What ever made me think things would go smoothly for once?

Today I thought I’d better check the website where I booked the ticked to see if there was any change in liquid regulations and so on.
It said; important information for anyone travelling to the states.

I felt a little nervous but thought I’d better check it out anyway.
This was at about 11.15 this morning
Then I read caroline needed her own passport.

I knew why I felt a little nervous now.
To get a passport takes you a week.

I called the American embassy and they said the website was right. No matter her age, she needed her own passport.

It was 11.25
I called city hall to see if I could get some speed procedure.
For paying double I could.
What the heck,
I would have paid tenfold.
But I had to be there, with caroline and good passport pictures (which have very weird regulations now) before noon. Then I could pick it up tomorrow after 2.

It was 11.29
I ran out of the office.
Raced home.
Got my own passport and the only pictures of caroline I could find.
Raced to her school, all the while yelling to robbert on the cellphone to help me find the nearest city hall department I had to go to.
Literally pulled caroline from her classroom shouting to the teacher I had an emergency.

Rachel who had heard me come in the house and run out again, at the phone about passports and thru the windows saw me running with caroline to the car, thought I was about to kidnap her (!!!) and called the office to ask them if I was ok or not.

I drove like a madman towards where robbert directed me, parked the car, yanked caroline with me and got in line.
Then the woman said my pictures were no good.
I begged her and finally remembered I had one in my wallet and she sort of gave in for that one.
Then she asked where the father was.
At work I said.
We need his consent she said. He has to fill in a form.
Please I said
Can’t he just fax something similar stating that he is ok with it all?
He could.
We then had to wait till 12.10 !! before it was our turn and then we also needed a copy of robberts identity card.
Don\t do this to me I said.
He needed to fill in a form but that was it.
Allright then, just bring it with you tomorrow when you pick up her passport she said.

SIGH.