An evening out! (more like an hour)

It has been hectic around here. We are all still struggling with sickness, B is getting prepared to deploy again soon, and the dog still is not potty trained. On a good note, B just came off of a week long leave in which we went to the beach, hung out here some, and then had his sister and kids come to visit. It was a good week off, but it went by SO fast! Now, he is preparing to deploy by training training training. This is the part that made me so annoyed last year since these are his last few weeks "home" yet he isn't really home at all. Oh well, its not just me (or him) - I have learned that this is what the Army is all about...training for the mission...not being home to spend time with your family. So, I will put on my big girl panties and suck it up - most days anyway.

Yesterday, C came down with pink eye which has just thrown off some of my week. She clearly can't go to preschool with such a contagious infection, so she'll be home tomorrow. Thus keeping me and D home from the first week of my long awaited Beth Moore bible study at church. Did you catch the sadness in my words? I am so bummed! I have been looking forward to this for weeks and am so sad to miss the very first week :-( BUT, my child's health is a priority, so I'll be home letting her rest and keeping eye drops in her eyes every few hours until all traces of pink eye have vanished!

Lastly, the dog, oh sweet Darby... still is peeing and pooping in my kitchen constantly. In fact, she rarely uses the bathroom outside at all! It's as if she has regressed from when we got her and has trained herself to relieve herself in the kitchen. I am so tired of cleaning up her messes that I am resorting to a rather strict and "mean" way of housebreaking her. She is staying in her crate until she properly relieves herself outside! See, she is crate trained and does very well not peeing or pooping in her crate. So, she is now confined to the crate until she properly relieves herself outside. Only then is she allowed to be "free" in the house until the next time she is to go out and "try" again. So far, its working. I walked her outside about 8 times today and though she spent several hours in the crate, we had NO accidents in the house and a couple successful pees and poops outside!

All this to lead up to my much needed escape this evening. I took about an hour and ran to the local kids consignment store. I didn't really need anything, just wanted to get out. After wandering the store and finding many things I liked but didn't care to spend the money on, I found a nice pair or Merrell shoes in C's size! I really liked them, but they didn't have a price tag, so I had to ask up front. As I braced myself for an amount that was out of my price range for a used pair of shoes (this consignment store is typically always overpriced!), the lady told me they were only $4.50! Wow, a cute pair of Merrell shoes for $4.50! I could swing that...and did. They are currently in the kitchen drying from the Resolve carpet cleaner I sprayed on the few dirtier parts. I am so excited about them though! They fit C great and are adorable and look so comfortable on her feet. Yay! Then, I picked up a Starbucks pumpkin spice latte. I don't REALLY love the pumpkin spice latte, but it always reminds me of Fall and since I am looking so forward to upcoming season, I thought it would be a good choice. Turns out it was since the weather was so perfect on the way home, I rolled down the windows, enjoyed the sunset, drank my Fall latte, listened to the Dennis Rainey radio talk show..all with my great deal in a bag on the passenger seat.

This one hour made me feel completely revived and renewed. Unfortunately, trips out like this are numbered for me since after B leaves, I certainly can't run out by myself in the evenings. Oh well, once again, suck it up and move on...at least I had tonight! (and got a cute pair of shoes out of it!)