In the Zone

Little did I know (nod to Stranger Than Fiction Movie Discussion) that when I awoke at 5:30 am this morning that I would pack the day. A little dog woke me up, so I grumpily arose to get a cup of the coffee Robb had made for me and shove a very round and warm puppy out the back door into the cold.

I suppose there is something wrong with me that I had my second cup of coffee in the shower. No there isn't. That's completely normal. Right?

From there it was just a foot race, as I shoved lemon poppyseed bagels into the oven, various important documents into my huge leather purse, followed finally by laptop and an envelope. I felt triumphant that I had remembered everything when I pulled out of the driveway with four kids in the van.

It was the day to sign up Charleigh for kindergarten. By the time I headed into the school, after filling out Mattie and Vin's registration cards for next year, I was number 32. About and hour later, I reached the nurse, who tut-tutted that I was behind in vaccinating Charleigh and could not be registered. She informed me that spaces were filling up so fast that unless I got her up to date TODAY, there was a chance she wouldn't get into the school. And to add insult to serious injury, upon closer examination, I saw that unless she got the shots by her birthday (four days from now) she would have to start all over again on some of the shots.

I raced down to the Health Department in time to be told that I would have to make an appointment because they had been so busy. But between the school and the HD, I called my mom and asked her to pray that it would work out....Well I guess God granted us favor because as the receptionist was setting up the appointment, the head nurse decided that she could fit her in after all.

After 4 shots and a prick for TB, Charleigh announced to the waiting room (which included more than one nervous four year old) in a loud, clear voice "That was not so bad!" As I've said before, it's a Charleigh world...we're just living in it.

We raced back to the school and delivered our paper work and had our stack of papers filed and readied with more confidence that we were indeed "IN." By this time, it was time to reward a little girl who didn't even cry a bit with a little McDonald's and Daddy. On the way, we made a return to Lowes, picked up the coffee grinder I saw at the Thrift store the other day, for church, and got the rent check ready to drop off.

With full tummies, we proceeded to make a deposit (a bank deposit...I know not everything is blog-worthy) and get some necessities from Walmart. Then it was time to drop off the rent and drive another five miles north to drop off another mosaic mailbox at the garden center. On the way back from there, I stopped into another thrift store, ran into an acquaintance and bought an antique composition doll, which Charleigh declared "Creeps me out." Oh, and I spotted some Duggars. I know some of you love that.

I decided that I would take no further chances with Chuck's enrollment in school, so I would stop by her doctor's office to schedule her kindergarten physical. When the receptionist asked when I'd like it and I replied "As soon as possible." She countered with..."How about right now?" Within moments, we were headed down the hall to find out that Chuck is in the 50th percentile for weight and about the 5th for height. Mary Lou Retton, much?

"What are they gonna do to me?" she whispered behind the nurse and I laughed and said, "Just the kind of stuff you do with your doctor's kit." She puzzled for a moment and said, "I have a car in my doctor's kit."

High on my success, I managed to stop at the post office and mail a package to British Columbia while ingratiating myself to the mail man. You see, when you are in the mailing-packages-business, it is always good to let your mail-man know he's valued. This particular shop has a contract arrangement as a postal drop off counter, so you don't have to wait in the horrendous lines of a regular post office. It has been closed for a couple of weeks, and boy did I miss it...and I said so!

A mile from home and hours from the start of my day, I phoned my neighbor to tell her I'd be dropping off another form to the school before landing at home. My kids would rather play wii at her house anyway. Robb arrived home to find me just starting to empty the van and pick up the mail.

We took a walk and made some dinner and I checked my messages (I'm glad you didn't, Jazz).

I'm pretty tired, but not as tired as I was after the funeral dinner on Monday. When Candice offered me a cup of wine and walk around the beauty of the outdoors with she and her friend, Eddie Spaghetti, I never even blinked. I was so tired, I had utterly forgotten that I gave up wine for Lent. It's good that God loves screw-ups, of whom I am chief.