Schwartz Family

It's Monday and to celebrate, we went to the MVA.
I had to get a MD license. This was the first time I've ever dealt with the goverment solo. (Solo: two kids in tow, but no mom or husband.) I went to their website, figured out what I needed to bring, realized that almost every residential document has Chris' name on it only, spent an hour rifling through files to find something with my name, and starting stocking up my file- current ss card, maiden name ss card, marriaged certificate, birth certificate, PA license, BGE bill, bank statement, verizon bill...there was no way I was going to wait in line and get turned back.
Government offices intimidate me. Especially the MVA. I've only been to one three times and my mom took me twice and Chris took me the third time. I really don't like going into situations where I don't know what line to stand in, where to get a ticket, whether you have to pay in cash or check, if you have to bring your own pen... It's a place where I have no control. I guess that's why it's intimidating.
The MVA's I've been to previously were in hickville towns- the waiting rooms were the size of a living room. This morning I drove past Maryland's MVA the first time because it's a big office building/police department complex. We parked in a huge parking lot and marched bravely toward building B. Some nice people held the door open when they saw me approach heaving the carseat, diaper bag swinging, Anna holding the pocket of my shorts. We walked in to a large area with rows and rows of seats and 12 stations with blinking letters and numbers. I wandered around for a minute looking for a place to take a ticket. No luck. So I stood against the wall and watched to see where the next person who came in the door went. That person went to Information. Oooh. I went there too and after waiting five minutes it was my turn and she gave me my ticket. There were probably a hundred people in the area. And probably eighty seats. Thankfully a group stood up in the front row so we could have seats.
We sat down and looked at our ticket- A37. They were already on A31 And with 12 stations we'll be out of here in no time! Sadly, there are also B's and C's and they do five B's and two C's for every A or some other formula that meant we waited an hour and a half. =(
I have to say though- Anna and Sonja behaved beautifully. And after we paid our dues and I sort of smiled for the camera, we made it out alive with a license to boot.

I read online that you can renew your license by way of kiosk 24/7? I hope I can always do that for the rest of my life.

Anyway, the house is kind of a mess today. This weekend, I spent zero hours on housework and it's showing. (I spent six hours on these little birdie prints for the girls room though, and those are cute.) So today is to be a day of housework. I know it's already 4PM and I said "is to be". Chris has a company dinner tonight so I still have a chance. It's too hot to put on sweatpants- the ultimate "we're digging in for the long haul house cleaning" statement- so Anna and I just pulled on our knee high socks and we're going to skid around these next few hours getting this place sparkly. Here we go!