My Own "Comedy of Errors"

Last Friday, if I can say so myself, I was looking quite summery and "cute" in a new Oxford-style shirt dress that I had picked up at Talbot's in their close-out summer sale. I LOVE, love, love Talbot's, but rarely afford myself the luxury of such nice clothes. But I love the classic, timeless look they continue to present to today's shopper!

Enough about Talbots, this post is about me!

It had been a hard Friday at the office, some intense conversations, hard decisions, and my head was pounding. I don't have headaches often, so for all I know, this could have been a tee-tiny headache in the book of headaches or it could have been a migraine. All I know is that I wanted to close my eyes and throw up!

So, despite looking cute, I head home when quittin' time came and just felt plum bad. I picked up Claire from school and prayed that she would have grace and mercy on me and just be really quiet on the way home. All was good until I made a left turn out of the school parking lot.

She wanted to go right today!

And the screaming started. And the crying. And the heartbreaking wailing of me not turning right.

I begged her, "Claire, Mommy has a really, REALLY bad headache. Please quit crying. Please quit yelling at me. I am about to throw up."

My pleas did not work. So against all parenting advise, I started pleading...with a bribe.

"Claire, you know that grocery store on the road that me and you are usually scared to pull into. I'll pull into it today and get you WHATEVER you want if you will stop crying!"

The store in conversation is named Eddie's Market and it's the type of market that probably has really nice people working in it (found out that was so later) but just looks a little too sketchy from the outside.

We went and Claire was excited to pick out a Orange Sherbert Push-Up and a Grape Crush. I got a Heath Bar (because that makes headaches go away...didn't you know that )!

We went to pay and the young lady behind the counter was so sweet to Claire. I even heard myself saying that we might have to come back since she was so nice.

So Claire and I headed out the door. As I exited the door, being held by a man without a shirt on and another shady looking fella, my white high-heeled sandal hung in the door mat.

And down I went.

Yes, in my new, cute blue dress. (I tried my best to keep my dignity in tact).

The nice, but still shady-looking, gentleman, handed me my shoe and asked me if I was okay. Claire gathered up my wallet, drink and candybar and then asked me why I fell down!!!!

We got in the vehicle with my pride shattered (swearing never again to go to Eddie's) and head throbbing. As we pull onto the interstate, Claire was silent and I thought "I can make it home!"

Claire starts slowly, softly, but ever growing panic in her voice, yelling "Mommy!"

As I looked back at her, I realized instead of "pushing up" the Push-Up, she pulled the stick out! So there she was holding the cardboard cylinder and the stick with the ice cream on her lap. So I quickly handed over driving to my knees, grabbed all three items and re-assembled the push up (please recall with me...as I didn't recall in the moment...that not too many years ago I took a drive off the road and broke my back due to trying to do something similar for my precious little girl...how many times does one girl need to break her back to remember that).

So, Push-Up was re-assembled and I look down to see many plops of sherbert on my new, cute, blue dress.

As we head on down the interstate, Claire asks for her Grape Crush. Without thinking about the tumble I just took on the side-walk, I opened the Crush...only for it to spew all over...you got it, my cute, new, blue dress.

So, you may ask, how is the dress! I'm not sure. It's dry clean only and I haven't had time to get to the dry cleaners.

July is Quickly Coming to an End

I can hardly believe that July is coming to an end. I longed for vacation for so long and now that it is over, it feels like the summer is over! I have had such a quiet summer with traveling for work and I know that August-November will be the price I will pay for being home so much (I calculated that I will be away from home 30 days from the first of August to the first of November).

About vacation...we had a fabulous time. I had two goals when I left for vacation: make memories for Claire (we did) and decompress from work and some other things that were sitting heavy on my emotional shoulders (check!) and spend some significant quality time with God. I was able to do all of this and came back so spiritually and emotionally refreshed.

I have to show you a picture (bad as it may be) of Claire in her "bikino". She was so cute in it.

And one of her and her number 1 man building a "Sand Truck"

And one of her in MY favorite bathing suit!

The "little fish" learned how to swim on vacation. She had the full attention of grandparents, aunt, uncle and 2 cousins! It was just a great week!

As soon as we got back on Sunday afternoon, our church's VBS started Sunday night. So we were off and running. It felt, by the end of the week, that all of the benefits of vacation were out the door; however, as life has slowed back down this week, I feel myself loosening up and reaping the benefits of vacation.

I'll, hopefully, tell you more, later, about what's been going on in The Cato House lately.