"we all go down together.."

On a recent car ride when kids would not stop whining/yelling/misbehaving, I took Dora out of the CD player and swapped her for the only adult CD that was within reach. It was a Billy Joel greatest hits CD.

Interestingly, they loved it. They now call it the "mommy wins" CD because that day I told them that I won and was taking away their beloved Dora jingles.

This Billy Joel CD is now playing for every single trip - long or short - in my car.

You can also imagine that 2 kids in full carseats and one baby in an infant seat is a very squished backseat of an SUV. In the house, I carefully monitor and ensure to never, ever leave a toddler alone or close to an infant. In the car however, I deliberately strap them in crammed just centimetres away from one another. Perfect poking distance actually. Makes a whole lot of sense doesn't?

Before you ask me (like everyone does) why I don't have a van, let me just interrupt that thought to say, I have to make due with the paid off vehicle for now.

Back to my squishy backseat and my curious 2year old son who has been pretty good about keeping his pudgy little hands to himself. My 4 year old is a good tattletale who booms like Don Cherry with play by play commentary when those pudgy hands make creeping motions towards the baby (her nose in particular he likes to poke).

Our usual car trips are under 10 minutes around town so all has been good. However, recently we had to make a trip to the allergist in Toronto from our suburban town. Without traffic on the congested string of 400 series highways this trip takes about an hour. We took my car, like usual, for the journey and I set off (on time!) with high hopes.

Twenty minutes into the journey all hell broke loose as those pudgy fingers just couldn't help but flick a sleeping baby in the eye and the infant cat cry began and she never, ever stopped.

You know that cry? The "you've abandoned me on an empty stomach and you're never coming back" cry? Or maybe it was just the "you've left me back here with these hooligans!" cry.

I could feel my heart pumping from the anxiety while massive tractor trailers whizzed by at 140km/hr, combined with loud screeching baby, big kids yelling, mama crying and well, Billy Joel was there too. I do not want to relive those 40 minutes.


Guess what song calmed me? Goodnight Saigon. You know the war song with the helicopter in the background? With the big chorus of "And we would alllll go dooooown together"?

I'm making light of the true meaning of the song but I tell you, having 3 kids under 4 sure can be my own private war on many days and sure can feel like we ARE all going down together. Many times in one day. Listening to that song gives me a bit of perspective. Also, I can sing it really loudly and no one thinks mama is losing it.

Who knew Goodnight Saigon would become my calming theme song?