All times are approximate. (Like I could remember anything in such detail!)
6:00-7:00 Morning jog/walk-a good start to the day, although I learned it's harder to jog when you have eaten at In'n'out at 10:00 at night.
8:00 to 8:30 Drama at home: Kaylynn had a project due today that she was frantically finishing. I was impressed that she finished the project, got dressed, and made it to the car (about ten minutes late.) It was far better than I expected. "A Christmas miracle?", I asked myself, but apparently not. She broke down about halfway to school, crying, and when we arrived, she repeatedly said "I can't go" and refused to get out of the car. We sat there for about ten minutes. Just some advice for when you have a 13-year-old daughter who will not budge from her seat-- yelling "Get out!!!" in your most vicious voice ever is completely ineffective. All it got me was a sore throat. She begged me to take her back home until her face wasn't red anymore, and I told her I would if she was willing to give up three months allowance, and she had to put her Christmas money in savings until April. She evidently inherited none of Dan's financial genes, and chose to go home. We save about $75, Kaylynn gets to go home and put makeup on--I'll call that a win-win situation. I gave Kaylynn a ten-minute hug as an extra punishment. I asked what she learned from this experience (not to leave projects to the last minute) and she said she learned that I look funny when I yell. I call all of this the "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" method of parenting. (Note: Kaylynn doesn't usually read my blog anymore so I feel safe in sharing all of this.)
9:25 With a mental list in my head of what I needed to get done today, I started sorting laundry while listening to The Amulet of Samarkand on my nifty walkman. The phone rang--my visiting teacher wondering where I was. I forgot that I was invited to a holiday breakfast at someone's house this morning. Amy and I were both not quite dressed, due to the morning's events, so we rushed to get ready and got there about 25 minutes late. When we got there, I quickly realized that it would have been appropriate to get someone to watch Amy. The breakfast was nice, but I had to leave early to get Amy to school.
10:50 It was time to take Amy the long distance to the school across the street. I looked for her and she was in the bathroom going number two. What is up with Mother Nature's timing? I finally got her out, a few minutes too late for school, and realized she had taken her shoes off and not packed her lunch. (I know she's only five, but she likes to make it herself, so I just say "Go for it!") We run across the street just in time to get her in line.
11:00 Walmart. What was I doing at Walmart? My Christmas shopping was done in order to avoid such a trip, but I needed to buy a birthday present for a party that Anna is going to tomorrow and a toothbrush for Jeremy because Kaylynn found ants on his old one and threw it away. I get very frustrated when I want to look for something in an aisle, and someone else is taking forever in the very spot I need. I think it's like how Dan feels in traffic on the road. I just have issues with shopping traffic--"Aisle Rage." I don't think people should be allowed to have birthday parties so close to Christmas.
11:30 Gas at Sam's Club. I had to fill up because I am taking some girls to the Bishop's Storehouse tomorrow in Colton. It was very windy, and somehow the grocery list that was in my pocket flew far, far away. I also felt like I was going to fly far, far away.
11:40 Sam's Club: I actually saw a girl with a banana clip in her hair! I thought those went out with the 80's. After seeing this, I turned into a new aisle, and what to my wondering eyes did appear? Oh, crap! It's the triple pack of Chex cereal that they have around the holidays. I grab it. My goals for December have gone from weight loss to maintenance to "Please don't let my stomach get so big I have to buy maternity clothes!" Toward the end of my Sam's trip, I was leaning intently over my cart trying to remember what all was on my list, when a few people came around the corner and were staring at me. I explained to them that my list had flown away and I was trying to remember everything. They were very nice about it.
12:30 I arrived home and noticed the Yoga Booty Ballet paused on the television. Oh, yeah! I actually thought I was going to do some yoga today! All I managed was clapping and rubbing my hands together in front of my heart to get the energy flowing, and watch the two obviously psycho women with pigtails find their "intentions" through a "moodra" or something like that for about 2 minutes. This was the first time I put this in, so I'm intrigued about what else I'm getting myself into. But that will probably have to wait until Monday.
At this point I also looked in the mirror. Ideally, one would do this before going out in public, but I rarely remember to do this. I realized why the people in Sam's Club were looking at me funny, I look like a female version of Einstein, what with going to Disneyland last night in the rain and the wind at the gas station.
12:45 Grocery store. Here I was so excited to buy Kerrygold True Irish Butter, which I have been eying for months, and it was on sale. Now, I know this is a sign of lower intelligence or something, but I paid twice as much as regular butter just so I could see what Irish butter tastes like. I do have a mild fascination with all things Irish (u2, Snow Patrol, Ballykissangel, Falling for a Dancer, just to name a few.) Nearly everyone I pass in the store looks at me and smiles. Is this just holiday cheer, or my hair that I forgot again to tame.
Well, I'm only halfway through the day and I'm getting tired of typing and you are probably getting tired of reading. I did have to pick up the kids from school, sort, wash and fold the laundry, do a bit of housework, clean out the van, make a couple of dinners (don't ask), drop of cookies to one house and a permission slip to another, and at the present time I have 9 kids in my house, rearranging my furniture in order to build a fort. This is part of a giant cousin slumber party in which I probably won't slumber, but that's okay. I'm trying to provide material for my eulogy at my funeral: "She always had her nieces and nephews over for slumber parties where they built forts, made-up restaurants, and played with various electronic toys." (Hopefully they will forget the irate woman who comes out at 10:00 at night saying "No more noise!") I am hoping to get at least an hour of reading in tonight (The Memory Keeper's Daughter)--wish me luck! Shoot, I just remembered I need to wrap the birthday present. Maybe Anna will do it.
