This road trip marked a turning point for us. Gulley and I realized that our kids have all reached the age where they are more than 76% sure that we don’t know how to do anything and that we’re wrong most of the time.
However, they are geniuses. They are experts on how to drive and buying tickets to baseball games and know all the facts about Mount Rushmore and can explain the workings of the water table in full detail.
At one point I finally said, “Wow. Y’all know A LOT of stuff.”
But they don’t know sarcasm because they took it as a compliment.
The only thing they don’t seem to know is that I am perfectly capable of determining if my car can fit in a certain parking place or that Gulley knows to wait to walk in front of a group of people during a baseball game.
Anyway, Saturday was a cold, rainy day. Will and Jackson opted to go ahead and go to the baseball game with Big, but Caroline said she’d rather stay home in her pajamas and watch a movie. Which just goes to show that Proverbs isn’t kidding when it says to train up a child in the way that she should go and she won’t depart from it. I’ve never been so proud.
But later that afternoon she got bored so I took her to Target to buy paper and crayons. Then we went to Kroger to buy a few groceries and I got the delight of my life when the cashier told me she was about to go on “Fraternity Leave” as soon as she had her baby.
I’m not sure how the SAEs are going to feel about having a mother and her newborn baby around the fraternity house, but I wished her all the best.
On Sunday morning we hoped the rain would end and we’d be able to make it to the baseball field, but it didn’t look good. Then it finally stopped in the early afternoon and we couldn’t get dressed and to Olsen Field fast enough. Even if it was cold and wet.
And that’s when I ruined my purse.
And the Aggies lost the game.
But we still had a good time just being out of the house and all together eating big tubs of popcorn.
We woke up Monday morning and it was time for Caroline and I to head to Houston to visit Mimi and Bops. But we stopped for lunch at Newk’s first because I am in love with the chicken salad there and we don’t have a Newk’s in San Antonio. Will someone please open a Newk’s in San Antonio? Please? Anyone? I need it in my life on a regular basis.
The drive to Houston was perfect because the bluebonnets are blooming and they are one of my favorite things ever. We made it to Bops and Mimi’s house by mid-afternoon and waited for my sister and her daughter Sarah to get there. A little while later we all went to eat dinner at El Meson which is this great Cuban place in the Rice Village.
(I don’t know why you need to know all this. I’m just recording it all so I’ll have it later. Feel free to skim.)
The next day we all went to Ikea because every child dreams of going to Ikea and looking for spice racks on their Spring Break. It’s second only to Disney World in terms of pure family fun. But my sister saw some shelves on Pinterest that were made from spice racks at Ikea and wanted to copy the idea. Apparently, so did everyone else in the greater Houston area because they were flat sold out of spice racks. But they are getting more in at the end of May.
Seriously. The end of May? It’s a spice rack. Not a cure for whatever is making my front teeth hurt.
Did I mention my front teeth are hurting? I’m not sure what’s going on. It feels like maybe they’re moving which is alarming because I had a permanent retainer put in the back of them at the end of my unfortunate adult orthodontia experience and I don’t think they should be moving. But I also don’t think it’s gum sensitivity because hot and cold drinks don’t bother them.
(I believe I just took a serious subject detour.)
(I realize you don’t want to know about my teeth. I just don’t know what’s going on. It’s like I got punched in the mouth and don’t remember it.)
Anyway, my sister has to wait until May to turn a spice rack into a shelf. But I guess it’s worth the wait because the whole world knows spice racks are the new shelves. At least everyone on Pinterest knows.
After we left Ikea we went to the Galleria where, THANKFULLY, Caroline had no dreams or desires to ice skate. So we just looked around in different stores and I got out of Justice without having to buy anything and that felt like a victory. My niece, Sarah, found a Happy Napper pillow that looked like a unicorn and declared that it was the happiest day of her life and Caroline got a darling new shirt that she may actually wear more than once. I’d say it was a success. Who needs Disney World?
The girls were ready to head back to Bops and Mimi’s house so we went back there to hang out and relax before dinner. I took the opportunity to start reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and I am FASCINATED so far. It’s the kind of book that is totally readable, but makes me feel like I’m learning all kinds of useful, interesting facts to throw out at dinner parties.
Not that I ever really go to dinner parties.
And not that my child will ever really believe I know any useful, interesting facts.
I don’t even know how to park my car.