Doing My Part

So today I ditched Matt with the kids and after hitting up the gym (all by myself!!!), I ran some errands. One of these errands was to return something.

I felt great. I felt like I made some money, man! I'm pulling my weight, for once! I made $35 today!

I don't know about you, but I find it hilarious that I am proud of myself for "unspending" $35 and calling that an accomplishment! Perhaps I should overspend more often just so I can return it and "make money" more often!

Well, That Settles That!

I normally try to avoid places like Target.  I always end up buying something there that I did not intend to.  I find there are not many things I get at Target that I can't pick up somewhere else, so I simply avoid going and have saved myself quite a bit of money actually.  

But today, Mitchell, Jack, and I needed something to do and I had something to return that had been sitting on my counter for weeks, so we packed up and headed off to the land of overspending.  

Mitchell is a good sport about shopping and running errands.  He puts up with just about anything, even if he isn't particularly enjoying himself.  Today though, he discovered a whole new section of Target that he had previously overlooked - kitchen tools and appliances!  My strange, kitchen tool fixated middle child was just in heaven!  He was carrying around a little stool he found nearby so that he could reach up on the shelves and "try out" just about everything!  He was messing with waffle makers and deep fryers; microwaves and espresso machines; coffee grinders and juicers.  

After the "machines," we wandered over to the "tools" section and found just about everything he could possibly want!  He had his arms full of measuring cups, hand mixers, can openers, chip clips, egg slicers, timers... He was just so excited by it all.  I think this was even more exciting for him than Christmas time in the craft store!

As we had baby Jack with us and also needed to get home to pick up Ben from school, I regretfully had to tear him away from his paradise.  He was sad to put everything back in its place, but was a good sport.  As we were checking out, (and yes, I did more than return something.  I ended up with a new vacuum!  See why I don't go?!) Mitchell turned to me with a huge grin and said, "Hey mom!  I know what I want for my birthday now!  I want all those tools and the popcorn maker!"

Well, that settles that then!  I actually do need a popcorn maker...

What We're Listening to These Days

While running an errand with Mitchell a couple days ago, a song by Eminem came on the radio. Yes, I listen to more than children's music and Sunday School songs in my car.  I admit it.  Don't get me wrong, I love Puff the Magic Dragon as much as anyone and a good, rousing rendition of Bear Hunt is always tons of fun, but even I have limits as to how many times in a row I can hunt this bear, especially when the motions are so exuberant my poor car takes quite a beating.

Now Mitchell has this thing where he has to know the name of every person who is singing every song.  Every time a new song comes on, I can count on him to ask, "What's this man's name, mom?"  And yes, he always says "man," even if it is a woman singing.  Welcome to my male-dominated world.

Anyways, like I said, Eminem was busy angrily shouting his lyrics into my car via radio waves (by the way, try explaining how radio and radio waves work to your kids!) and I was not paying attention at all to what as on until, sure enough, from the back seat came the voice of the inquisitor: "Mom, what's this man's name?"  He did not believe me when I told him his name was Eminem.  "Like the candy?"  After convincing him that I was not joking with him, he decided that was a pretty cool name.  He then went on to comment on the song: "Mom, why is he shouting and why is he so mad?  He really sounds mad.  [long pause]  I like it."

So Mitchell is an Eminem fan, apparently.  Not sure I'm too happy about that or think it is the most appropriate music for a 3-year-old, but at least he has moved on from Katie Perry (she just had to say something about a popsicle in one of her songs.  Curse you, Katie Perry!)

When we got back in the car after our errand, Mitchell asked if we could listen to the "angry Neminem guy" again.  

His Teeth Are NOT To Be Underestimated!

This morning was a busy morning for my two little boys and me.  We had a lot to fit in to one morning, but bravely accomplished almost all of it!  One of the last things we got to before heading across the street to pick up Ben from school was the dreaded grocery store.  Mitchell did great after I let him pick out a special treat (he insisted on Gatoraide, of all things) but Jack was loosing it.  I kept giving him little things to play with from the cart and he would gnaw on it for a couple seconds, then give up on it as soon as he found it only tasted like plastic.  He normally likes crinkly packages though, so I gave him the pack of cookie dough to play around with - you know, the kind of cookie dough that not only comes pre-made, but pre-formed into little cookie squares?  I know, I am such a fabulous baker!  Anyways, it was keeping him quite entertained while I rushed around the store, steering the race car shopping cart with grace and skill, when I happened a glance at my baby.  He was covered in cookie dough!  He had ripped open the package with his teeth and was busy sucking that cookie dough down like he was afraid he'd be caught at any moment!  Stifling my urge to trade that pack for a new one, I put it back into my cart.  After that, I really had to shift that race car into high gear because none of the other groceries tasted quite so yummy as that last one!  

Big Lady

Some of you will read this and think I am "one of those moms" - the kind whose kids are disturbing the peace and going a bit crazy.  Others of you, I hope, will read this and think my kids are hilarious and get a laugh out of their antics, just as I do.

We had to buy our city vehicle stickers today and since I have 3 kids, I had to do this with 3 kids in tow.  I had Jack in my arms, chewing my keys up, and Ben and Mitchell fully exploring the space of the place.  As I was busy with the paperwork, I heard some serious laughing going on.  A bit annoyed that they were not standing quietly beside me with hands to themselves, quietly lost in their own thoughts (haha), and also a tad curious as to what was so funny, I turned to take a look.  Ben had found a life-sized cardboard woman and was busy walking her around the store, making scary noises at Mitchell, who was feigning fright and making the appropriate noises for such a scene.  

My first instinct was to stop their game and put an end to the silliness and make them come stand by me.  I suppressed this instinct though because they really were using "inside voices," were not bothering anyone (in fact, everyone was quite entertained and laughing as well), and were just making so much fun out of a bothersome errand.  I wish I could find so much fun out of my everyday and often annoying business.  

Her name was "Big Lady" and she had a suspicious likeness to our babysitter.  I bet she works for a lot cheaper though...