I made french toast the America's Test Kitchen way - partially bake the bread to dry it out and add a little flour to your egg mixture to keep it from totally sogging the bread - soooo good!
Then we got a little playing and cleaning done while waiting to hear from Amy. She drove over to my parents' house on Friday and was coming to visit us today. It's been a while since she's been here and I've been dying to show her the rooms I've done with her expertise.
I had also wanted to finish up my grocery shopping and figured I had two hours to get it done before she got here, after she called around 11:30 to tell me they were just getting on the road. Wouldn't you know it, everyone (meaning kids, I think the novelty has long since worn off for James) wanted to go. So, being in a good mood - I think half of it was the weather - I took the time to wait for everyone to go to the bathroom, get dressed, wipe faces, etc. and loaded up all the kids and away we went. We didn't actually start shopping until 12:30. Not a good sign with four kids on a major shopping trip.
Callie could see the shopping carts with the cars from our parking spot in the lot and told me she wanted to ride in one of the cars. I really didn't want to. My first experience trying to negotiate one of those things through the grocery store was quite the fiasco and I wasn't really in the mood for a repeat. But, considering that it provides two seats for kids outside the shopping cart, I agreed. (Side note: there are actually TWO seats on the shopping cart itself as well! I've only seen that at Costco.)
We have a pretty good system for rotating in the cars. (I myself had only used one once before but Melissa and my mom have each given the kids a ride in the car on separate occasions.) Generally, the walker is my assistant and gets to put items in the cart. I usually count items and then they switch after a certain number, usually five. Today was different. The twins were having a blast in the front and Trevy was being a great help - playing with Timmy and putting things in the cart. She didn't ask to ride in the car so I didn't even think to offer for a while.
Landon was my next helper. I think he enjoys helping. Must be the "throwing" things in the cart, although he will place them in gently when instructed to. After running over Callie with the little car (it's very hard to see in front. Not sure what she was doing) Landon climbed back out of the car, wanting to be my assistant again. Bless him. He loves loading things onto the conveyor belts at the check-out as well. Not to mention the stickers they give, even though they just say something about using plastic bags...
We got home about 1:45. I am still just so proud of my kids. No major meltdowns in the store. I have taken them in all together by myself a few times before when I don't need much, but this is the first time we've had to have help out because we filled the cart. Not sure I want to shop with everyone everytime, but it's nice to know that we're to the point that I can!
Amy was already in town waiting at JoAnn so we dropped the perishables off at home and the girls decided to stay with James so just the boys and I headed out to get fabric for Halloween costumes. I don't think Dillon had a lot of fun in the store. It being a holiday, there were plenty of shoppers eager to get in on the Labor Day sales and we had to wait in line at the cutting counter for a while before our number was called. Dillon found a basket of balls and started throwing them on the floor. It reminded me of the time Callie lost it in Target. The shopper who came up behind us then informed me that, "There are other people in the store, you know" whereas the shopper behind us today was much kinder. I think she could probably relate. She had her tween-age looking daughter with her and, as we passed her on our way to check out, asked if we were making Halloween costumes with what we were purchasing. We said yes and she just gave us a big smile and wished us luck. (We did tell her what we're making but I'm not going to divulge to anyone else just yet!)
It was 4:00 by the time we got home. I only had time to show Amy one wall when chaos broke out in the kitchen. Wacko Chicken was jumping all over the place - sink and counters even. James had let the chickens out in the yard to eat the bugs and Cooper (Amy's dog) had jumped out of the car and made a beeline for the backyard...and the chickens. James rescued Wacko and put her back in the coop but she was the only one we could see.
Within minutes, I found Snowflake cowering at the base of Melissa's oleander border between our front yards. But we could not find Sally. Makayla and Kaden searched the bushes around the townhouses across the street. I searched Melissa's front and back yards and ran into Denise outside and explained the situation. No luck. I returned home and no one else had had any luck either. Scott and Abby had heard the commotion and were in their backyard and hadn't seen the chicken either. At that point, Kaden and I went over the back fence and went in opposite directions to search the alley for Sally. I felt like the biggest peeping Tom and trespasser. I did discover that one neighbor has a pool, some actually have patches of grass and listening for Sally was pointless because I could hear the other two wherever I was.
I'm sure anyone watching would have gotten a pretty good laugh. I felt like the biggest redneck.
After about an hour, we gave up the search. I quickly toured Amy through the house and we exchanged things that she had brought me from Mom and things I needed her to take up to Lisa. I forget what for, but, while we were trying to collect things to help her get back on the road, James went to get something from under the kitchen sink and suddenly Amy said, "There she is! The missing chicken!" She had someone gotten under the sink. I'm guessing that the cupboard doors had been open and she had fled in there, only to have the doors closed on her by Wacko Chicken or Cooper. In any case, our redneck adventure had a happy ending.
Just like the day. More cute tuck-ins from Callie.
And now time to tuck myself in! Timmy has a weight check at 10am. Fingers crossed!
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