Ninety-four Cents!!!

This morning, quite oddly, I got up before anyone else. I could hear the boys but they weren't after me yet. Shortly after arising, I put on my running shoes and started puttering. The kitchen was my target zone today. Unfortunately I did a lot of unnoticeable stuff. Stuff inside cupboards. I made room for all the cans and faced them all label-side-out and grouped them by category. Obsess much? Yes. When I do it, I do it well. I cleaned out the plate/cups shelf. There was quite an assortment of crap up there with the dishes including a mittful of coins, candy, pieces of various sippy-cup lids and medicine droppers. I chucked a lot of junk.

I swept and mopped the floor (twice) and moved the dining table back into the dining room area. I liked it where it was, but it's always nice for a change. I moved all the kids' crap out of the dining room (i.e. little picnic table and easel). Carter was willing to help so I gave him his very own Clorox wipe and got him to wipe down the dining chairs. He didn't get very far but at least he offered to help! (And I sure didn't want to discourage that!)

I emptied and filled and ran the dishwasher and at some point I had a very startling realization that I had totally forgotten Carter had a birthday party to go to today! Eeeeeeeeeeeek! The party was in twenty minutes. I got Carter into his swimsuit and with a track suit over top. Coat and hat on, grabbed towels, out the door we went. Ran to Wal-Mart to pick up a card and a gift card (I'd have loved to buy a cute pink girly gift but there was no time to wade through all the Polly Pockets and Doras and Princess Barbies!!!) So I quickly settled for a princess gift card so she can buy whatever she wants. We actually made it to the party only about seven minutes late.

Carter really didn't want to go swimming at first. He HATES getting water in his face. But once he saw all the kids having fun, he opted to try out the hot tub first. (Or the Gramma pool as Jill's Carter says!) He was very tentative, but liked the warm water. By this time I was wishing I were more prepared and shaven and had my swimsuit! Thankfully there were a couple other parents swimming and one of them helped Carter and even lent him a lifejacket afterward. He was even getting used to paddling around a little by the time the swim portion of the party was over.

The party moved from the swimming area to the hotel meeting room, which was festively decorated like a fiesta! I took plenty of pictures, but since I have no permission to share anyone else's, I'll just show the ones of Carter. He had a great time and was VERY well-behaved! I can't wait 'til the next time there's a birthday party! I already have some big ideas for his party, coming up in just a couple months! Yikes my baby's gonna be five soon too!
After the party I did a quick Timmy's run (it was way too swamped there before the party). I brought Chris a coffee and got myself a French vanilla cappuccino. I came home and Chris got ready to go fishing. The weather was crrrrrrapppy today. Freezing rain, snow, blowing snow, cold wind. Ick. Silly man. At least he brought home a couple fish! And hey, he helped cook supper! He barbecued a couple chicken burgers and they were gooooooood! I've so missed barbecued food; makes me really crave summer!

After Chris left for fishing, I gave the boys their next dose of antibiotics. Carter remembered the bitter taste and wasn't thrilled about having it until I bribed him. I think I've mastered the fishhook-finger-in-the-lip trick with Cooper. Boy he gets MAD! Mission accomplished!

Just before we ate I wanted to run to the store to get some chips or something to go with the chicken burgers. It was just past six o'clock, I drove to Safeway and it was closed. Shopper's Drug Mart (which says on their sign OPEN UNTIL TEN) was closed. Grrr. I didn't feel like going to 7-11 so I ventured to Extra Foods. Thank God it was still open! One of the other moms at the birthday party was telling me about some deals she got there. On my way to the chip aisle, I grabbed a pair of TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) runners for Carter, a shirt for Carter and one for Cooper, and two pairs of Spiderman pajamas. Seriously, I could NOT resist. Each item was either ninety-four cents or a dollar and ninety-four cents.

Seriously saved me a ton of money. I might go back for one more pair of running shoes. The regular price on them is eighteen bucks! I did eventually remember to buy chips and I hurried home. The boys took a few bites and Cooper was being a little monster at the table. I actually let them both have a little bit of Coke to drink with supper. Carter does his best to belch (and adds a so-insincere 'excuuuuse meeeeee' after), and Cooper was either spitting out chewed food or throwing chips and food on the floor. Yeah, the floor that I actually swept and mopped today!

After supper they were psyched about putting on their new pajamas and cavorted around like crazy animals until Cooper crashed into Chris's computer chair with his face. That slowed him down for about ohhhhhh I'd say half a minute and he was off and running again. His next wipeout he bonked the top of his head on the bottom of the TV stand when he zoomed his little trike into the wall. Crazy!

Carter fell asleep first, as usual, and Cooper wound down a little more slowly. His latest trick is one he learned from Carter. He lies down beside me on the couch and says, ''Rub my feeeeeeet." Now I've created TWO monsters. But hey if it helps them sleep, I'm all for it.

I actually did a scrapbooking page today, but it's of the birthday party (to give to the birthday girl) with pictures I took at the party. It turned out pretty cute. Maybe I'll ask the parents if I can post it. Considering it's the only thing I've scrapped in AGES.

Well, I'd better check if I have any clean clothes to wear to work tomorrow. My cleaning binge was cut short so obviously I never got to any laundry! But as long as I wash a couple pairs of black pants and some shirts I'm good for a few days.