Shopping, Sadness, and Santa ...

I am either really brave or really crazy, but I went to town with all six kids by myself today. Not "town" town, but the little local town that meets enough of my needs in a day that I don't have to drive 45 minutes with six kids in tow.  I had to run errands, and since it's still deer season, I was on my own.

The kids were pretty good. No melt downs, no begging for things, and no asking to go out to eat.  Mom, on the other hand, had a serious melt down. 

At the feedstore.

I am not kidding. Feed prices have gone up AGAIN.  I bought ONE bag of chicken feed and two square bales of hay for $34.  My chin smacked so hard off their counter top, it echoed in the valley.  She handed me my reciept and I exclaimed, "$34 are you freaking kidding me?"  except freaking wasn't my choice of wording at that moment. 

I sucked it up, loaded up, and finished my other stops.   Returned home, unloaded the groceries, and completed the animal chores.  

Then I tromped into the house and made a serious decision to sell off some of those free-loaders out there.  It's always hard, but I crunched the numbers. I can buy eggs from my BFF at $2 a dozen and I would be saving money.  I am not kidding. 

One of my other stops was at the Dollar Store.  I like this store for some things, not so much for other things, but something really interesting happened there today.  I learned that you can now pay for your purchases at DG with paypal.

Yes, that's right, you can pay using your paypal account at your nearest DG store.  How convenient, right? 

Yea, well, it really gave me a moment of pause.  We hear people talking all the time about "one world currency" or how we'll eventually not have "paper money" and everything will be done electronically.  Yet there are people who don't believe it will happen.

Well, paying with paypal at the DG seems like a big step towards "everything electronically" to me!  I'm sure most people are thinking more along the lines of how it will make check out faster, and so much easier now that you can use your paypal account!    Yep, that's exactly how they're suckering everyone into the "electronic" payment system...they dangle words like "speedy checkout" and "easier to pay" and like the sheeple we are we just blindly accept it because we have made everything about our existence to be focused on the fastest means to an end. 

In this case,  less time in the store checkout.  

If it worked, that is.  I must have stood behind the gal infront of me for 30 minutes while they tried to figure out HOW to use the "pay with paypal" button on the debit machine.   The natives were getting restless and I was barely able to keep them chained standing next to my cart.  Finally, they realized she had to "link up" her account from home before she could pay with paypal (omg really?!) and the woman whipped out her debit card as fast as lightening and paid that way. 

My inner grouch was screaming.  My ice cream was melty and on the verge of dripping on the floor. My kids at this point had successfully blocked several customers coming in and going out, plus hit every noise making button on the display of toys at the front of the store.  That will teach them to keep a mom with 6 kids - who were over the shopping and ready to go home and have lunch - waiting.

It was finally my turn, and I was happy to take my time carefully setting my items on the belt in an organized manner as I informed the cashier, "It's on the belt the way I want it bagged."  Yes, I'm that anal.   I then paid with cash and waltzed out to my car in less than half the time the chick who wanted to pay with paypal did. 

So much for quick and simple. ;)

Overall I was pleased at how smoothly the trip into town went. The kids weren't terribly behaved and I was done and home in just under 2 hours.  I think that's a record.

The worst part of our day was saying goodbye to our furry friend of 12 years.  Earnhardt was a Blue Heeler cattle dog.  My husband, who never brings home 4 legged friends, carried him home to me in the crook of his arm as a 6 week old pup.  I was days away from delivering our second child, and it was the day after the Nascar race that claimed the life of Dale Earnhardt Sr.   Hence, we named our new pup Earnhardt.  

Earnhardt has been one of the best dogs ever. He was a guardian, a protector, and my kids loved him.  Tomorrow, we will bury him in the back yard.  Since my husband left before daylight to hit the public hunting grounds, he wasn't here when we found Earnhardt.  I couldn't in good conscience bury our friend without my husband being able to tell him goodbye.

We will not be replacing him. I don't really think there is a dog out there that COULD replace him.

When my husband arrived home after a full day of hunting, we spiffed up the kids (sorta...boys can be quite unspiffy!) and swept them off to Christmas at the Lodge and to meet Santa.  We were one of the first ones there, so we were towards the front of the line for meeting Santa, which was great!  Early enough, we even beat the Big Man himself there!

Fist bumping with the kids waiting in line so they can tell him what they want for Christmas.

Um, yea...this seems about right.  I was disappointed that Squeakers reacted so badly. Until she was actually ON his lap, she was cheerful, happy, and craning her neck around the people in front of us to see him.  Once on his lap, it was like someone flipped a switch.  We even tried it with me holding her and Santa standing, and she still caterwalled!  So, one crying baby, one pouting son, and another with a fat lip from falling off the slide....

 After telling Santa if they had been good or bad (as if any child is going to admit to being bad), they were given a goodie bag of candy, crayons, and activity book and a Ty Beanie Baby. Squeakers was given the pumpkin. She loved him and hugged on him the whole way home.

 

After their visit with Santa, there was food!  Italian sausages for adults, free will donations.

 



 For the kids they had free hot dogs, cookies, and hot chocolate.  It was Kid Heaven. 

 

 

 

 

It was a fun evening and I think a huge success. The kids were trying to decide how Santa got there, since his reindeer were no where in sight. 

My favorite picture of Squeakers from today, snapped while everyone was getting ready to go...

Yep, she is already a "reader". My little book worm!  :)