shopping and shopping....

Yesterday afternoon I was all set to leave Camille with Joseph so I could pick up Evelyn and Sonja and do some shopping. But Camille wanted to go with Mama. So..I brought her. Now as much as I love her, I honestly regretted bringing her at least one million times. She was actually pretty good for being gone for seven hours...but. She knows she shouldn't ask for things, so she says things like, "Will you get me this when it's cheap, Mama?" Or she asks for things, "for Christmas or my birthday, Mama." She likes to take off her shoes in the van, so it always takes extra time when we have to get out, and she likes to buckle herself. She likes to sit in the front of the cart and hug me, and sometimes walk and "help" me. ha.

We took a quick drive through the Dunkin Donuts drive-thru for a large coffee for me...and a few ice cream cones. Soft-serve BaskinRobbins ice cream for 99 cents. I shared with Evelyn, so it doesn't count. Besides, I have to prove my Ice Cream Diet theory.

First stop: the mall, the dreaded horrible mall. I needed new sneakers, my old ones were hurting my foot in one place, getting worse and worse. First I dragged them into the "Old Lady Store", which I used to call, "The Fat Lady Store", but thought it was rude...anyway, since I STILL fit into clothes from there, I cruised around the clearance racks and found a new skirt for $15. Camille kept taking things off the racks and holding them up and asking me if I liked them. I kept telling her not to do that. She wanted to go in the changing room with me, she thought I was using the bathroom....then Aeropostale where we got Evelyn one dress for $4.99, and one shirt for $4.99. Then to The Children's Place where Ev got a backpack, Sonja got a sweatshirt and a scarf (all 60% off the clearance price), then to Sears...I got wide-width men's New Balance sneakers. They just fit better than the women's. I also got a sweater and a shirt, and a few things for Evelyn.

Then: B.J.'s. blah. I got the stuff for the grill, but also some shampoo and yogurt (I had coupons, so only paid $5.50 for 15 Yoplaits) We did the self checkout because Sonja and Camille like playing store in a real store. Sorry, People Behind Us!

Then: Price Chopper. I have decided to try to cut grocery costs, so I am not back into coupon cutting. I used four double coupons from a different store, so I got four things for almost free. Things we need, like deodorant and toothpaste. Coupons take a while, but it is fun to get good deals.

Then: home...ahh, home. It was bed time, the kids were all wound up because I was coming in with groceries...and I hadn't even gotten the stuff out to the church yet. I thought maybe I could do it tomorrow, but there was too much stuff, frozen and refrigerated....so. Paul was nice and took it out there for me while I put the kids to bed. It was hard to say goodnight to them when I hadn't seen them all day...then Emily came over. Fun times, they were watching, "The Cat In The Hat", and laughing their heads off. I am not talking about little kids, this was Em and Mirielle and Joseph and Aaron and Sam and Margaret....

anyone sick of my boring details yet?

On the exciting side, we are still mulling over a trip to Jamaica. Oh heavenly fun, I really want to go. Of course I would like to lose that other forty pounds first, but that doesn't look likely. I also would like lots of new clothes that fit better and make me look super thin, ha. But that ain't likely either. If we do decide to go, things will be tighter with money, so I won't be able to just buy stuff for the trip.

Two kids wet their beds last night, plus there was a smallish pile from the previous night, plus regular laundry...so I have to move it. The excitement is just overwhelming, isn't it?