why is it called black friday?

Sweetie pie shows up in most of the pictures....here she is yesterday....

Evelyn Joy yesterday, full and tired....and maybe a little angry at whoever took this picture?

Thanksgiving: a good chance to dress up ....Abigail....
I want that camera!!

Fast forward to today: but first, how we got to today....Went to bed last around 11:30.....Camille woke up to nurse.....then woke again....then again....and I was fast asleep, when - Abigail came in and woke me up. It was 3:30, time to get moving.....so, out the door we went before 4:00am...

First to Wal-Mart to price match some things....which I am not at liberty to write here.....Molly and Aaron, and Abigail went off to get things, according to plan. I stayed in safe places with Miss Camille, who didn't seem too fazed to be in Wal-mart at that unGodly hour....there are always those rude people....one lady was swearing very loudly as she pushed past me, and I yelled right at her, "Merry Christmas!"....I mean, if you are SHOPPING FOR CHRISTMAS PRESENTS, is it not hypocritical to be so miserable? Most people are pretty nice though. Today, a grandmotherly lady who had her act together, as opposed to me, who was zoning out, sort of adopted us, and made sure we kept close to her in line, so no one got between us. A few times when the line moved forward, she actually pulled our cart forwards....she was very sweet. And she bought a huge tv for over $800, cash. Wow. Then, after we waited in line for mini-forever, and paid for everything, I discovered a $4 item, that was in with Camille and not paid for...the kids said to just put it back, but I was buying it for someone, and wanted to get it....the lines were snaked back into the store....things looked grim...and I urged Molly and Aaron to just go back to our cashier and see if she started the other person's order......the nice lady who was behind us just said to put it on her tab, she would get it, and Merry Christmas. I sensed that she really wanted to do this, so instead of protesting, I just warmly thanked her. I think she learned quite a bit about us from being behind us for mini-forever......anyway, it was very sweet and the kids were touched by it....Here are Mali and Aaron, and Camille, catching up with her sleep....

Wow, here is the young and beautiful and exhausted mom......wow, she can drive with no sleep!

hmm......(I hope they don't mind this one....)

Sweetie pie....Aaron and Mali thought it was funny to keep making sudden loud noises and disturb her sleep....she would jump and just sleep on....they are big brats.




I don't know what's going on here....

I hope this isn't on their wish list...

Okay, we went to Walmart....then to Wal-greens, then to McD's for breakfast...we met my brother and his wife, and two of their daughters there....very pleasant...and the coffee, oh heavenly....then to AC Moore, a huge craft store, (they had some good sales, than a coupon for 30%off total purchases), then to Radio Shack, then to Rite-Aid...then some gas for the big hungry van....then on to Target......then to Price Chopper....while we were in there, Mali and Aaron were in the pet store next buying two fish....they brought them into Price-Chopper.....then, we headed home....and drove by these guys here...as you can see, they are waving at us, because I honked and waved and gave them the thumbs-up.... Then I felt like a grand hypocrite, for our van was full of over $300 of Walmart stuff....oops!

One more stop...the Sunoco...they participate in the rewards gas program with Price-Chopper....I got 20 gallons of gas for 40 cents. Yes, forty cents.....yay!!! Of course that means I spend an insane amount of money at Price Chopper, but the free gas is nice.....

In closing, I just want to say shame on those awful impatient-turned-vicious shoppers who trampled the poor Wal-mart employee this morning, and injured 3 people, including a 28 year old pregnant woman. How awful. I wouldn't be surprised if this ended or changed the Black Friday experience.......