The Game Of Life

Whew. It has been a busy day, fo' sho'.

I was up 'til 0600, knitting on the Bandaid Blanket. I could finish it in about 10 more minutes, but I haven't had the time. So, I woke up late this morning, which was fine because the kids were gracious enough to sleep really late, too. Thanks, kids.

After I got up and got the kids fed and settled, I got down to work. July is going to be an enormously busy month for me, both with mystery shopping and otherwise. I had a lot of work to do today, prepping for today's shops, travel planning, doing the bills, making calls and appointments, etc. I spent four hours at the computer, working nonstop except to feed and take care of the kids. Hated that. I wanted to finish my blanket.

I was still working when Rob came home at 1600, and I had another hour after that. After a quickie shower (and wearing more clothes I never have before!) it was time to hit the road.

Oh, let me backtrack a minute. Earlier this week, all three kids hit the 1,000-point mark in The Game of Life. They each got to pick a prize out of the bucket! Chloë picked $5, and she was thrilled with that reward. Jack earned a special date with Mommy, and Sophia won the chance to do some baking with Mom.

So.

 

When it was time to go out and do all my shops, I integrated that with Jack's Mommy-and-me time, and took him with me. I made sure that the kid CD was playing for him in the back seat, and he sang along sweetly to the music. I really need to get more kid CDs; most of ours are worn out and we've been listening to the same one over and over. I really want a Veggie Tales Silly Songs one!

Anyway, our first stop was at Pembroke Mall down the road, where he spotted this double-decker bus and wanted to take a ride. It was 50¢, which I happened to have on me, so I agreed. It was his date, after all! He had a good ride, and then we continued on to my first shop at the cookie store in the mall. I let him pick the cookie he wanted, another thrill for him, and we went on our way.

I was going to stop at Zales and get my engagement ring examined (it's due in June and December), but we can't find the paperwork anywhere. Eek. I don't know what I'm doing to do now! So we skipped that, and went to Bath and Body Works. I had a coupon for a free anti-bacterial hand sanitizer with any purchase, so I picked up a teensy trial size item and gt my full-size product free! Woot! Cucumber melon, love.

 

Jack happily skipped out of the mall with me, eating his delectable cookie and chattering away.

After that, we stopped to get an oil change. My oil indicator thingy had been flashing the evil eye at me for a week, so it was past time. Jack visited with an old man in the waiting room while I read my forms for the next shops. Well, more like, the man visited with him, while Jack tried to claw his way through me out of extreme bashfulness. So unlike his sisters in that respect.

We drove to the next two shops, both gas station convenience stores. Remembering my gran'pappy had a doctor appointment on Monday for the growth he's had in his throat for months now, I tried calling. No answer. Same with my sister's line, and then my dad's, and then Rob's. I was getting paranoid until Stacey finally called me back and confirmed my suspicions that it was she tying up Grandpa's line.

The news isn't good. They couldn't do a biopsy yet until he's off his Coumadin for a week, but they are pretty sure it's cancer. I'm trying not to cry thinking about it. He smoked a pipe for years but quit and threw away all his (expensive) pipes the day his dentist told him he was "working on 'the Big C'," as he puts it. That was 25 years ago, and here he is now at 83, staring throat cancer in the face. I'm trying not to worry. I eventually got ahold of him, and he sounded positive and upbeat, so that was a relief. We'll just take it one step at a time, I guess...

Jack and I did those two shops, during which he whined incessantly about wanting this or that junk food, driving me nuts. He'd just had a huge cookie and didn't need anything else to upset his little tum, and besides, I wasn't allowed to buy anything else but my required purchase.

Finally, we made it to Toys 'R Us, where Jack has been wanting to go since we began playing The Game. I want to make playing it worth his while, so I relented on stopping there. Can you see the shit-eating grin on his face?? We walked in planning on getting a couple Hot Wheels cars,. but right inside the door were these huge "Battle Rigs" on clearance. Deep clearance. What the heck, why not?

 

Jack could scarcely wait to get out to the car and buckle up before he tore into that box. He was beside himself with glee, which made me happy. I had promised him ice cream, since I had a shop for that tonight, too, but he didn't want it anymore. He just wanted to get home and play with his new prize!

 

We stopped at home to switch out the kiddos. I told Rob to offer the ice cream shop to Sophie in lieu of her baking-with-Mom prize, and she happily accepted. What kid wouldn't? She waited patiently on this bench while I stood in line to reach the window.

Sophie wanted chocolate AND strawberry AND a gummy worm, please. That thing was bigger than her head!

 

I had a fantastic time watching her eat this thing. It was a hoot. And I was very grateful to have a pack of Wet Ones in my purse! Oh, the kid was filthy when it was all said and done. And she didn't even get down to the cone before throwing it away!

 

Yummo!

Soap wanted to stay out and do something else after that, but it was nearly 2100 and we needed to get home. I had yet another shop to do, a pizza delivery for dinner.

 

Jack was all into his new truck thing when I got home. He kept showing me all the bells and whistles. I had to admit, it was pretty cool.

 

Chloë was delighted when I finally forked over her five smackers, even though it wasn't in the $1 denominations she requested. Best I could do, kiddo!

 

At last the pizza came, and I did all the nitpicky steps required of me. The chillens were starving by that point, and they really dug in, thanking Mama for the pizza.

After Sophie ate, I ran her to the store with me to get some milk and a few things that I had coupons for, making them almost-free. She was hilarious in the store, yelling "Hi! I'm Sophie and I'm FOUR!" to everyone who passed us by. They were all charmed by her.

And I had a WOW moment at the register. I was wearing one of the new magical bras (of course; I haven't worn any others since I got them) and a tight t-shirt, my hair up in a ponytail for once. On of my Farm Fresh peeps, Nicole who always works there at night, came bounding over to the register, demanding, "Okay, girly, what's your secret?" I was confused at first, thinking she was talking about that weird girl who fondled my groceries that one time, but no. Nicole said, "You have lost a TON of weight, and you look amazing!" I was so happy!! That's the first time someone not "in the know" said something to me! I told her I'd lost 100 lbs, and she was stunned. I admitted to the surgery, and she said she had 3 family members who'd had it, and she knew what a lot of work it was. I was so excited, grinning from ear to ear for at least an hour after that conversation. She told me my face and body look completely different - and I have to agree!

We went home, and the kids took a bath while I've spent the last, oh, three or four hours working on my reports. I still need to get on the Wii tonight, since I've vowed to do the WiiFit every single night in July. If there's anything left in me after that, I guess I'll watch my DVR'd So You Think You Can Dance from earlier tonight while I finish that blanket...

Fin.

Comments

[Jen]

Ok, I seriously need to go back through your archives and catch up. What is this Game of Life? Send me the link about it when you get the chance. Also, way to go on the 100 lb weight loss. Surgery or no surgery that is astounding!!

Sounds like a really fun day!

[Nadine]

Sorry to hear about your grandpa. I hope he's OK.