who is now sitting on the ground. Luckily - he had plenty of time to get out of the way, but it traumatized Haddi to see the car "almost smash my daddy". So, she's crying hysterically (I am almost too at this point), it's been 2 hours, it's 90 degrees, and now I'm sure my jerk neighbors have turned me in to the HOA for unauthorized auto repair (don't get me started).
Finally I just take Haddi inside to calm her down - she's really distraught that the car almost "Hurt her Daddy". I explain over and over that he's ok, the car didn't hurt him (which is followed by "It Almost Did" every single time). We watch from the window and Rick gets it all put back together and fixed.
We all come inside - have a cold drink, Haddi talks to her daddy and sees for herself that daddy is not hurt or smashed. She seems better. Well, now it's time to go do the errands we started out to do 3 hours ago. Well, guess what - Haddi won't go near the car. She's absolutely freaked out that the car is bad, and mean, and evil and it tried to hurt her daddy (the car now has intent somehow). Rick gets her all calmed down and convinced that it wasn't the car's fault......etc. She agrees to go.
We get her strapped into the car seat and all settled, I get in the driver's seat and crank, crank, crank - the car won't start. The battery is dead from having the doors and hatch open for the last 3 hours. Gawd...so, we go get the jumper cables and Rick backs the Avalanche around and we open up the hoods. This sends Haddi into a new frenzy that we are now working on the "bad car" again. She's so worried something will happen to her daddy (Me - I'm chopped liver. Actually I think she somehow knows that I have no official responsibility in the tire changing or car jumping departments, so she is not at all worried that I will somehow fall prey to the evil car's plot to destroy us). So - by the time we get it to start, she is so worked up that Rick just has to take her inside. She actually chose to stay home instead of go on errands with me. This is a milestone folks - no one likes to go places like this kid, so for her to choose to stay home, it's a minor miracle.
So - now, when she and I go to get in the car in the morning she says "I hope I don't have a flat tire today." I've tried to explain that flat tires are rare, and don't occur every day, but she doesn't quite believe me.
Uncle Martin came to babysit for our anniversary on Saturday and he was going to take her to one of her favorite places, the grocery store. She refused to get in the car with him because it might get a flat tire. He found a special tool (her old toy) that is magical. When you point it at each tire, it makes sure that the tire won't go flat. So - now we're out going around the car every day pointing this ridiculous kids toy at every tire so she'll feel safe in the car. It's pretty funny I guess (at least I'm sure it will be someday). Whew - that was a long one, but it's consumed most of our week!
