"I AM [NEVER] DOING THAT AGAIN"

Ok, so last Thursday was a day that I NEVER want to re-live! For one, I spent the morning in the Doctors office with a HORRIBLE pain in my kidney. Needless to say I PRAYED like nobody's business that it was "ONLY" a kidney infection and NOT a Kidney Stone! All the pain, plus more and no baby at the end??? NO THANK YOU!

Prayers were answered. Antibiotics Prescribed!

Then, feeling an extra skip in my step I decided to brave the unthinkable and take Mallory & Dawson to Twin Falls. Costco, Target, Winco, Old Navy, CAFE RIO...sounded like fun to me. Apparently the two napless children did not agree!

Mal hung in for the first two stores. It took an abnormally LONG time. We bought swim suits, hats and sunglasses at Old Navy for the big CALIFORNIA trip in just over a week! {WOO HOO} Then we headed to TJ Maxx just to see if they might have some new curtains for my room.

No Luck. However we did SCORE this little jewel......

You can't beat an entire bedding set that matches PERFECTLY for $30! I totally wanted something for Mal that kept the femininity/daintiness of the room (thanks to the chandelier) and that combined the blue on her wall, brown carpet and threw a whole slew of other colors I can use for the other fun things I have in mind for her royal highness's bedchamber. The flowers, the polka dots, the paisley, the matching pillows.....SIGH!

Mallory's find.....

A $2 left over Easter Decoration. Which she loved. I loved the green so OKEY DOKEY! She asked, "What do you do with it?"

"Set it up somewhere and look at it, of course", I replied! So much to learn! She has her Dad's way of thinking, "If we are going to spend money on it, it must be functional. Serve a purpose of some sort." Well, sitting and looking good IS a function, I say! Now don't touch!

Anyway, after the two stores we made our way to Cafe Rio (Can you hear the angels singing?). I let the kids take a break. They ate, sat in the cool car, had a little movie time, you know REST. They were skipping their naps after all. I am smart enough to know that is a BAD idea, but apparently not smart enough to avoid doing it!

Fast forward to Target dressing room. With their tummies full SURELY Mallory's form of DISNEYLAND...the best place on earth....TARGET, would be able to keep a smile on her face. But no. More like a head tipped back inconsolable SCREAM! This scream scared the heck out of Dawson so he joined in.

I must tell you that there really is such thing as Divine Intervention. WHY else in a moment that people on the opposite end of the store can hear my children SCREAMING, employees telling me my kids are too loud, and me locked in a tiny room with them, my ears ringing, would more patience than I have ever been able to sum up kick in. My calm soothing voice came out. I was somehow able to suppress the nerves in my body that wanted to EXPLODE! Do you think this helped calm them? NO WAY! But I continued through the store, pushing D's wheelchair and pulling Mal in a cart behind me. Both children screaming. I thought about how grateful Ryan should be that I didn't have my cell phone. It was charging in the truck. Had I had it with me, he would have been an ear witness to the chaos I was surrounded by. Maybe better understood WHY I almost got kicked out of Target. AWESOME!

No worries though! It only took me 2 hours and 15 min. to do what should have only taken 30! And good news. In a moment of frugality I turned down the $15 sale on sheets for Mallory's new bed, but in the end I came away from target with a STUPID $10 pop-up High School Musical Hamper! THANKS FOR THAT MALLORY! LOVE that she just picks up and brings along whatever she wants and the cashier doesn't listen when I say I don't want that! Oh well, it will sit in my vehicle, along with the receipt for the next trip....KID-LESS trip, to Twin.

Sadly I gave up on the idea of Winco & Costco and spent more than a fortune at Atkinson's right here in Hailey. Lesson learned. Ryan now knows that he is either going with me, or even better, staying here with the kids for the next trip! Luckily I got to spend the night unwinding at Kristin's house for the Season Premier of So You Think You Can Dance. MUCH BETTER!

After a good nights sleep, Mal awoke happy and ready for the new day. THANK GOODNESS!

Oh and thank goodness for HOT PINK SUNGLASSES! If there was anything that made her happy it was these babies! Can't say I blame her! She is quite smashing! Ok, ridiculously cheezy, but still.......

This girl is ready to HIT the beach! The Beach for 7 days straight! Yes, I would say that I am WELL on my way to earning this vacation!