errands yesterday

yesterday i had errands to do.

some things happened.

 

normally i don't mind parking at the back of parking lots.

but yesterday it was cold outside and i wanted a spot close to the store's entrance.

there was a spot!

so close it was right beside a handicapped spot.

i thought i had hit the jackpot.

 

as i pulled in, i saw the reason no one had taken this spot.

 

picture this:

a small sedan.

pulled forward too far into my spot.

with a christmas wreath on the front of it.

with a big o'girl laying on the hood of the car on her belly

straddling that christmas wreath
peering into the little car.

and 2 preschoolers playing in the front seat of that car.

 

yes, strange.

and funny too.

 

i just eased forward in my minivan
hoping the girl would get off the top of her stupid car.

 

well, she didn't move.

and i left the butt of my van hanging out in the aisle.

 

i felt the situation i was in told me that it was acceptable behavior these days.
you know, to leave your butt hanging out in odd places.

 

while i was getting bo christian's stroller out, i learned more things about this girl:

she was loudly playing some crazy game with those kids - who were still in the car.

i could hear the kids laughing and she sounded happy too.

and she was smoking her smokes...

oh, so that explained it all.

 

they were all happy, happy, happy.

(as phil robertson would say)

 

anyways.
 

when i came out of the store
the girl with the smokes and the kids were still playing.

yep, she was still on her hood smoking away.

maybe a bad day?

maybe her car wouldn't start?
or maybe she was just happy, happy, happy.

 

next stop was the car wash.

i haven't paid for a car wash in 7 years.

last time i went connor was 1 year old.

it scared him and he screamed the whole time.

since then i have always taken my minivan to the fire station

where husband kindly washed it for me.

but, you know, he has this new job with an office and meetings and stuff

so he can't wash my van for me anymore.

 

you can imagine my surprise

when that computer lady told me it would be $6.

what???

for some water and soap???

all i'm going to say about that is
y'all could save yourselves lots of $6

if you would marry a fireman that actually works at a fire station.

 

i will say the car wash soap has gotten fancier in the last 7 years.

the soap was all different colors.
i felt like i was in the middle of rainbow brite's rainbow-

the way the sun was hitting my van 
with the colored soap covering all the windows,
it was kind of magical sitting inside my van.

it was pretty and weird and expensive all at the same time.

guess i'll now be spending more time in the middle of rainbow brite's rainbow
if i want a clean van.

 

and that is the end of all the things

that happened to me in less than 2 hours.

those are some awesome boys.

a glorious evening

people, i am bragging.

totally.

last night was like something you only see in movies.

 

after dinner, the big boys all read at the same time on their own.

 

 

yes, bronson is in the playpen.

it is very comfy i've been told.

the 3 middle boys like to sit in it while they do homework.

it also keeps bo christian out of their things.

 

then, bauer started practicing his trumpet.

they all sat around and listened to him.

i *love* how connor is holding bo christian back
while holding bauer's music book.

 

 

at one point bauer played jingle bells
and the other boys sang together.
i so enjoy moments like these.

 

 

they are glorious.

me the scrooge

i have discovered that i am a scrooge.

 

let me explain.

i really enjoy parts of christmas.

i like all the decorations.  to me it feels like we all decorate for a whole month just for a very special birthday.

i really enjoy christmas mass - it seems so magical to me.

oh, the food.  the baking and special treats.

 

but, as you have probably guessed, i am not big on the gift giving part.

we do buy a few things for our boys.

and i buy a few other small gifts.

i just have a really hard time throwing a bunch of money

on presents for people who really do not need anything

when there are people in this world that do not have clean drinking water.

it just seems like a huge mix-up to me.

 

because of that one reason i think i've turned into a scrooge.
 

i was reading something somewhere that got me thinking about all of it.

 

i am judging people for how they celebrate christmas.

i think only my way is the right way.
it doesn't matter which way is right or which way is wrong.

my attitude is all wrong.

if i really want to "keep Christ in christmas" then i need to act like Christ myself.

i need to love people just how they are...
 

my oldest and my youngest.