Ahhhh.... Friday

It's Friday.

I love Friday.

Normally I get 5 hours to myself on Fridays, but today was different. Because of yesterday's snow, there was a 2-hour delay for the schools today.

That meant that no one got to school until 10:30 am. Since my 4 year-old gets out of school at 11:30, his class didn't even meet today. Therefore, I had 2 days' worth of errands to run with a 4 year-old in tow, and I had roughly 3 hours to do it all.

First we hit the AC Moore to do a return. As the cashier was finishing up, Quinn (my 4 year-old) said, " I HAVE TO GO POTTY!"

When Quinn says that, he means, like, NOW. So, off we went to find a bathroom.

Lord love a duck, I don't know what happened in that restroom before we entered, but whatever it was created a stench that almost made me lose my strawberry Pop Tart. Seriously bad stench. That was the fastest pit stop I've ever made with a child. I had to GET OUT of there.

(I shudder even remembering it...)

We bought what we came for and left quickly. I had to have a squirt of hand sanitizer after that experience. I made sure both Quinn and I got a large glob (I honestly felt like rubbing myself down with hand sanitizer, but there just wasn't time...)

Oh, one quick thing... as we were exiting AC Moore, Quinn stepped on the automatic door opener thing and said, so sweetly, "Here, Mommy! I'll hold the door for you!" Melted my heart. I love that kid. I could do a whole blog about how much I love him. Maybe later.

Our next stop was Bed, Bath and Beyond. I needed a new frying pan ('cause I can bring home the bacon... fry it up in a pan... and never ever let you forget you're a man... remember that commercial? Was that for Charlie fragrance?)

Got my pan and several other things ('cause I can't get out of BB&B cheaply!) As I was shopping, one of the sales people on the floor saw Quinn in the buggy and asked if school was still out today. I felt behooved (is that a word?) to explain to this perfect stranger the circumstances which had led to Quinn being with me today. As I watched his eyes glaze over, I realized that HE DID NOT CARE and I moved on.

I'm such a chatty Cathy sometimes, and I HATE IT. It is exactly what my mom used to do, and I remember ducking in embarrassment every time she did it.

Oh, good goobledygoo.

I have become my mother!

After BB&B we went over to Ulta because I needed 2 things. I told Quinn to hold me accountable by repeating the phrase, "Get in, get out; get in, get out." He did just that, and we were out of there in a flash.

It was about that time that I realized that I had not put on a smear of makeup today. Normally, not a problem, but I just happen to have a huge post-zit scab on my chin. Oh, so pretty. I'm sure the Ulta lady was thanking the makeup gods that I had come to my senses and decided to purchase something to slap on my face.

Quinn and I had lunch with Daddy at Moe's (WELCOME TO MOE'S! Love those fish tacos!) and then we made a final quick dash into Target. (I swear, the lady at the register only asked me three times if I wanted to apply for the Target credit card. GET A HEARING AID, lady. I said no. THREE. TIMES.)

Whew.

Next was pickup time for my 6 year-old son, Aiden, and his 2 year-old sister, Lillian.

Lillian, it turns out, had a massive diaper blowout at school today. She wasn't wearing a thing that I had put on her that morning except her little red hairbow. She had on the emergency sweatsuit that's been in her backpack forever, but she wasn't even wearing socks, and she had on some ratty looking sneakers. Every stitch she had worn to school was in a plastic produce bag in which dirty clothing gets sent home.

I hate those bags. You just KNOW that it ain't gonna smell good when you open it up. Not a good surprise.

I got everyone home, unloaded the children, their assorted bags and the day's purchases. I threw the contents of that aforementioned plastic bag in the washing machine, and then I sat down and read email for a few minutes. Thirty minutes later, it was time to pick up my oldest child from school.

Now it's ten minutes until 6 pm and dinner is cooking.

I'm so glad it's Friday. When dinner is done, I'm going to go slip into my flannel PJs and throw myself into the big comfy chair in my den. Then I'm going to watch the "General Hospital" that's on DVR.

And I'll leave you with this (speaking of flannel PJs).

I had another hick sighting on the way to my daughter's school this afternoon.

Picture her.

She's in her 60s. Pink curly hair. Red plaid flannel robe. Arms full of mail, fresh from the box. Lit and smoking cigarette dangling from her lips.

She looked like a pink poodle wearing an old lady nightgown.

Gotta love those backwoods folks. They provide me with endless entertainment.