Routine Landing

It is Monday morning after a busy weekend. It is hard to get into full swing after birthday and super bowl fun. Nevertheless, the bus arrives at 7:10AM and Maggie has to be dressed and ready with equipment on her chair just like every other morning.


I have told you before about the crazy morning routine around here. It is a whirlwind, but we get it all done. Sometimes I have to run back upstairs because I forgot this or that, but 98% of the time we are ready and waiting when the bus arrives.

My head was elsewhere this morning thinking about the things I have to do. As I loaded her chair with her talker, suction machine and oxygen tank I remembered that I had to get Steve’s car out of the driveway before the school nurse arrived. She rides on the bus with Maggie so her car stays here. She has to take the driveway all day because they have imposed 2 hour parking on my street and she would get a ticket every day. The additional task of moving the car meant I had to get downstairs about five minutes earlier. No problem. I put the wheelchair tray and pole on the front porch so I could grab them when we got outside and started down.

To get the cobwebs out I poured myself a strong cup of coffee and balanced it just so as I was pushing Maggie’s chair out onto the deck toward the elevator. I focused on the coffee because I did not want to spill it. I was amazed how easily I was able to control the wheelchair over the rise and fall of the threshold. I was outside now and something did not seem right. I took another couple of steps and stopped.

It is no wonder I was able to maneuver things so easily. The wheelchair was empty,

I forgot to put Maggie in the chair.

I froze for a minute as if to say, “What do I do now.” Then I laughed and backed the empty chair through the door and into Maggie’s room. She was lying very quietly on her bed with an amused, but somewhat perplexed look on her face. I said, “You know Maggie it would be easier to get you on that school bus if we put you in the wheelchair first. “ That cracked her up.

I loaded her up and started again. We were still down there in plenty of time. I drove the night nurse home, came back and poured myself another strong cup of coffee. Fortunately, I remembered the cup.