Drive through coffee shop, how I love thee.  Let me count the ways.

1. It’s like Cheers—sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name.  Or at least your order.    
2. You can do some serious multitasking while you’re in line.  Chat with a friend.  Amazon Prime that birthday present for Susie’s party on Saturday.  Pluck your brows.  Or if you’re feeling really ambitious, pump milk for your triplets on your portable breast pump while covered with a giant blanket (hypothetically speaking, of course).  
3. Did someone say naptime?!  For the kids, not for you.  Thank you, Starbucks, for putting my kids to sleep since 2008.  I specifically pick the coffee shop that is across town from my house so that my kids will take long naps, and every time it works like a charm.    
4. No touching.  Not a single toddler hand can smack your face, not a single preschool foot can burrow into your back.  
5. No touching.  It bears repeating.  
6. You get a coffee drink that’s made especially for you—and no one else.  Want it half caff?  Ok!  Want it nonfat with two pumps of vanilla, too?  Done.  It’s all yours, baby, and you don’t have to share.
7. You don’t need a bra.  There, I said it.  
8. Or shoes.  No judging, they can’t see your feet.
9. It’s the only thing open about at 5:30 a.m. when the kids have all woken up entirely too early. 
10. Instant adult interaction.  That friendly barista really wants to know how your day is going.  So tell her about your crazy morning and how your kids are sick and you have no plans except savoring every sip of that perfect, piping hot latte.  Chat away.    
11. Hungry? Add a cake pop and make it a meal!  No, just kidding, that’s dessert.  Lunch is a mean grilled cheese or, if feeling really indulgent, a giant chocolate chip cookie.
12. It’s an acceptable reason to stay out of the house an extra 15 minutes.  
13. If you’re really lucky, your coffee shop will have a trash can after the drive through.  Coffee and cleaned the car out?  Boom, your work is done for the day, friend! 
14. It counts as an outing with your kids.  You ask what we’re doing today, kids?  Well, we already went the coffee shop, so go play outside til dinner.  
15. When you really can’t make it into a grocery store for milk, you can order four grande milks instead.  No need to unload all those kids into the grocery store, the coffee shop has it covered.  
16. It restores your faith in humanity.  Occasionally, the wonderful soul ahead of me pays for my coffee.  Maybe they hear me yelling at the kids?  Maybe they’re just generous people who want to put a smile on my face.  Done, strangers.  I’m smiling.  Thanks for covering my coffee and my $22 tab for all my kids’ drinks too.  I promise I’ll pay it forward.  

So friends, if you pass me on the road, I’ll raise my coffee cup to you as we pass each other.  Cheers to another day of caffeinated goodness.