I’m not sure why but it seems like every time I have to take Honeybun to school (and Sugarplum and Doodle along for the ride) it rains. We’ve been very lucky this year that we’ve only had to deal with one rainy afternoon at pick-up time but somehow it always rains when I have to do drop-off!
I real don’t mind being wet from the rain, it’s not much different from being drenched in sweat after doing the school run in 90 degree, 80% humidity weather. And I really shouldn’t complain, I’m much more prepared and equipped than most American moms. Thanks to our time in Dublin, I have all the rain gear: rain coats all around, rain covers for the buggy and umbrellas.
It’s funny though because in the 2 ½ years I spent walking around Dublin (since we didn’t have a car, I didn’t have a choice) I only got stuck in a downpour a handful of times. For a place that is known for its constant rain, I think that’s pretty good! Sure, I was able to stay in most of the time when the rain was real bad but most of the time there it’s just a spitting rain, rarely heavy.
Still, we had a plastic rain cover for each and every buggy (it was one of our first purchases in Dublin!) And I had multiple raincoats in order to be prepared for any temperature (and to have a spare for when one was still soaked from the last time). And of course we had a myriad of umbrellas. But most of the time the rain covers and coats were used more for warmth than wet protection and the umbrellas hardly ever left the house (it was almost always too windy and you would ultimately end up with an inside out or broken umbrella).
Truthfully, here in Florida I do choose to drive in the rain when possible but it’s not really a choice for school drop off for various reasons. For one, on rainy days the line gets much too long and the chances of being tardy increase. I also have two other children that will not tolerate waiting in the looooong line (which sometimes backs up as far as our street). Then there’s the issue of car seats. Honeybun is still in a harnessed car seat and in Hubby’s car she sits behind the driver which means she would have to walk around the car which is generally frowned upon and in my car she can’t unbuckle herself so I’d have to get out to unbuckle her. It’s just not a good option. (Driving to pick-up is never really an option for the same reasons but also because she comes out a different door than the car riders and we don’t have a car pick-up pass).
The most frustrating part of walking in the rain, though, is definitely the stupidity of drivers. The selfishness in people’s need to get to their destination which is apparently more important than letting me cross in front of them in the pouring rain is astounding. I also can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten splashed by cars driving by and their inability to go AROUND the puddles (for a place that gets a billion inches of rain a year, it really is miraculous how insufficient the drainage systems are!)
Way back in 2011 I posted on Facebook: So glad for rain covers today and the fact that my girls stayed dry while I was getting drenched, not by the rain but by the asshole drivers who didn’t learn from others’ mistakes and one after the other sprayed puddles 10 feet high over the top of me.
It also happened earlier this school year, when Doodle was just a little squish, while walking to school pick up. It wasn’t raining at the time but a downpour had just finished. And the high temps and humidity made the rain covers a dangerous option (plus, did I mention it wasn’t actually raining?) So a car drives by us WAY too fast and sprays water up and over the top of us. It’s happened before, no big deal except for my sweet little sleepy baby in the bottom seat of the buggy who did not just wet but got covered with disgusting decaying leaves and dirty road water (if only I still had the text I sent hubby after that…probably one of the most colorful things I’ve ever written!)
