A long day out

This morning Hunter insisted that he did NOT want to play soccer, so I was taking it slow and planning to go watch his team play even though Hunter wasn't playing. Then, 5 minutes before the game was supposed to start he suddenly declares that he is playing soccer. So I throw it into high gear (only half the kids are dressed and I'm running around in a tshirt and underwear) dress the kids, get shin guards and cleats on Hunter, and run out the door. We made it while they were still warming up and of course Hunter refused to warm up. He only wanted to play "take the ball away from the blue team" (a direct quote) So the game started and he ran out onto the field. He had a huge grin on his face the whole time as he participated in "herd ball" as Jason calls it, a bunch of 4 year olds running up and down the field chasing a soccer ball. Its pretty amusing.

After the game I didn't feel like going home. I've been feeling depressed today. I ate some sugar yesterday (candy corn to be specific) and I really wonder if thats what triggered the depression. So anyway, we went shopping, er-- I guess it was window shopping, on account of my empty wallet-- Hunter decided that it is fun to go into EVERY store in a strip mall so thats what we did. It killed about 4 hours out of our day. We even went into KB Toys and *gasp* nobody threw a fit! Well, except Jeremy. I showed him this really stupid pizza guy elmo who sings some pizza song and his pizza sings too and he freaked out when I tried to take it away. It was actually pretty cute BUT also a big waste of money. I'm proud to say that I have *never* bought one of those stupid singing dancing elmo dolls they come out with every year in spite of the fact that all three of my kids have gone through an Elmo phase. Jeremy is in one now and will go to bed quite happily with Elmo in his arms. Its adorable, really.

You're probably wondering how I managed all this store hopping with three kids. Well its genius really. Since before Jeremy was born Hunter has been in training to become a stroller pusher. He has formally taken over his duties and everywhere we go he is the official stroller pusher of Jeremy. Umbrella strollers are a mothers best friend. I actually have TWO umbrella strollers (long story involving a male dog marking MY stroller as his territory.....) so I put Nathan in one, Jeremy in the other and off Hunter and I went for a day of window shopping. Everywhere we go we inevitably run into an old lady (or three, or four, or five, or six... eh, you get the picture) who comments on how CUTE it is that I have such a good little helper. And then of course there are the "you have your hands full!" comments which I absolutely cannot leave the house without hearing.

So anyway, we finally made it home. We did go to Ukrops for butter but we came out with a new reusable shopping bag ($1) an 8 pack of juicy juice ($1.79) a 12 oz tub of rainbow cookies ($3.79 bad I know, but theyr'e so irresistably delicious!) and finally 2 lbs of butter ($5) I realized on my way home that I went to Ukrops because they have (relatively) cheap butter, but what did I really save when I bought all the extra crap? Hmmmmmmmmmm.....