Well it was a long, hard week. I don't know how singles moms do it, especially if they have more than one child. After I spend all morning, afternoon, and night running around behind Brenna I'm exhausted. There's really no such thing as effort free entertainment anymore. She's at an age where everything is hands-on, which means constant supervision. We managed some fun playdates and good shopping and overall stayed very busy to make the time pass faster.
Three specific "events" took place while Jacob was away. The first being the discovery of my new camera lens on Craigs List. I was super excited about that! I already discussed my blessed gift on here, so I won't go into details again. But this prompted a trip to Willowbrook Mall, where I met the lady at the food court to purchase the lens. The trip itself turned into an event for not just for me but for Brenna too because Willowbrook Mall also happens to be the closest Disney Store location to us. Brenna has recently discovered Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and its been a big hit. She loves all the characters; Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Pluto. She's also always loved the Disney Princesses. So when we walked into the Disney Store it was like Christmas! She ran from one self to the next "Look Mama, Mrs. Potts! Look Mama, Flounder! Look Mama, Mickey!" After we slowly made our way through the store, identifying all the characters and looking through some of the toys, we settled in the floor in front of the stuffed characters. They were running a special, one big character for $16 or two little characters for $14. I told Brenna she could pick one big or two little one. "I want a big one!" 30 minutes of floor time and she still couldn't decided on one! "Just one, Brenna!" Eventually, we moved to the little characters and walked away with Minnie and Daisy over an hour later! (which were probably a better size for her anyway, with all her "friends" there's barely enough room in her bed for her!) We both left the mall happy. I had my camera lens and Brenna had Minnie and Daisy faithfully tucked under each arm.
The second "event" wasn't pleasant. We work very hard on our yard and flower beds. Last year I first discovered we had a problem with leaf cutter ants after they took down an entire crape myrtle overnight. It took us a few attempts before we found something that would kill them. After that incident I've kept a close eye for fear that they would attack my front flower beds. We didn't have any other issues until this earlier this year, when I found a small grouping at the side of the house munching on my bottle brush. After one treatment, we seemed to have eliminated the problem. Unfortunately, they began clearing the lots behind us to continue development on the next section of our neighborhood, and they seemed to have put the ants on the move. So I wasn't surprised when I Brenna said "Look at all the bugs Mama!" as we were heading out the front door for our afternoon bike ride. Not only had they infested the entire right side of my flower beds, but they were crossing the walkway into the left flower beds, right in front of the front door. They had already munched away the tops of my red-tip, indian hawthorns, and working on my Japanese boxwoods. I think I must have snapped. I don't really consider myself a hostile person (direct and straight-forward, yes, maybe even alittle aggressive on certain topics) but I found myself dowsing poison with a vengeance. I continued to squeeze the spray nozzle as tightly as I could screaming "Die Ants! Die!" in my own mind of course. You have to realize this was about day 5 of Jacob's absence and my patience (and sanity) was running thin. A bottle and a half of poison and one hour later I sat on my front porch contemplating ways I could burn them off without setting my entire house on fire! It's good thing Jacob was in route to the States by then!
Our final "event" took place the last day before Jacob came home. Brenna and I had planned to take a road trip back to Beaumont to visit friends (yes, any drive greater than 1.5 hours with one or more babies, toddlers, or preschoolers in the car constitutes a road trip). The plans were to depart Houston by 9 AM. Awe, the best laid plans, right........
Well, we got up and going great that morning. Since it was something special I told Brenna I would take her to Shipley's for chocolate donuts. 8:15 AM we pull into the Waterside Shopping Center, and Shipley's drive-through is 5 cars back. No problem, we'll just run in. I say "I need 3 chocolate donuts, a bag of donut holes, one Dr. Pepper, and one apple juice." She says "Sorry, we're out of Dr Pepper."
Urg! Caffeine for the early morning/long ride is a must! Ok, no problem, we'll just run over to Sonic next door on the way out and grab a Route 44. So I pull through the drive through thinking I've averted our first crisis. I place my order and pull through to the window only to find a very friendly cashier that says "Sorry Mam, we're all out of Dr Pepper until the truck comes later this morning. Can I get you a Coke instead?" Urg! No, No, No! Coke is not an option! So I politely told him to cancel my order. I had a plan C!
Since Brenna recently fell in love with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, I told her I had a surprise for her. I had planned to take her to Best Buy on the way out and let her pick out a brand new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Movie to watch on the drive down. I thought it was a genius plan to make the drive better for her. So I had been telling her all morning that I had a surprise for her. She loves surprises! I figured I would just grab a bottled Dr Pepper from cooler at Best Buy, it would be ridiculously over priced, but hey, sometimes you make sacrifices for convenience. So I tell Brenna we're going to get her surprise only to pull up at Best Buy at 8:45 AM and find out it doesn't open until 9! I should have seen that one coming. No problem! We'll hit the What-a-Burger drive through next door for my Dr Pepper and return just in time to visit Best Buy. 10 minutes later I was happily sipping on my Dr Pepper! Victory!
We were standing at the doors of Best Buy when the manager open them up. Brenna was asking "What's my surprise Mama?" as we walked through the doors. We quickly cut to the disney isle and I pulled two Mickey Mouse Clubhouse movies out and laid them on the floor for Brenna to choose which one she wanted. "I want the Choo Choo Train, Mama!" Of course, Choo-Choo Express it is! We make one last bathroom visit and we're checked out and in the car in less than 10 minutes.
I open up the dvd, slide it in, and pull out onto Hwy 99 for our trip feeling like I was Mommy of the Year! Then Brenna says "Mama! I can't hear it!" Urg! I had only made it to the 1093 redlight, so I hook back around. I get out, I get her out, and we run back into Best Buy to exchange the defective dvd. With a fresh copy in hand, we all get buckled back up and I decide to test this one before I leave the parking lot. No go! Same problem! I get out, I get her out, we go back in. I know all you Mom's know the hassle involved with the ins and outs of car seat! Not pleasant 3 times in less than 20 minutes!!! This time we opt for the other Mickey Mouse Clubhouse movie thinking that there must be something defective with the entire lot of Choo-Choo Express. The Customer Service guy (who obviously can see the frustration in my eyes as I approach the counter for the third time) says, "Why don't I try this one for you first?" At the time, I thought he was being very considerate of a frazzled mom with a 3-year who wants to watch her movie. Looking back on it now, I realize he probably thought I was a complete moron who was too stupid to operate my own car's dvd player. So we wait while he opens it and pops it into one of the many viewing options at Best Buy! It works! Great!
So, once again, we all get in and buckled up, pop in the new dvd, and we're off! And, once again, I pull up to the 1093 redlight and hear Brenna say "Mama! I can't hear it!" Urg! Really! The customer service guy was right, I AM too stupid to operate my own car's dvd player! Do I go back? This is obviously a "me" issue and not a dvd issue, and I just returned the same movie 3 times in 30 minutes. So do I go back? I'm a proud woman, I couldn't bring myself to openly admit to the stupidity that the customer service guy already suspected. So at 9:50 AM we pulled onto I-10 an hour late, with no surprise new movie, and a disgruntled preschooler. What a way to start a trip!!!!
With the exception of our tribulations getting out of Houston, we had a very nice visit with Saundra and Danny, and Melissa and the boys. Thanks for putting up with us.
Just to close out the story. After Jacob got home, we looked at the situation and discovered that the reason we couldn't hear it was because the dvd movie was set for surround sound. I had all the sound pushed to the back of the car, so I can have some peace from Brenna's shows while we travel. The voices on the movie play out of the front speakers on surround sound, and I didn't have the front speakers on. It's the little things like this that make me appreciate my video, audio, electronic nerd of a husband! And we are so glad to have him home!
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