and then...the novel

I feel like I'm having an "and then" day...

I got up this morning and got the kids ready to run errands. We got in the green car (with all our stuff - including important prescriptions to pick up - our first scheduled errand) to see if we could go jump start the white car which died yesterday. I really didn't think it would start, since we couldn't jump it yesterday, but it did, so we took the green car home and took the white car to our very favorite fabulous mechanic friend who checked stuff out and told us it was indeed the battery and we needed a new one. We went to WalMart and bought a new one, and they put it in the car for us (after finishing their break sitting around eating candy. There was one guy working in the automotive section - and he was in a wheelchair. All of the fully able bodied folks were sitting around doing nothing.) James wanted to just do it himself, but they wouldn't let him use their tools, and I wasn't about to buy more tools for a time job. Since it was HOT today (101!), I took the boys inside while we were waiting for the guys to get off of their candy break to work on the car.

The auto place is in the far back of the store, and of course, all of the carts are way up front. So I took both boys (carrying Jeff who now weighs something like 1500 lbs...) to the front of a rather large Super WalMart to get a cart. As soon as I get the boys in the cart, James calls me from the automotive section (don't you just love the cell phone era?) to let me know they are done. Ok, so we trek back to the automotive section (walking by the toys, which is what we were going to look at while we were waiting except it took us so long just to get the cart, so Ben wasn't very happy that we walked by them and didn't stop and look at them...)

Woohoo, the car starts right up. We are NOW finally going to run our FIRST errand and go to pick up the medicine. And then...we have a not-surprising for us (but requires us to go home) medical issue...so we go home, and while we are there, we're hungry and stuff, so Jeff and Ben have snacks. We're finally ready to run our first errand to go get the medicine.

We go back out to the white car and go to the "movie store" as Ben calls it. (Yes, our first errand is to get medicine, but the movie store is next to the grocery store where we get medicine, so we go their first so Ben can be happy to hold and look at his new Curious George DVD (well, just the case) while we wait for the medicine.) We get our movies at the movie store (and pet the friendly dog of some man who brought his dog in...), and we head over to the grocery store. I stop to pull the prescriptions out of the bag...and...no prescriptions. I think they must have fallen out in the car, so we go back to the car first. I put both boys on the floor of the van to play, and I open all the doors to get a little air moving (yes, it's still 101 degrees), and I search for the prescriptions, which are nowhere to be found. I can't figure out where they could possibly be since I'm 110% sure I had them IN MY HAND when we walked out to the car this morning.

We go into the grocery store anyway, partially because it's air conditioned, and we actually have some other prescriptions that were called in that we need to pick up. We go to the pharmacy (and we're sad that our favorite pharmacist isn't there, because while she wouldn't give us stuff we don't have prescriptions for, she may know some secret way to get ahold of the right dr on Saturday to get them called in or something), and we pick up what was there.

And then...we go back out to the car and go home, where it is so very nap time, but we haven't had lunch, so the boys watch Curious George and I make the amazingly healthy and complicated meal of Macaroni & Cheese (though it was at least the new 50% Whole Wheat kind, which I found out is more expensive (which I expected) AND less food than the regular kind, but whatever). Boys eat, we nap. Good. And long. Until 5 pm. And the pharmacy closes at 6 pm.

And then...we go search the GREEN car for the prescriptions, since I have the epiphany that while I did have them in my hand when we went to the car this morning, we had switched cars. Lo and behold, there they are in the car. Whew.

Get boys back into the white car (and for whatever reason, Jeff is VERY anti-car seat lately, which is totally uncool). We go back to the grocery store, where the boys get to ride in the fun cart with the car on the front (and they are very well behaved, which is nice), and we get the prescription filled.

And then...I had promised Ben we could have dinner at McDonald's and play at the PlayPlace, so we're off. However, we're almost out of gas, so I tell him we'll make one stop on the way to get gas so we don't have to push the car (again, since we had to push it some yesterday when it wouldn't start...) I pull into the gas station and try to do the pay at the pump thing (which I do every time, of course), and it tells me to see the attendant. Um, if I wanted to go inside, I wouldn't be paying at the pump. I SO don't want to get both kids out of the car, etc, so I try again - knowing full well my card works since I used it 10 minutes ago at the grocery store. I try Debit and Credit, but no dice, so I give up and drive down the street to the next gas station (yes, really). I pull up and try here...please see cashier. Fine. I will see the cashier, but I will NOT like it. I get both boys out of the car and walk inside to a line of 5 people. We wait, and I let Ben make a mess of the candy while we do (not really...he tried, but I made him put it all back correctly, thought I WANTED to let him make a mess as punishment to them for making me come inside). I can't remember the last time I paid for gas inside. So I pay (and my card works perfectly inside, though she tells me she's been having with that one pay at the pump all day...great), and we go back out to the (now hot again) car.

And then...after I put the boys back in the car (Jeff in his car seat, and Ben standing next to him to play while I get gas), I try to open the gas thing (the little lever in the car) and nothing happens. So of course, I try again, and, not surprisingly, nothing happens. I know it doesn't open when it thinks the sliding door is open, so I re-open and re-close the door. Still, nothing happens. So I put the key in and turn so the electric is on in the car (and the CD comes on...Head, shoulders, knees and toes...) and open and close the door again. I turn the key off and the little gas door now opens. Yay.

And then...as I start to pump gas, I hear "Head, shoulders, knees and toes..." again. I thought I turned that off - I look up, and there is Ben, sitting in the driver's seat, having turned the key enough to turn on the radio, and pushing buttons. ARGH!! I jump OVER the gas thingy and get to Ben. Luckily, he hasn't started the car or driven off or anything, but still. I know better than to leave the keys in there with him. Ok, so I take the keys back and tell him to sit in his seat. We get all finished and head to McDonald's.

Ok, I'm getting tired of typing, and the rest was pretty standard: played at McDonald's, Ben was good - he DIDN'T climb up the slide even when other kids were trying to get him to because he knows it's against his rules. Jeff ate everything in site.

Now we're home, watching Curious George even though it's past bedtime. Especially mine.