Is There Anything More Stressful Than Getting Kids to School in the Morning?

Getting the kids off to school in the morning used to be the most stressful task of my day. There was always one child missing a shoe, one that overslept, or a fight among siblings over clothes. Getting to school on time was a monumental effort. Today I was reminded of a particularly stressful morning when my very active toddler got his hands into the tray where we keep car and house keys. As we were running out the door I reached for the car keys and discovered that my toddler had emptied the entire tray! Not a single key in sight! I started frantically searching the house. Like many schools, my kids' school had a policy that required parents to exit their vehicles in the morning and sign their children in if they were tardy. I was desperately trying to avoid the walk of shame. 

I searched the toy area, the couch cushions, inside shoes. Nothing! I looked in the laundry baskets, trash cans, and even the closets. By now, I was sweating and my heart was racing. Finally, as I was beginning to panic, I saw the spare key on the floor under the dining room table. I screamed the for the children to pile into the van and we took off. Somehow we managed to get to school on time. When I returned home, I continued looking for the missing keys. It took over an hour, but I finally found my set of keys hidden inside the fireplace. Well played, Toddler.