ciroccoj | To the max

What a long day.

Dropped off Chris at work, then went to the day care Justin went to last year, which he will be returning to in January. As we got to the place, Justin grinned and yelled, "OH!! I didn't know what you were talking about yesterday, but NOW I REMEMBER IT!!" and he ran in and was thrilled to stay and visit for about an hour, and very happily promised to come back in January. I think it really helped that his two favourite teachers, Beverley and Gillian, were still there.
From there to the Ministry of Health, to renew my OHIP card and Justin's. It took me about 45 minutes of driving in downtown Ottawa (*&%$ one-way streets and Do Not Turn signs), and $5 parking for 30 min. Didn't have Justin's birth certificate, so I wasn't able to renew it. So happy to know I had to go back for that. Not.
Home for about an hour for lunch and to pick up the birth certificate.
Then off to Daniel's school, to see the Christmas concert. Videotaping it while trying to keep Justin relatively subdued was not an experience I care to repeat. Justin's behaviour, which had started out "energetic", was becoming "frantic" as the day wore on. Skipping his nap to go to the concert didn't help. By the end of the concert, he was totally Stitch. Not to mention emotionally fragile, so that when I gave him hell for hitting/yelling/grabbing/destroying, he burst into tears or screamed in rage. Lovely.
From the concert back to Health office, this time with two Munchkins in tow. $5 parking again. Got the &*%$ card renewed, though. Phew.
From there to Chris' doctor's office, where we watched the concert videotape and waited for Chris in the car as the car slowly cooled.
Then to Chris' own office, where he went in for his final appointment of the day while the boys played in the hospital playground. And I froze my ass off. For about 40 min. I couldn't feel my feet by the time Chris showed up.
From there, to the skate shop, to get the boys their skates. It was our fourth trip out there - the first time we got lost because Ottawa has 2 Wellington Streets, the second, they were closed because they're always closed on Monday (?), the third, they were closing at 6 and we got there at 5:55.

But. They were open, we found them, got the boys their skates, as we were driving home Chris started to turn into an LCBO to get sake wine for my birthday, and I nearly started to cry. And asked him to please, please, for the love of all that was holy, just take us home.