Wait your turn

I had to drop the kids off at school this morning (not a pun or a metaphor). Last night Anna woke up about 3 billion times and, of course, had to come wake ME up and tell ME that she couldn't sleep. I had gone to bed around 12 after typing up an interview with Tim O'Brien (yes, the author who doesn't normally do interviews). I was feeling pretty proud of my questions, basically full of myself when I went to bed. About a half-hour later the insomnia business started. And the crying until finally, I was nearly crying from exhaustion and let my 9-year-old child hop into bed as if she were a stubborn toddler.
Needless to say, the kids missed the bus. Lucian wanted me to find a plastic jewel that he lost behind his bed. I tried but was too tempted to lay down on the floor and pass out. That'll be a little project for this afternoon when they get home. He's been really into "riches" lately, almost obsessed with the idea of money. Last night I found a scratch ticket on his bureau, mind you, he is six.
"Hey, Luca, what's this?"
"It's a scratch ticket, I need to finish scratching it. I'm hoping I'll get lucky."
"Yeah, but where did you get it?"
"The store."
And he wouldn't say anymore. After about a full minute of dead silence I said, very diplomatically, "Well, I hope you didn't steal it because it's a federal offense to steal lottery tickets."
"I don't even know what that is, Mom."
There's a lot of risk-taking going on in this house.
I also noticed, since I haven't dropped them off at school in a long time, that the second people enter the vicinity of the school they turn into total f*cking idiots, especially when it comes to operating a vehicle. When did a blinker become unnecessary, or lights for that matter. Who backs out of a spot at 50 MPH? Is stopping at a crosswalk filled with preschoolers suddenly optional? I had no idea, and now I remember why I hate dropping them off. I think we have more of a chance of winning the lottery than getting out of there unscathed.