Turkey Day and Black Friday

We had a wonderful holiday, but boy, are we whooped! Went up to Jasper to visit my folks yesterday and brought some interesting Thanksgiving Day fare - parmesan roasted asparagus and creamed corn. It was delicious, in spite of many diet restrictions. It was so nice to see both of my grandmothers as well as my aunt, uncle, and cousins again. We missed having Brandon (and his girlfriend Laura) there, but they were with us in spirit. The kids didn't have any major meltdowns which makes any event more tolerable:) Audrey wowed us with her mad creamed corn eating skillz - I swear that girl had five helpings THAT I COUNTED before I cut her off. My mom said she associates their house with eating - oh really, well, can she live with you during these picky toddler years? :)

This morning my alarm went off at 3:30 am so I could tackle my first-ever Black Friday experience. And man, was it an experience. I got halfway to the Wal-Mart in Woodstock and realized I left MY ENTIRE SHOPPING LIST at home - the one I've been working on for almost two weeks now. At that point, it was too late to turn back, and I knew Robert would not have been too pleased with me had I called him at that hour, so I just tried to remember everything I needed to get at the five stores on my list.

Wal-Mart was an absolute zoo. I have never felt more close to random strangers in my life - and many of them I wouldn't want to be crammed up next to ever again. That www.peopleofwalmart.com exists for a reason, people. Regardless, I had a great time. I told myself before I left the house, that I was going to smile, be patient, and not get upset under any circumstance. I don't do crowds well, so this was a big deal for me. I met my friend Mari (who is also pregnant) and has two kids similar ages, so it was fun tag-teaming with her. We shared a cart, and would communicate via our cell phone while the other was on the other side of the store getting xyz. It was crazy, but thrilling at the same time. Nothing makes me happier than scoring a good deal, and plenty were scored!

Next, I went to Kohl's while Mari ran to Target next door. Could not believe the line at Kohl's. Wrapped around the entire store. BUT, they had the kids' big Santa gift half-off, so it was worth the wait. Kudos to the Kohl's staff. They were very organized, had plenty of staff, and the line moved quickly. Best shopping experience of the day. Enjoyed talking to a grandmother in front of me while waiting. It's neat to see the love people have for their family.

Old Navy was next - I got the kids some socks for their stockings, as well as Baby #3's coming home outfit for half-off. I have been eye-balling it for some time now, but they had one left in just the right size! LOOOONNNG, SSLLLLLOOOW line, but enjoyed talking to Mari while waiting.

It was almost 8:00 at this point, so we decided to stop for breakfast at IHOP. Since I didn't get my Starbucks infamous "red cup" this morning to fully inundate me into holiday mode, I decided to splurge on the Egg Nog pancakes. Mmmm:)

Next stop was the Family Christian bookstore. Least crowded of them all, but had some great $5 doorbusters. Didn't get everything on my list there though - they were sold out of a lot.

Lastly, was Toys R Us. Not as bad as I expected, but still not really a pleasant shopping experience. Nothing was where the signs said they should be - it looked like a tornado had been through there. Only found 3 out of the 6 things on my list, and two of those items were diapers and medicine for the new baby.

Overall, a GREAT day! When I got home, Robert had to leave to go to lunch with a work buddy, so I had to pry my eyes open til naptime. The kids went down early, as not even a Diet Coke and fresh air could keep me awake. I tried to nap, but had a hard time getting there with this silly nagging cough. Finally dozed off to be awoken by the most intense stomachache I've had in a long time. I was sick all afternoon - like I felt like I was on my deathbed for a good portion of that time. I began to have contractions, like the REAL THING. I had four back-to-back, which made things interesting. I missed getting to see my parents and grandmothers one last time at O'Charley's before they headed back to Florida in the morning. I prayed for healing, and as I slowly ate a banana and some toast, felt miraculously better! Thank you Lord! The contractions stopped, and my family ended up coming over to visit anyway, so this day turned out to be wonderful!

Audreyism of the Day:

A: "Who's that big kid over dare?" (referring to my cousin Chris)

Daddy: "That's your cousin Chris."

A: "Is he 3 or is he 4?"

She is convinced that being four must make you grow about three feet:)