National Donut Day, The Park, and A Comedy of Errors

If you did not know June 2nd was National Donut Day. Popular donut chains were giving away free donuts, some with purchase. I happen to have a Dunkin’ Donuts in town so that should have made it easy enough for us to participate, right? What happened, however, can only be described as a comedy of errors.

By the time we finished up the things we needed to around here and were ready to go it was nearly 2 o’clock. The morning was a busier normal and kind of stressful. Things were just not going well. But I decided that we should go anyway. It was beautiful out and the sun was shining, so I thought we could make an afternoon out of it and head to the park. With public schools still in session I figured it wouldn’t be that busy.

Comedy of Errors, Part 1

We get to our lovely DD drive-thru and I tell the order-taker that we have a kind of big order (one Mommy and four kids with specific requests can make it challenging). I order my coffee and ask which donuts count towards the free one… she replied there were only three types of donuts left in the whole store. None of which my kids were familiar with.

It’s at this point I told her we would just head in. Between talking to the kids and trying to order, it was just going to be too difficult and I didn’t want to make things too complicated for the workers.

So into the store, I go with my four kids. Who are loving the fact that we are going in because we never go in.

The kids see their three options and that there about 10 donuts remaining in the store. The workers start telling us how they had been slammed all day. My oldest immediate asks for the big premium donut. Suprise, surprise. The other two are lost because the one they want is not available. And the 3-year-old keeps asking for chocolate which was not one of the options.

We finally settle on the donuts they want, pay, chat with the employees who are glad we came in, and grateful we were understanding.

Then we head out, and I tell the kids they can’t have their donuts yet. I say, “I need a picture, let’s go find a park bench.” The did not get the hint… so I say it again, emphasis on park.

Ahhhh, now they get it.

Comedy of Errors, Part 2

On the way to the park I see dark clouds starting to roll in. I tell the kids it’s no big deal – we don’t have a ton of time to play anyway. But we get there and see that it’s closed… closed! That’s when I recall hearing briefly about new items being added last week. The lovely sign states that it’s closed until further notice. I guess the new equipment will take some time to install. Which is a bummer because it’s the better of the two parks in town. The older kids are more understanding as we pull in and drive away. The littlest is not happy at all.

So I give her her donut and off we go to the other, less fun park in town.

By the time we cross town and get to the other park it has started to rain. Not a ton, but enough to put a damper on our plans.

Now at this point, I have one kid happily munching on her donut, three who are not impressed that we have missed the park not once, but twice, and the remaining donuts are still in the bag.

Oh, and my iced coffee is starting to sweat and melt.

Ok, I Give Up

It’s at this point I decide that we have to head home. Both parks are a bust, due to rain and construction. Our afternoon of fun did not go as planned, and I still had stuff to finish. We get home, I snap my silly picture, and let the kids eat. They devoured their donuts in seconds, apparently famished from all the waiting.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. The kids ended up with quite a funny story – they are budding little comedians, the whole lot of them. We at least were able to get out and enjoy some time together. I got an interesting little story to tell. And that’s not even the best part.

See, the day had been a rough one. Things were just not going well and I was feeling a little overwhelmed. Too much to do and too little time and everything seemed like it had to be priority number one. Which is not the truth, and I know it, but at the time it was hard to see that.

The whole point in taking the kids out wasn’t the donuts, the picture, or the park. The point was just taking a break. Stopping with all the different things silently screaming at me to complete. The task-masters of my life, which really was nothing more than a to-do list.

And that’s exactly what happened.

We did get donuts, even if they were not the one’s we really wanted. We did get time together, out of the house, even if it wasn’t how I had planned. And all the voices, all the things jumping for my attention stopped. My head was clear, and my focus back.

After we got home, we took the picture I had been crafting in my mind. Silly? Yes, but fun for the kids and relevant to the day. (It’s posted to my social media accounts if you are curious – links are at the bottom!) It was another thing we were able to do together, which was a total bonus. I was able to complete the most important tasks of the day including some writing that I was worried about.

And of course, the rainbow that I saw this evening on my way to my weekly girls-only meeting reminded me that I need to always look for the hope that is in the chaos of my life. Even when it’s hard to find, even when it seems too far to reach. Because it really is always there.

How do you react to a stressful situation? Comment below!