Why Crayons and Summer Don’t Mix

I knew there had to be a bump in the road. I knew that things were just going too well.

We moved. We’re finally just about finished with the first stage of unpacking.

This is the stage where many boxes have been unpacked, pictures have been hung, and it’s starting to feel like a real house now. But pay no mind to that entire room in the basement full of stuff that doesn’t yet have a home and I’m not quite sure if any of it ever will. Stage one: complete.

And the blogging life is good. I’ve met some DC and Baltimore bloggers, attended a few events, and even done some conference meetups. I’m also in the process of a blog redesign by my own hands. (Because I’m too cheap to pay anyone else).

Things are going good, right?

Don’t forget I also got a new car. A 2012 Toyota Camry XLE Hybrid, to be exact. And have I mentioned I love this car? It might have something to do with the Cypress Pearl exterior (okay, fine, call it green) and the plush tan interior. And it has a LOT to do with the 40 mpg I’ve been averaging. And it’s really fun to drive.

So fun, in fact, it’s become our family outing car. It’s what we consider to be the “nicer” car. So we take it out for day trips (of which we had two last week). As part of our Staycation, we becoming tourists in our own town. We drove to downtown Baltimore and spent time admiring all the sights at the National Aquarium.

Then we braved DC the day after the 4th of July. We drove to the Metro station and went down to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. We loved it. It was a long day. We were hot. We were hungry.

After returning to the respite of our vehicle, we found a little Mexican joint in the town of Clarksville.

Side note: I cannot say the name of that town without hearing “Last Train to Clarksville” in my head. And if you are under the age of 40, just google that so you’ll get the reference.

We were all a little cranky. As I had mentioned, we were hot, hungry, and a bit tired. That’s the trifecta of crankiness for me. And apparently for Evan too. But he still gets a thrill at restaurants that have kids menus and crayons. But as usual, he had me remove his menu/placement before his food arrived so we wouldn’t mess it up. He planned to take it home with him.

Why did I let him do that? I know that the cheap crayons will quickly end up in the trash. The menu will also end up in the trash a few days later when I realize he’s forgotten all about it. SO WHY DID I LET HIM TAKE THAT IN MY PRECIOUS NEW CAR?

I think you already know where I’m going with this.

It was hot. He left the crayons in the car. And because it was so hot, we didn’t venture out until the next evening. And that’s when I saw it…

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT BELOW THAT MAY BE DISTURBING TO SOME READERS. ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT LOVE THEIR CARS.

So….

Crayons will melt and I don’t just mean melt. I mean, LIQUEFY.

My cupholder in the back seat has now been permanently stained with crayon wax. I’m trying, though. I’m trying the Magic Eraser and Barkeeper’s Friend and maybe even the dishwasher.

But my new car has been tainted.

I’ve come up with a few explanations that make me feel better about it:

1. It’s simply a hands-on lesson in science for my son.

2. I had a run of good luck and all good things must come to an end.

or the most logical explanation

3. God is punishing me for eating one too many Mexican meals when I know it’s loaded in fat, carbs, and sodium.

In the end, I have to look on the bright side. Yes, there’s always a bright side. 

The crayons were completely contained in this plastic cupholder. COMPLETELY. And when all else fails, I know I’ll be able to call the Toyota Parts department and get a new one.

Disclosure: I was selected for participation in the TWIN community through a program with Clever Girls Collective. I did not receive any compensation for writing this post, or payment in exchange for participating. The opinions expressed herein are mine, and do not reflect the views of the Toyota.