Distractions

Recently, Nelson and I both had to retake the Oregon driving test, due to the fact that we have both been using Washington drivers licences for, oh, about a year longer than we are supposed to. In Washington, to get a new license, you simply show your current state license and it is assumed you can drive, they take your money, they take your picture, you're done. Not in Oregon. Nope, you have to take that test that you took at 16 all over again. So, yes, we both read the manual again (or skimmed it between nursing, reading stories, cooking, doing laundry, cleaning, listening to toddler stories, etc) and we both managed to pass the test, hooray! Strangely, we both got the EXACT same scores that we got at 16, which was weird. Mine was higher, which CLEARLY means I am the better driver!

Yeah right.

Anyway, one thing that stood out to me in the manual was this recommendation: You should not drive while distracted.

Actually, it didn't stand out really to me at the time. It flashed, screaming through my brain a few weeks later, during the following scenario:

We were running late to dance class, Jakiah was screaming at the top of his lungs, this was making my milk let down, starting to soak through my nursing pads, Kalaya was babbling to me about God-knows-what (mommy? Mommy. MOMMY?!!??), I was driving with my left hand, holding the pacifier over the rear-facing car seat in attempt to 'pacify' my screaming infant with my right hand, had my breakfast on the console, which I was trying to take bites of at stop lights (the car is about the only place I can get a meal some days, this was one of them), the story of Cinderella was blaring over the sound of the screaming baby, I had been up to nurse every 45 minutes the night before, I hadn't gotten to shower that morning, I had left my house in total chaos and we hit every. single. red. light.

Distracted?

ME????????

Clearly, DMV manuals are not written by mothers.

On a separate note:

If you go to get a new license picture taken 6 weeks after having a baby, you will look like you just had a baby in the picture, no matter how cute you manage to style your hair, do your make up or what shirt you are wearing. No DMV camera can hide the dark circles of 3 am feedings, or that extra little layer under your regular chin. Just sayin'.