DMV report--survived

We (me + 6) survived the DMV yesterday.  Survived is a relative term, of course.  We walked in at 11:47.  The room was brimming full already.  I couldn't decide when would be the best time for me to show up with 6 children, so this is the time I chose.  One of the bi-products of educating your children at home is taking them everywhere with you : )

We walked in casually, drew a number--107, and I quickly glanced up at the counter, serving #80.  Not too bad, I can handle 26 waits.......

The trick was finding a place to sit.  There just weren't any rows of 7 seats available, so we quickly took the row of 4 consecutive seats.  I take that back--we all went to the bathroom first to prepare for the wait.  I held baby, and two brothers held the other two under 4 years old.  Within five minutes, they had served #81, #82, #83, and #84.  

"This won't be bad," I thought.

But amazingly, three clerks disappeared, probably for their lunch breaks since the room was full of waiting people.  The remaining counters started serving other number sequences like #482, #483, #484--I figured those were for the people who pulled from the Spanish ticket dispenser.  But the there was the #297, #298, #299--where did they get their tickets???  It was at least 30 minutes before a counter resumed with #85, for my line.  

At the 40 minute mark, I pulled out the emergency resources--fruit snacks and granola bars.  Great idea until the two year got sticky peanut butterish stuff all over her fingers from the granola bar---and the wipes were MISSING from my diaper bag.  No big deal, we will use the burp rag.

"You have well behaved children," the lady beside me says.

"Thank you," I say, as my face is getting warm with stress.

Of course she is the first also to say, "I spoke too soon," when my four year old yanks my ipod away from his brother to play shopping cart hero.  I smile again at her.....

At the hour mark, we are all getting restless, adults included.  I pull out pens and paper.  By this time, my one year old is laying on her stomach, on the DIRTY floor coloring in my planner.  But this is somehow OK to me at the 67 minute mark at the DMV.  My standards have lessened a bit, and all I require of them is to stay within our 4 seat area, and to be quiet.  They are still be good, considering......

My number, #107,  is called at 1:15.  We have almost made it.  I look in the eye machine, sign the paper, up my weight from 3 licenses ago, and get my picture snapped--all within 2 minutes.

And we are out of there, without any crying!