It's been a week since our run to Midland to get a new computer monitor. I'm about used to the
widescreen thing now. While there James asked if there was anything else we needed. Well, if we stayed longer we would have had to go out to dinner (already had it mostly ready at home), probably would have missed Earl and The Office, and my back was hurting from walking Amelia all over the place (she's obsessed!)...besides, it was the end of the month and that's never a good time to spend money (except on ESSENTIALS like computers, obviously). So even though it seemed crazy to drive over an hour just to spend 10 minutes in Best Buy and come home...that's just what we did. There wasn't anything else we couldn't live without for a week.
Except that there was.
So Tuesday (couldn't even make it to Wednesday when we'd be going as far as
Monahans for
storytime anyway) I packed up the girls and went to Odessa. I decided to make the best of it and leave the regular grocery shopping for our planned trip on Friday and actually shop for things I wanted.
It says a ton about how much Elizabeth has grown up this summer that I dared to take her into Hobby Lobby, without another adult, with Amelia. I was prepared to cut and run, but it went amazingly well. It helped that it was still early and they were fresh (Amelia got her morning nap on the way there). Elizabeth was quite taken with the little cart and held onto the side and walked along with me like I'd trained her or something!
I'd thought we would go to Wendy's for lunch since it's right there, but Elizabeth deserved a playground after that performance, so McDonald's it was. Got there right during the high school lunch rush. UGH. Another potential disaster. I stalled by heading to the bathroom first, but the line was still to the door when we got out. I knew if I let Elizabeth into the play area no lunch would be eaten. So we braved the line, I simplified our order (a 10 piece chicken nugget meal turned out to be just right for the 3 of us), and getting our Sprite right away saved the day. Elizabeth took it right over to the nearest table and settled in.
Once lunch was eaten, we headed over to the play area. One 4 year old girl and her mom. Perfect! Someone to play with, but not crowded. We had a very enjoyable time and even left with minimal negotiations.
At this point I knew I was really pushing my luck. But we headed to Wal-mart and I treated myself to the clearance fabric tables. I take after my mom and already have way too much fabric from my teaching days, but just can't help but lust after more, especially if it's just $1-2/yard!
We almost didn't make it out of there, and I mean that literally. James left a worried voicemail on my phone when he got home early and we weren't there, asking if I needed him to drive out to wherever we were and help. In June Elizabeth had a meltdown at the mall near the Dallas Temple and I couldn't get her out to the van forever and James caught a ride with a friend he'd run into there! Just a couple of weeks ago Grandma Blair had to use all her strength to carry an hysterical (extremely overtired) Elizabeth out of Wal-Mart.
Thankfully I saw the signs and we made it to the checkout before she snapped. She actually climbed back into the cart so I was able to hurry. I looked down while loading our purchases onto the belt and saw this.
Even the bumpy ride out to the van didn't phase her, nor unloading.
Transferring her to the van did wake her up but I was ready with a juice box and mini cookies that managed to calm her down. Amelia soaked herself in apple juice and slept the whole way home. Overall, a good day.
True to the character of Bob the Builder, Elizabeth spent the first part of the evening "building" with the poles James brought for the scouts.
The scouts/YM did a "group costume" as modern-day Stripling Warriors and even performed for the Branch.
