Sunday we went to Mass, in the car for the first time since MJ was born. Well, actually, we made a dry run to Dairy Queen the night before. Good thing, too; I had forgotten how the baby always needs to nurse right when you want to go, so you have to plan to leave 20 minutes early. And I hadn’t realized what a slide-puzzle it would be to get all the kids in their car seats in the correct order in the back seat of my secondhand ’93 Oldsmobile.
For the record, here’s the SOP:
- Carry baby in sling to car, accompanied by 6-year-old and 2.5-year-old.
- While 6-year-old stands next to car, 2.5-year-old climbs into his booster seat.
- Buckle 2.5-year-old in and admonish him not to unbuckle himself.
- Close door (child safety lock engaged). Walk around car to other side.
- Remove 6-year-old’s booster seat from the car and place it on the pavement.
- Climb in and sit in 6-year-old’s spot.
- Pull baby out of sling and put her in car seat. Buckle her in.
- Get out of car. Re-install 6-year-old’s booster seat.
- 6-year-old climbs in and buckles himself in.
The baby’s car seat has to be in the middle because the boosters require shoulder belts. Mark had the wisdom to purchase and install seat belt extenders for both boys, so the female part of the buckle doesn’t get wedged down between booster seat and infant seat.
The boys like riding where they can see their sister. They sing to her to quiet her if she cries. Her crying disturbs Milo. He starts out cooing "hush, baby, hush," then as he grows more agitated begins to shout, "Shut UP, baby, shut UP!"
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