The Journey? The Destination? Both?

I heard myself say the old cliche to my kids in the car tonight "It's not the destination, it's the journey". Did I really just say that?! I'm so old. Anyway, as all well laid plans mine didn't happen exactly the way I had imagined it.

My public speaking professor at the community college is also the theatre/drama teacher at a high school about an hour away from my house. I work thirty minutes further than that sooooo, I left work at 5:00, got home at 5:30 and left again at 6:00 with a friend (and fellow class mate) and all three of my kids to go see a play that my professor's high school students were performing that started at 7:30. I have been telling my kids for weeks that we were going to see James and the Giant Peach live and in person.

So we head out and I actually even say as we are approaching the gate...oh, I forgot the mention this high school is on a military base...so we are approaching the gate and I'm like, WOW, WE'RE 45 MINUTES EARLY. In my simple brain I was thinking we'll pull up, the man in camo will look at a clipboard and say THANK YOU MRS. MANN, YOU CAN PULL FORWARD. Not exactly. Instead he says that I need to pull over to the little building three lanes over and get a pass. OK no biggie.  I walk in confidently holding my state issued driver's license and the man says he doesn't even know of a play on the base and there is no list with your name on it and I wasn't going on base without a sponsor.  I'm like OK WHAT?! So, as my friend and my kids are sitting in the car I return with the bad news. These two mommas weren't giving up without a little fight. We get our professors number and call him. No answer. She texts him. No reply. We SOOOO deserve extra credit!!

I'm not sure which one of us thought of it but if all we needed was a "sponsor" then all we'd have to do is ask someone in camo to help us out. So, she hops out of the car and asks a man who was obviously a marine (he was in camo) if he'd sponsor us since all we wanted to do was take the kids to a play. He agreed. YAY! Well, until she goes inside and the lady tells her she needs my vehicle registration. OK easy enough. Here she comes again running through the parking lot as our "sponsor" patiently waits inside for her to return with proof of insurance. Seriously?! I don't have a car insurance card! It's printed on my registration for goodness sake!

Now we are just about to pull away and go home when Kenly says she needs to potty. So I take her in and they see me with one child. We go back to the car and still no word from our professor which is understandable considering his production is supposed to be starting. Just when I think we've been defeated I think surely the people working in there will have some sort of sympathy for ALL THREE kids! So I say BOYS, YOU NEED TO POTTY TOO, RIIIIIIIGHT?! Of course, they are like NOOOO. So I drag them in the little building anyway and as we go in a man that works there that had witnessed our failed attempts asked what our scoop was. I give him the story and he says LET'S SEE WHAT I CAN DO.  I'm telling you, it was the kids! Hook, Line and Sinker! After some brief interrogation and getting my insurance information from the insurance fairy on the phone, we got our pass.  Can I get an AMEN?!?!

Our next little problem was directions to the school. After all that, we had neglected to ask where the school was. We eventually found a gas station where a lady directed us to the school.  We started out 45 minutes early and ended up being 20 minutes late.  At this point I think is when the kids were grumbling about not being there yet. Our journey was an adventure that I never would have expected. And our destination was well worth it.