Funny how a birthday can take over your day!

Sunday morning I woke pretty darn late for me, 9:30. The kids were quiet downstairs, so was the husband, so I took the opportunity to get a shower in and make the bed. Poked around getting ready wandered down to the kitchen with some clothes for Griffin. Found the boys staring blankly at the television and Joe staring blankly at the computer. A commercial for Cabbage Patch dolls came on the boob tube and I commented to Griffin that the blond one reminded me of Morgan, but he responded, "No, Lexie." This little statement made me go, "Holy Crap!!! Lexie birthday party is today!"

I look at my calendar during the week, but have some issues on the weekend. I really had trouble with that about a year ago. I was forgetting doctor's appointment, school stuff . . . birthday parties, then I had this great idea to make a wav. file. At 8am every morning my computer shouts out, "Kendrea, look at your calendar." It's really helped. I think I need to make it a bit later on the weekend, because I think I'm in bed when it goes off.

O.k. so there's no gift and no card. Will has been begging to go to Target and blow the $13.00 burning an enormous hole in his little pocket. Here's his opportunity. It's 10:30 now I realize this show has got to hit the road. Joe is also hitting the road, so he's no help at all. Gus is saying he's not going to the party and that's fine, because he wasn't invited. But still the attitude, Oy!

We head to Target in Rochester, get there and grab a card then head back to the toys passing a nicely dressed woman in the aisle. Griffin, who knows we're buying for Lexie is picking out every boy toy imaginable and pulling me away from the girls area. After some struggle I get him to pick out the gift, a kitten costume. He seems to understand we're not getting any toys, but Will is, because he has birthday money of his own to spend. "Understand?" Pause, big doe eyes, "A, huh."

O.k., here's comes Will with the chosen "waste of money" toy. We start to pull away from the toy aisle (you see is coming). AAAAHHHHHHHHWWWWWWWW!!! Griffin starts freaking out. "I want toy. I buy toy." Lots of signing, lots of screaming, lots of non-communication. We make our way back over to the gift wrap area to get a bag and some tissue paper. Griffin walking beside me screaming, as we pass the same women now on a cell phone. I over hear her saying, "Oh yes, some one's not happy."

We grab the gift wrap requirements, which cost almost as much as the gift. Crying kid now in cart, we make our way to the registers. Gus announces he has enough money for Yu-Gi-Oh cards as we pass this poor woman yet again. Finally, cards are picked, gum is picked out to appease a little boy and it's time to pay.

We've been working really hard to understand the significance of money and using our own money to pay for things. Excuse me, the kids have been been working really hard to understand the significance of money and using our own money to pay for things. So this is the opportunity I love. There's no one in line behind us, so the boys can practice their good consumer skills. Will hands the women a wad of bill and let me tell you she was not practicing her good cashier skills. What a grump. The boys were really being good and I felt bad this craggy old crone was makes the situation difficult. So with much apologizing and ass kissing on our part and lots of bitching and moaning on her part, we got the transaction complete and headed toward the door. And there was the woman we had passed again and again. Crap! She was walking toward me saying, "I normally don't do this." Oh God what was she going to say. I was going to have to have another parking garage incident. Would I soon be shouting obscenities in Target? I braced myself. She continued, "I also have a son with a hearing loss. He's in college now, but I know how difficult it can be. Here's my email address if you ever need to talk." Wow. Not what I was expecting at all. We chatted for a bit. We discussed the sheer hell of frustration you can have with the someone you love so much. As was parted in the parking lot she commented that somehow she hadn't killed her son and he survived to adulthood. I thought, hey I'd probably get to say that someday.