Summer Traditions

Yesterday my Mom, sisters and I celebrated Mothers' Day. Yes, technically Mothers' Day was a month ago, but we're always too busy at that time to actually enjoy it. So we've made our own day--each June, we pick a day to go out shopping and eating together. Mom drives us crazy with her refusal to drive anything above the speed limit, despite the fact that no one in the greater St. Louis area pays attention to speed limits (including, in most cases, the police). My older sister's phone makes me angry because it thinks it knows how to get places better than my younger sister and I, who LIVE in the area (although, we might one day be able to use its assistance in order to get out of Chesterfield Mall, but it won't be anytime soon--I'm willing to take my chances in that maze, considering the last time I paid attention to what the little red and blue dots on her phone said, we ended up in a town I've never heard of...). I spend the day making smarta$$ comments. It really is a magical day of girly familial bonding.

Yesterday I was able to find a few shirts at my favorite place-Penneys. Plus, I had not one, but 3 $10 off coupons. I gave one to some strangers in the parking lot, because I didn't think I'd be able to use it. The other 2, I was able to make use of. I bought half of my shirts, and my mom bought the other half so I could use both coupons. That's right. I stuck it to J.C. Penney himself!

I also bought little rubber bracelets that allegedly have citronella emanating from them. They will either fend off the mosquitoes for 200 hours or cause cancer. I'll let you know if they work.

I also got a lovely toothbrush holder. It was the highlight of my day. I'm being serious. Up to last night, Caleb and I had kept our toothbrushes in a cup together on the bathroom counter. But, the water drippings collected in the bottom of said cup and formed some sort of disease-causing, disgusting looking film. No longer, I say! No longer! Why didn't I purchase a toothbrush holder before, you ask? Because most toothbrush holders cannot accommodate my toothbrush: The Party-in-your-Mouth-Every-Time-You-Brush Crest Spin Brush. It has a very wide handle and cannot fit in standard toothbrush holders. Well, toothbrush holder manufacturers seem to have finally gotten the point. Now I have a holder that will hold my Party-in-my-Mouth tooth brush as well as my husband's piddly little Here's-Your-Freebie-Thanks-for-Coming-to-the-Dentist-Which-Color-do-you-Want? brush. Long story short: I'M IN TOOTH BRUSH HEAVEN, and so is my toothbrush.

I actually set out to make 2 purchases yesterday: a new bathmat (our old one had recently become food for the lint filter), and a new purse (aka gymbag). Unfortunately, the bathmats at Bed, Bath and Beyond did not meet my approval. Did you know that the latest trend is to make reversible bathmats? As in, NO rubber grippy stuff on the bottom. As in, you might as well get out of the shower and start jumping around in bare, wet feet on your linoleum, because your chances of breaking a limb are just as good. And the best part is, they wanted to charge me $40 for these wonders of physics! Well, no thank you, say I. No THANK you! I will take my money to Target and get a bath mat with rubber grippy stuff for $12.

We never made it to Target.

I was also looking for that purse. I must have looked at EVERY single purse in Gordman's. I hate them all. I'm not a huge fan of purses, mind you. But in recent years, say, since I've stopped finding it necessary to carry a diaper bag, I've latched on to the idea a bit more. It's just nice to have a place to put your keys, wallet, cell phone, water bottle, a book to read (in case you get bored or find yourself waiting in traffic or something), children's toys (in case you find yourself anywhere with my children), and all of the other random items that you might just need. Herein lies the problem: in order to carry all of the above, one needs either a shopping cart or a giant purse, and I do not like carrying giant purses. I need a bag like Mary Poppins'. (I'd hyper-link it, but Macs are stupid, and I can't.) If you watch the movie, you'll see that even Mary's bag is ginormous, but it's not her purse-it's her suitcase. And it's okay because she's Practically Perfect in Every Way. Anyhow, I've come to the conclusion that the purse for which I'm looking does not exist. I'll know it when I see it (just like a unicorn or a leprechaun), and when this happens, I'm going to buy every single one available in both black and brown. (No other colors--I hate loud, colored purses.) That way, I'll have the magical purse in both of my color needs forEVER.

Oh yeah, we ate at Red Lobster and McAllister's. I did not have sweet tea. I gained 3 pounds yesterday. I will run them off this week.