You’re about to judge me … possibly harshly.

The kids were running late to band practice on Wednesday morning, so I shoved a plastic bowl of cereal with milk into the eldest’s hands to eat in the car. The eldest didn’t want the cereal and milk – she’s gone off breakfast – but she dutifully picked at it, then handed the sloshing bowl to me as she exited the car.

For some bizarre reason, I thought I’d just leave it nestled on the passenger seat as I drove home. You can guess what happened as I turned the first corner, can’t you?

Yup, milk and Sultana Bran ALL OVER the front seat.

I swore A LOT.

When I got home, I sponged at it, but lots had already soaked into the upholstery. Running late for work, I decided to go “la-la-la” and hope the problem went away.

It didn’t go away.

Whoa did the car smell 24 hours later.

That’s your first chance to harshly judge me. WHY did I give the eldest a bowl of cereal to eat in the car? WHY didn’t I tip the remains into the gutter? WHY did I think the problem would go away?

Anyways, yesterday morning, after dropping the youngest’s high school application off and ducking to the nearby fruit shop to buy some of Nonna’s homemade lasagne for dinner last night because there’d be no time to cook (I’ll explain in a moment), I drove to the nearest car wash and begged for help.

The car wash attendant dourly informed me it would be $225 to clean the upholstery.

Ouch.

Cue the second chance to harshly judge me. I’m sure there are many cheaper ways I could have solved the problem, but there was NO TIME and an escalating smell. So I said yes to the astronomical $225 fee. Mind you, it included a free coffee … woot.

I walked 15 minutes to work, then returned at lunch time to collect the car (instead of going to the gym like I’ve been promising to do on a Thursday for WEEKS).

After work, I drove the lasagne home to the eldest to heat up for her dinner, dashed to Woolies for some dog food, then on to skipping training to collect the team of four and deliver each child to their individual residence, then returned home and heated up some lasagne for the youngest, then drove the eldest to Scouts.

And I spent the whole time convinced THE BLOODY CAR STILL SMELLED LIKE SOUR MILK.

I ran my hand across the seat at one point and my fingers completely stank when I sniffed them.

Surely that’s not right when you’ve paid $225?

So, sigh, I’m returning to the car wash this morning for a stoush.

DAMMIT … I’m also judging myself pretty harshly right now.

How could I have been so daft?

Song of the day: Paul Kelly & The Coloured Girls “All the dumb things”