Best laid plans

What is that line about the best-laid plans? Whatever it is, the intent is plans don't often work. And today was definitely one of those best-laid plans gone awry!

Our friend and neighbour asked me to do a small favour for her, and I gladly complied. All she wanted was for me to hang out at her house for three hours today while I waited for a new mattress to show up. An easy thing to do and I immediately responded that it would be no problem.

Silly me.

After responding, I realized I had a midwife appointment that morning. So now, if that three hour window was going to be in the morning, my friend would have to scoot home while I was at the appointment and then dash back to work when I returned. Justin could've stayed at her place during that time but he really likes to be at the appointments with me and she said it would be no problem.

Still. That was one hitch in the works.

Thankfully for her, they called her this morning to say the three hour window would be between 2 and 5. New hitch: Justin got a job interview in the city scheduled for this afternoon. Which means now I was going to be entertaining Isaac for a couple of hours in someone else's (kid-free: read breakable things) home. And did I mention that's in his prime naptime?

But I figured, hey, I can handle this. I'll just load up Isaac's A-game toys and we'll play outside over there and possibly inside depending on weather, and I'll stuff him full of snacks, and pray that the mattress truck comes sooner rather than later.

Fast forward grand plans to 1:45 pm. My toddler is absolutely done for playtime. He is clearly tired and in need of rest. Uh-oh. I improvise. We quickly do a diaper change and bedtime routine and I put him down for a nap in his crib. It's 1:55 p.m.

I grab a book, a water bottle, a blanket, a warm jacket, and the baby monitor. The new plan is to sit out front of my place where I can see when the truck pulls up. I will calmly lock my front door, take the baby monitor with me and let the guys into her place. I know that will only take a few minutes. Phew, problem solved.

But then there's another hitch. As soon as I get outside, the baby monitor stops working. BIG uh oh.I throw my stuff inside and run upstairs in search of new batteries.

No. such. luck.

OK. New new plan: find an extension cord so I can still hear if he cries. So I find a power cord, hook everything up out front and bring my blanket to where I can see her place. I think it's about 2:03 p.m. at this time. I turn around to sit down and what do I see, but the mattress truck out front of her place and a guy in the driveway on his phone, most likely calling to find out why no one is answering the door!

Ack! Without thinking, I dash over as fast as I can (more of a lumber than a run), leaving my door slightly open because of the power cord. Apologize to the driver who says they just got there anyway. Let him in, they bring the mattress upstairs and in under five minutes I've locked up and am back in my own place. I bound upstairs to make sure I can still hear Isaac breathing in there; he's sound asleep.

Phew! Indeed, best-laid plans do often go awry. But in the end, it all worked out just fine. Isaac is currently having a great nap. My friend has her new mattress. And I got some good fodder for a blog post.