Magnolia Minutes | 05.20.26 - School pickup today nearly took me out
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Now in the mornings, I typically whisper “tuck and roll, tuck and roll” as I drop off LB1 for school. We’re down to the last few days of school, which means finals, early release schedules and absolute chaos for parents everywhere.
Side note:
As a kid? Early release was magical.
As a mom? It’s just one more schedule change in an already fragile operation.
So I’m headed to pick up my walking grocery bill, running on fumes emotionally AND literally. The empty gas light in Mags and I are in a committed relationship at this point, but today we upgraded from “running low” to “hope and prayer.”
I pull into the school pickup line…
…and the gates aren’t open.
I sit there for 10 minutes trying to stay calm while teen drivers stack up everywhere like a baby Fast & Furious convention.
That’s when I look down and realize:
“Oh cool. We’re also out of gas.”
Perfect.
I text LB1:
“Running late.”
I peel out toward the gas station, spend roughly $100 filling up Mags, my emotional support SUV, and head back toward the school.
Except now there are cones.
Everywhere.
And one overly committed security guard treating school pickup like he’s directing traffic at the Pentagon.
At this point my blood pressure is entering Olympic qualifying rounds.
I weave through parking lots, side streets, more cones and at least three unnecessary detours before texting LB1 again:
“You’re gonna have to walk to me.”
He emerges from the school at the exact speed only teenage boys can achieve, somehow both moving and standing still at the same time.
He finally gets in the car.
We start heading home…
only to encounter MORE cones and the same security guards sitting in golf carts watching traffic implode in real time.
And that’s when it happened.
I released a full primal scream inside Mags.
Not anger.
Not rage.
Just the sound of a tired mom in May.
LB1 looked over concerned.
I took a deep breath.
Apologized for my outburst.
And life moved on.
Anyway…
summer’s almost here. Eeeeekkkkkk