As I mentioned yesterday, today was the day that our cleaning lady came. That meant we needed to be out of the house from 7:30 until around 11:30. Four solid hours. Usually, when she comes during the summer, I just drive up to my parents' house the night before and visit with them until lunchtime. However, they weren't home, so that wasn't an option! And seeing as how we let our zoo membership lapse a few months back, in anticipation of moving, that wasn't an option either. So... I decided to wing it. And I lived to tell the tale!
We started by going out to breakfast, which was a successful outing and killed nearly an hour. After that, we went to Walmart. I returned a few things, and we wandered around (coming out with toys, new PJs, a new wading pool, a new bike helmet for Maya, and cool band-aids for the kids). Then we went to Target, where I returned a few other things (items for return tend to pile up in our house... can you tell?) and we wandered some more. The big hits there were the pinwheels in the dollar section, which both kids toted around for the rest of our outing, pausing only to blow on them and celebrate their successes. So cute!
After that, we had two hours left, and I was sort of at a loss. Nikos suggested washing my car, and it was a great idea! I also needed gas, so I went to a nearby gas station that has one of those fun drive-through carwashes. Except the carwash part was closed! In our journeys, we also passed two more closed carwashes. What gives?? I never did find an open one, so there went that idea. Oh well. My car shall remain dirty for the time being!
Instead, we went to the farther-away-and-less-convenient coffee shop that I had gotten a gift card for on the last day of school. I had a coffee drink while the kids shared a donut. We sat outside and people-watched for a bit. Nikos started to get annoyed and antsy (see pic!), so I wracked my brain to come up with our next adventure...
Then I remembered that the shopping center we were at was also home to a really cool toy store! Instead of driving to the other end of the center, I decided we should walk to kill time/burn off energy. It was a lot of fun, since there were a few cool fountains to admire, and both kids were full of energy.
Once we got to the toy store, they were in heaven! This place has two big train tables set up for kids to play with, and they were the only ones in there. So that killed about half an hour! That's when Nikos started to shift from one foot to the other, in typical "potty dance" fashion. Despite his repeated declarations that he didn't have to go, I was worried-- the toy store did not have the appropriate facilities. So I dragged them out of there, and into the bookstore next door. He never did go, so it was a false alarm-- but they both enjoyed looking at all the books, anyway! Once again, I had to drag them out of there when the time came!
I must say that the walk back to the car was a loooooong one... Maya went into koala-bear mode and had to be carried (and I was already carrying a large diaper bag). Nikos also whined that he was tired and wanted to be carried, but I told him he needed to walk. Plus, the sun was higher in the sky and it was starting to heat up. Getting back to the car never felt so good!
We finally got back home at around 11:15, but the cleaning lady wasn't done yet... So we drove out to the end of our neighborhood to look at the horses. There are a bunch of huge horse ranches out there, and we saw horses, donkeys, sheep, and goats. Score! Here are just a few of the horses... Pretty, but stinky, we all decided. :)
We drove back to the house, and she was done (hallelujah!). We inflated the new pool, got some water in it (so it could warm up for later), and ate a light lunch. Then, it was naptime! My favorite time! I was convinced that Nikos would nap today, intentionally or not, because of our adventures all morning. I was sure of it! Which means, of course, that he didn't. No, no... Instead, he wanted to put together the paper pirate ship kit we had bought at the store. Ok, fine. I moved his little table to the living room, got him set up, and let him color all the pieces. He rushed, though, because he wanted to get it done... this was the nicest part he did!
Then came the WORST part of my day... putting the %&#$ing thing together! #@$#!@$%!! It was awful! For a simple little paper pirate ship, it just about killed me. By the time I finished, Maya was waking up from her nap. And I had sat for so long, in such a weird position, that I had horrible cramps in my back and left leg. Fabulous. But here she is, in all her #$!%ing glory!
If anyone rips/steps on/whatevers this thing, I will cry! Gus suggested we get a glass bottle for it, haha!
Once Maya got up, it was time to play in the wading pool. Highlight of my day! I laid on our lounge, fighting the urge to sleep, while they splashed around in like three inches of water. It's seriously all they need. They were out there for a good 45 minutes.
And that was basically our day. I made dinner, they took a bath, they went to bed... And I am next! Thank goodness tomorrow should be a little more relaxing!
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