Reviewing and Wondering

Spray adhesive residue covers my fingertips. Black tempera paint blotches dot my palm. Tiny particles of styrofoam cling to my black shirt.

I just finished creating a giraffe and an elephant to decorate our church for Vacation Bible School. Last year, I didn't have to worry about decorations for even a second because I had a fabulous mother-daughter team who handled it all. This year, the mother in that team has the nerve to travel to Scotland and much less interest in creating "Serengeti Trek" here at home. So, I'm pitching in, doing what I can before I leave.

I have phone calls to make, forms to create and print, details to set straight so that Vacation Bible School will run smoothly when it begins four days after our return. I know I'll be exhausted. Since I've done this three previous years, I have assembled a great team of volunteers, so I won't worry. Everything will be fine. I won't worry. Everything will be fine. I won't worry. Everything will be fine.

This morning, my mother had a garage sale with a friend of hers. I left my husband at home with the children and went garage-saling--my mother's house was my second stop and I found her yard full of people and many unpacked boxes. What chaos! I immediately set to work unpacking boxes and displaying items. They had lots of stuff. I haven't heard how much they made, but when I stopped by after 5:00 p.m, they still had enough for another whole sale.

While my husband put Babygirl down for her nap today, I took the boys, my brother-in-law and my niece and nephew to the pool to swim. My niece didn't have a swimsuit, so we left the boys at the pool and went shopping for a suit. The rain and chill of the past week(s) disappeared and the sun shone warmly today. My boys all three got a little sunburned. I gave a little lecture about "your body, your responsibility," but they will never remember things like putting on their own sunscreen.

Last night, the carpet cleaner arrived about two minutes before my hair colorist arrived. My husband was supposed to be home at 6:00 p.m. to take care of Babygirl while I had my hair done, but he was at the pool with the boys and since it turned out to be "Ice Cream Social" night, they stayed late--until almost 8:00 p.m. Babygirl ended up not being any trouble, though, during the carpet cleaning and foil-highlighting session.

And now I have perfectly clean carpets and newly blond hair.

Yesterday morning, I took Babygirl with me to run errands. (It happened that I didn't have any daycare kids.) She is a pretty good partner, though I did buy two unnecessary items at the grocery store (our last stop of the day). She was a good girl as we went from the bank to the shoe store (pink Chuck Taylor Converse shoes for her) to Target to Burger King (I ordered a Whopper Junior meal for me and a Chicken Tenders meal for her and ended up with a Chicken Whopper for me and a cheeseburger for her--why can't they ever get an order right?) then to the bank (again--I had too many transactions to do all at once in the drive-through) then to the grocery store.

So, that's why I haven't been writing anything interesting and amusing.

I wonder if spray adhesive will come off with fingernail polish remover? I wonder if I have any fingernail polish remover? I wonder if I really will be ready to leave by Thursday?