I mean, there's Back Home Again in Indiana, and California, Here I Come...but is there one for Tennessee? That's where we are (supposedly) headed in the morning. Why "supposedly", you might ask? Because I don't have a thing packed yet! I really need for the children to go to bed so I can think and function. We're working on that...
The morning didn't start well. The first words out of Ryan's mouth when he got up this morning were, "Can we play in Jack's house today?" The first words out of Robin's were the scream, "Ryan keeps coming into my room!" SLAM! (She tried to slam my door, which didn't work because I had some hanging clothes on the doorknob.) She went back to her room. When she came back out, I asked what was up with her...if she'd gotten up on the wrong side of the bed. She did one of the "blah, blah, blah" things and tried to stick her tongue out at me...at which point, I told HER "blah, blah, blah" and "go to your room!" Eventually, she came out (more civil), at which point I got an unsolicited apology with the explanation that she really MUST have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed, along with a demonstration of what side of the bed she was on. Go figure.
Along about 1:00, we were finally all ready to tackle Wal-Mart. Now, I am fully aware that taking BOTH children to a store NEVER works, but I was strapped. No matter how much I threaten or bribe, it just doesn't fly. Ryan doesn't have any impulse control, and Robin feeds into her brother's temptations. Each one by him/herself is okay...but both? Not a good idea! Sure enough, their behavior was atrocious. There was the punching incident...and the time that Robin screamed at her brother, embarrassingly. I had people looking at me with sympathy. For the last few minutes of our shopping trip, Ryan was relegated to hold the side of the cart while Robin was caught between my arms, pushing the cart. Thankfully, we got out of there before I got charged with child abuse...but not before the kids started asking for treats at the checkout counter. I told them I wasn't rewarding bad behavior. Robin said, "Do you want us to starve??" Poor baby!
After we got home, they went out to play, so all was peaceful for awhile after that. Neighbor Sharon came over to tell me about some sights to see in Gatlinburg. Grandma Judy came over to deliver one of Great-Aunt Margaret's gorgeous homemade greeting cards for the children...complete with $2 each. (Grandma J. also contributed another $2 each. The kids are rich!) Meg came home; we had supper. Then the packing frenzy began.
But first, I needed to take a quick run to the local grocery store to pick up some last-minute things. I was wearing shorts with no pockets, so I took my wallet in my hand, which I then put in the seat of the cart, never to leave my sight. As I was unloading the cart at the car, I was saying (like Homer Simpson) "Don't leave your wallet in the cart. Don't leave your wallet in the cart." Got all the way home...and guess what? D'oh! I left my wallet in the cart! Mad dash back to the grocery store. The cart wasn't where I left it. The man at the courtesy desk said no one had turned in a wallet in the last ten minutes. Mad dash back to the car to look for it again. Mad dash back to the courtesy desk to describe the wallet and leave my name, etc. While I was talking, the man behind the counter was looking behind me over my shoulder and pointing. An older gentleman was approaching, waving my wallet. He was smiling and pantomiming pushing the cart, looking down with surprise to see a wallet, etc. It was pretty comical! I gave him a salaam bow and thanked him. He never spoke a word. Whew! My moment of panic was over...but what a dumb thing to do!!!
So now, the house is getting quieter...so maybe I will be able to get my packing done in peace! My next post will be when we return. Tuesday, I think. Tennessee Here We Come Back Home Again....or something.
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