Do you ever have one of those days? I got to the end of our road this morning and there wasn't any traffic. I had a sudden moment of panic and checked the clock to make sure I was taking the kids to school at the right time. As we are pulling into the school, I remember suddenly that I didn't write an excuse for Sarah being absent yesterday. Thankfully traffic was moving very slowly this morning. Probably something to do with the fact that it was fifteen degrees outside. So, I rooted around my magic purse and found a pink marker and a piece of paper and took care of business. Off Sarah and Kyle went to a wonderful day of learning and off to the grocery store went the baby and the two medium girls (so dubbed this by Megan who is NOT the little girl anymore, but is also not the big girl, so she and L are medium girls) and I. Hoping to get just a few things, I naturally emerged with more than a cart load full of groceries. A nice gentlemen even helped me arrange my Pepsi bottles (mama needs caffeine) on the bottom of the cart. In the parking lot, I loaded the girls in the truck and deftly balance the hatch of my Ford Excursion -I love my truck! -on my head (because the struts are bad) and load the groceries. We stop off to take lunch to Daddy and while there remember that we forgot Q-tips. So I load everybody back in the bus. Have I mentioned the girls can't buckle their five point harnesses with mittens on, so I unashamedly stick my rear end toward the open door while buckling the third row? Off to Rite Aid. Megan panics when we get there because she can't find her hat. I promise we'll got back to Daddy's store to get it. We cruise the aisles looking for deals and end up with the store brand equivalent of Q-tips because the were way cheaper than the others. Hopefully they will do. Back up to Daddy's store to retrieve the hat, and since Goodwill is now open, we might as well go there, right? So glad I did. It wasn't my best bargain day, but I got a nice haul. A coffee cup (not that we drink coffee) with a Coca-Cola NASCAR race theme on it, a bicycle helmet for L, Children's Place clogs for J, a Hello Kitty purse for L, a lunch box for Megan (kindergarten registrations looms in the too near future), a pair of Comfort Waist Lee slacks for me (!), the new Logo Board Game that I wanted for Christmas, a Nora Roberts book, an unopened book on CD by Sara Evans, and a children's book "Ladybug Girl Dresses Up" to give to my cousin's daughter because the main character is Lulu and the little girls nickname is the same because of her initials. All this inside a very nice, built to be on your hip, blue to match my washer and dryer, laundry basket. For the bargain price of $22 and some odd change. Not too shabby.After Goodwill, I try to scrounge enough change to run up to the car wash and rinse of the truck, but I can only find $1.50. I even ask the medium girls if they have and money. L has two dimes. I check the floor, my purse, every nook and cranny. The truck is still dirty. Now we are home and they have eaten. J is going to head upstairs for a nap and the girls are going to color. Mommy is going to make some camping reservations for Mother's day weekend and shop online for a toy hauler. I can dream, can't I? Soon the older kids will be home and it will be time for Sarah's basketball practice, supper, and the bedtime routine. Evenings go by fast theses days.