day with the kids
2004-05-29, 6:10 p.m.

Whew, am I beat. A day with Niece and Nephew wears me out. Spouse and I went down to the diner for breakfast this morning, and over coffee discussed the fact that the kids haven't gotten much of our attention lately. A quick call to their mom revealed that they were free today, so we swung out to pick them up and took them down to the city--well, the 'burbs, anyway. I needed coffee and body wash, so we stopped at the Trader Joe's by the expressway, and I got my stuff while he took them over to the Nickel City Arcade. I stopped at the dollar store for cheap scented candles, and got Bazooka gum and an "Eyore" Pez dispenser. What can I say? I'm just a kid at heart. Then when they were done playing, we went down to Russell's for some ribs.

And oh, what joy--I got my frickin' period.

And the bastard is early, too. Sucky-suck-suck, because I wasn't expecting it and all I had was the pad I keep in my purse in case Niece happens to need one. So I actually had to ride the cotton pony, and oooh, how I hate that.

Anyway, we stopped at the mall on the way home to get Spouse's newest must-have toy. A small ice cream freezer. I'ts like a Donvier, only electric instead of crank. There should be a law against Sky Mall--it gives him too many ideas. But at least (thanks to me and my amazing internet skills) he got it for about half what they were going for other places. It's a Hamilton Beach, so it is probably worth the $25.00.

Niece brought along a wad of cash, and bought the usual pile of girly-crap at Claire's, and she was thrilled to find a Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine for ten bucks at the toy store. I was tickled, too, because I had one as a kid. They don't look like the doghouse anymore, though. I guess that's supposed to be an EXTREME Snoopy, snowboarding down a mountain. After thirty years or more, they had to fuck with it. Typical. They should at least offer a choice of the classic model or the new one. Alex was broke, having spent all his money on yet another game system, so he had to abstain from shopping.

After we dropped off the kids at their house, Spouse stopped at the parts store for oil-change supplies and we headed home. He's out puttering with the cars now, and here I am typing away. Catch as catch can for supper, I think, and maybe watch a dvd and do some wash. As I said--I'm beat.