Two Days in a Row

I can hardly believe this, but I have been ready to go before 8:30 am two days in a row! You're probably thinking, uh - so what, or - is this chick lazy or what. The thing is, Brad takes Bethany to school, so I take my time about getting out of pajamas and leaving the house. What's the rush? Mallory and I lead a freestyle kind of life together. If we have something to do, we go and do it -- after 10:00 am, usually. No rushing around or stressing out.

• We had a play date for the first time since I've lived here yesterday. My friend, Anna, and her recently turned 3 yr old, Ethan, came to visit. Things didn't go amazingly well between the kiddos because he wanted to play with his mom, not this strange little girl, and the moms just wanted the kids to go play and let us visit. But, I'm so glad they came! We did get to visit even though we had to put off our children a little bit as they bugged us for movies and going to Target, which is more than an hour away. We're anxiously waiting for park weather after the spring showers move on.
• Then, today, I had to go to the mechanic to pick up my van and drop off my borrowed-from-my-father-in-law-car to another mechanic. Why? Because yesterday I drove it to the school to pick up Bethany, which I do everyday but usually in my own van. As I was sitting in the car waiting for B to come get in the car, while talking to Brad on the phone, a car hit my side view mirror and knocked it off! Of course this would happen when I'm in somebody else's car, during those tiny five minutes I needed to use it. Scared the cr*p out of me, by the way, because it made a really loud noise, and Mal and I were on that side of the car. Everybody thought she'd completely side-swiped me. Children and teachers were all over the sidewalks, so many people saw and heard it. A little embarrassing. At least the lady eventually stopped up the street and came back and gave me her contact information. Got the estimate, just glad it's not a huge deal.
• I have been telling Brad for the past couple of weeks just how great it's been to take M shopping with me lately. She helps me shop, listens well, and is patient if we're there for a long time. In fact, she's been getting special treats because she has been so good. Well, that ended today....the day I needed to purchase storage containers. You all know I'm a shorty, so I have these containers balanced on top of the cart and I can hardly see over them or around them. Then Mal starts touching EVERYTHING on the shelves, including lots of boxes with jewelry in them, and she's refusing to listen to me when I tell her to stop. My phone rings, and it's Brad...so now, I'm steering this cart with one hand, holding my phone with my shoulder and my head, and pulling an obstinate 2 yr old with my other hand. Don't worry, it only took me about another 10 seconds to tell Brad I'd have to call him back. I figured it out. :)