A Year Without - Day 4

I usually avoid the Black Friday shopping madness, but our new Cloth Diaper Market had a super-fabulous deal (like almost 50% off) on something I'd been eyeing for the kids for almost a year. (It's a surprise; you'll have to wait a month to see what it is.) So I left the kids in Robyn's care and took off for a tiny bit of alone time.

When I got home, David and Robyn were trying to make some copies made for something they had to get in the mail today, but we discovered the kids had most inconveniently used the last sheets of printer paper to make comic books or art or something. So I ran to Costco to get another pack of paper. And picked up some more printer ink while I was there. Not a trip I'd planned, but at least I was able to pop in and out without dealing with kids and carseat buckles in the freezing cold.

Rachel turned 10 last week. While she was here, I asked her what she wanted for her birthday. She eventually settled on us all going to play Glow Golf. Katie had a free pass that she won on hole 18 when we went there for Zachary's birthday party in July. Because of David's injury and his difficulty walking, we had to get him a wheelchair. That was a bit of an adventure in itself, as one of the footrests broke pretty much immediately after he sat in it. The kids all had fun playing Glow Golf while Robyn (with David in tow) got some shopping done at a store she likes but doesn't have back home. Kerry, Zachary, and Uncle Andy met us at Glow Golf, but then Zachary took off for the opposite course after we started playing, so we didn't get to talk to them much. We tried to play both courses, but my kids were done about halfway through the second one. Katie got another free pass on hole 18, and Sammy was super-sad that he did not. Sammy attempted the laser maze, although the noise inside it really got to him, and he got scared halfway through. Rachel tried it, too.

By this time it was past time to go, and Benny was melting down. I don't recall him not getting enough sleep last night, but only 2 or 3 other times in his life have I seen him SO upset from being overtired. He started crying when I wouldn't change his pullup on the kiddy jump seat in the mommy's bathroom (like that's even possible!) and screamed pretty much all the way home.

It turned out to be a good decision that I made the gumbo yesterday, because I would not have had the time or energy to do it today. I left it on low while we were golfing, so it was warm and waiting for us when we got back home.

We spent the rest of the day lazing around, kids playing Wii, grownups eating gumbo and talking. Our guests left after supper, so they would be able to make Rachel's skating show rehearsal tomorrow morning. Not long after that, I put B to bed, relaxed a bit myself, and then got the bigs in bed.

This morning I figured out that even though I hadn't heard personally from the hubby, he had actually made a few posts on Facebook. So at least I knew indirectly he was OK. Still looking forward to a personal email or a late-night Skype from him.