Picture to the Contrary, Not a Religious Post

Somebody in my neighborhood thinks I need religion. I'm not gonna lie, I could use some. a lot. We didn't do a single thing this holiday weekend. I only went outside yesterday evening for about 20 10 minutes to let the girls get some energy out. Jasmyne chased Taylar, Taylar chased Jasmyne. They went out-of-bounds and we came in. Had baths, got their hair braided up and went to bed. Saturday and Sunday, didn't step foot out the door. So they had plenty of time to do it.

This morning, Lee wasn't home from his domino game yet, so I packed the babies in the van and headed off to work. Couldn't be early enough to take Alexa to school, of course. I mean, I kinda figured she needed to figure out for herself how difficult crutches would be. I suppose I could've made the time to take her. I did drop Lee's shirts off at the cleaners, after all. I coulda skipped that and made him have to starch and iron his own shirt... Yeah, prolly shoulda done that.... Who am I kidding? I'm not winning a parent of the year award anytime soon ever.

Anyway, back to my story... I have the babies in the van and am driving through the lot, when I noticve something under my windshield wiper. Not something small like a flier, no. This was a full-size Bible. I stopped the van and got out to grab it. About this time, some lady I've seen around the complex before walks past. I tell her someone's left me a treat, since she's watching my shenanigans. I look inside, someone's torn out the dedication page. Strange. So either one of my neighbors thinks I need religion or possibly, they tried out a church on Sunday, were given a Bible and decided it wasn't for them and passed it along.

So on our way to daycare Taylar mentions she might like to have That Bible Book. I figure, what's the harm? And let her have it. She takes it in to daycare with her. I tell the story to Taylar's teacher, 'cause she's awfully curious as to why my three-year-old has a real Bible with her. Apparently during the day Taylar told her “Shhh, you has to be quiet, I'm reading my Bible Story.” I told Lee I'd let her take it in. He said something about them having to watch out for Holy-Roller Taylar today.

I did skip the weird interactions I had on the way to the car. Usually, there's no one around when we're heading out. Well, maybe the one upstairs furthest from the parking lot. Today, there was the father of the people directly upstairs and I guess it's his friend coming toward the apartments as we were leaving. One was barefoot and we weren't going fast at all, so since I was carrying Jasmyne, we stepped off onto someone's sidewalk off the main one, to let the guys pass. With a retaining wall of timbers on one side and a yard full of doggie “surprises” on the other, two people can't pass without touching. You're taking your shoes' life into your hands walking in the grass, so usually one person waits while another passes. Unless they're not from here and just cutting through.

Off topic again... So the barefoot guy goes past, but the other one stays and waits for us. I'd said I was waiting because we weren't moving very fast. The barefoot guy said the other wasn't going very fast, either. As soon as they got out of earshot, the tattle-tale lady walked closer and asked did they live above me? What apartment number is that? And she had her cell phone out like she was ready to speed-dial the apartment office. Ugh. She's the one who was calling a tow-truck when someone parked in her assigned space one afternoon.

This afternoon, the guy upstairs got home about the same time we did, but it had totally slipped my mind. I'm sure it had nothing to do with limpy trying to carry Jasmyne and her crutches and her school stuff... Anyway, later I heard noise on the balcony, so I went to let them know something might be up on the landlord front. 'Cause I'd like notice if that lady was ever calling about me. But anyway, that was that. How was your Labor Day weekend?

This Mystery Shopping Thing...

Is wearing me out. Ok, so maybe I overscheduled a little...

Tonight wasn't too terribly bad since Lee was home and stayed with the girls. But I had these phone call audits to do and I'd set the girls up in the living room with a dvd each and went in the room to make a call. Well, he came home and pitched a fit because the door was closed to the bedroom. He was yelling some crap about endangering the girls. I heard nothing but the Charlie Brown voice. (Mwah mwah, mwah mwah mwah.)

He was originally supposed to go with me to the fast food dinner, then I was going to the mall. He knew about the baby store, but not the teen store I'd picked up yesterday. I was going to spring it on him at the last minute and only if he came to the mall with me. Or maybe I was gonna play it off and just say I was gonna get another school shirt for Alexa, who knows.

And then, I was gonna go to Bath & Body Works and get some nasty cucumber melon crap that my best friend likes and drop it off at her house because it was her birthday today. But that didn't work out.

I went and picked up chicken for the girls like he asked me to and dropped it off at the house. Wouldn't you know, he fussed because I brought food back forst instead of after my dine-in experience. Um, it was already 7. The girls were due to go to bed before too long. (And wasn't it you just fussing about me putting work ahead of the girls??? But you were too into your phone call to talk to me, but you could open the front door after you ignored me inside and fuss for the neighbors to hear???)

Then I went to the fast food place alone. (They got a bad rating for customer service.) And headed for the mall. As I was walking in, I was composing a blog post about why someone who hates to shop should sign up for mystery shopping. Not ironic at all. The teen store was quick and easy. I knew exactly what I wanted.

The baby store, not so much. For starters, it was waaay ridiculous in price. Or maybe I'm just cheap. I'm sure that's more likely it. I just can't see paying $30+ for one baby outfit. Maybe the kid wears it twice. That's why God invented Wal-Mart. Or something. $5-$7 an outfit is a lot more my style, at least until they're in school. Yeah, I shop the clearance racks for next year's sizes, what of it?

And then, I made a phone call to see if baby Skye had any theme. According to my dad, it's apparently either "strange" or "ugly" so far. He's not a fan of the poop-brown outfits. Something about them looking dirty already. I did get some cute nephew stories, though.

It seems the younger one had a pre-k meet-the-teacher about a month ago. My dad took him. He was apparently good to go and told my dad he could go ahead on. Silly Grandpa, he went ahead and stayed. After it was over, the nephew opened up his book and reportedly looked at it for a good 6 seconds. "Nope, still can't read it." He may have no more use for school. If they couldn't teach him how to read in that one hour, they may not have much of a purpose.

That's it for me. I've entered reports and typed enough to last me all the way until morning. I only have one phone call to make tomorrow. And you can bet I'll have it done before I get the girls, because I have to go to a teen store at a different mall, plus go to a store next to the mall with my screwdriver to check something out. I'll be picking Alexa up and making her go along unless by some miracle Lee's off tomorrow night. (I'm not holding my breath, he's not exactly the stay-home type when there's overtime to be had...