Blearing awake ... to blog

So, where did we leave off, really?

Tuesday? Yes, Tuesday afternoon is where I need to pick back up. *sigh*
Jenny and I went for a walk around the park while Bruise and Bucket played.
And that was cut short due to two factors (Jenny's young'un was getting cranky ... and Bucket HIT A LITTLE BOY IN THE HEAD. *headdesk*) ... I put her in timeout as soon as the other moms around told me, while Jenny and I did a last lap, and then it was MANDATORY NAPTIME after she SCREAMED and CRIED and WHINED  for me to carry her all the way home.  *martyr look to the heavens* ... Not that she TOOK that d*** nap. And Heaven knows she NEEDED it...

And I needed to drive some folks out to the church in the next town  for Roadshow practice. I'm glad that I had another adult in the car, since I always get lost trying to find the church building in that town. (I don't go out east that way a whole lot. Especially since I can't afford chiropractic care. But my chiropractor out there is GREAT! ... Of course, I know a really good new one in the next town to the west, too. Not that I've ben able to afford to see him, but I've known him for years. ^_^)
SO, as I was saying, I started dinner ... and it ended up burning the crap out of itself after I left and Michael was talking to Miss Bucket-girl about why she hit the boy at the park (Because she did't want him to go down the slide and he did it anyway. NOT A GOOD REASON.)

Then, of course came storytime that I missed.
I teased Michael about it:
"So, Hon, I bet you read the title 'Bluebeard' and thought, 'Hey! A PIRATE story!'"

"Yes, pretty much," he admitted. "I mean, I REMEMBERED that he wasn't a really nice guy ... but I didn't remember the story much. And then it just kept getting worse and worse ... and I kept waiting for a moral. And there wasn't one. So I just finished with, 'That's kind of a HALLOWEEN story!'"

"Well, at least the kids didn't have nightmares. ... Still, honey!"

"Hey, it was right there in between Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella!! I didn't think it'd be that bad!"

*I think for a sec* "Ohhhhh .... it's a Perrault retelling, huh?" *laughs* "... I'll bet you're impressed I figured that out without thinking ."

And, yes, readers he was.
Of course, I do have to admit to being very well-acquainted with fairy tales, especially with this volume of fairy tales. I bought a set of Collier's The Junior Classics at a used bookstore years ago. Because my mom has a set. and I love it so. I grew up reading it. Primarily Volume One: Fairy Tales and Fables. They're sorted by country, just for your information.

Yes, I am a bit of a fairytale geek. Especially Grimm's Fairy Tales.
No wonder I'm sooooooo remarkably well-adapted. (/ sarcasm)

After storytime Wednesday, we did the usual -- McDonald's and I volunteered. Bucket behaved herself at the park while Mom watched her and Bruise.

Then I came home and we ran errands. We picked up stuff with the wonderful coupons that I had from Bath and Body Works (Bruise especially loves the Peppermint Twist fragrance). I picked up yarn to make my hat for Halloween (I started yesterday! I'm maybe 1/7 done. Phew!!), we went to Costco (where Bucket kept asking us to buy her a toy. No. She already got spoiled by the library ladies.) and then home to make dinner before Michael had to leave for his meeting.

So, Bucket got a little purse that was left and never claimed from the library's lost and found. And she wanted it to be JUST. LIKE. A. BIG. GIRL'S. ... So we put her Barbie compact (mirror and comb) in it. And a Hello Kitty lip gloss. And a little nail file. And a travel-sized tube of lotion. And one of Michael's old insurance cards. Mom gave her a Pocket-Bac from Bath and Body Works, too ... As we got gas at Costco, she piped up from the backseat, "I need a phone for my purse!!"
As Mom and giggled, I told her that she could use her Cinderella cell phone that is in her box at home.
(She's FOUR. She doesn't need a cell phone. Not a real one.)

(And, seriously, it's ADORABLE how much Bruise LOVES the B&BW Twisted Peppermint scent. He kept bringing up candles and testers of that scent to smell. How cute is he?? And he's being REALLY sparing with his Pocket-Bac. As opposed to Miss Bucket, who used hers up in 24 hours. ^_^)

Thursday, the kiddos had their doctor's appointment. Dr. R told me that they're VERY HEALTHY KIDS. (Phew!) And the kiddos did warm up to Dr. R (they haven't seen him for almost two years. Oops!) finally.
He is a really great guy. I'm glad he's the kids' pediatrician. ^_^

Then the kids had FIVE SHOTS EACH. (I opted to get their flu shot done and out of the way at the same time. I'm such a sadist.)
Bruise was brave ... he barely whimpered for the first two. The last three? He was crying and needed a snuggle. Poor dude.
Bucket? Started crying before the first needle touched her. I really can't help but laugh. But I did try to help them both, holding their hands and talking them through breathing through the pain.
And my mom was there to help and to supply Tootsie pops. And I nabbed stickers for them on the way out.

I was supposed to have a Stake Young Women's meeting last night. So I got dinner ready (something that couldn't burn. This time) and got dressed. Then I checked the online calendar, since I hadn't received an email about the meeting ... and it obviously got cancelled. YAAAAAAY!!!!
(I hate going to meetings. I am selfish with my time. I'll admit it. I'd rather be at home, putting my kiddos to bed.)
Of course, since the kiddos refused to nap earlier, they both conked out before we finished our chapter of Harry Potter.

And, that's really about it for now ...

Oh, and I "fixed" a friend's computer. Her web browser wouldn't load YouTube videos or run Pandora ... I was suddenly inspired and updated Java and Adobe Shockwave Flash ... EUREKA!! Yes, I don't often feel inspired, so I HAD to share. ^_^ Now, if you know of some good freeware DVD decoder, so she can watch dvds on her computer, that'd be AWESOME. (Windows Media Player isn't doing it. Bollocks, huh?)