The good, the bad, and the ugly

It's just been one of those days. The sky was delightfully overcast today - I really love cloudy, windy days, and the kids were bouncing off the walls, stealing my cloudy day joy, so I piled them into the double stroller and the 4 of us set off on a walk. We even ran into my mom in her minivan on the walk, and all carried on to my Grandma's house. I love serendipitous meetings like that. My aunt even popped over from next door to join the party.

Later that day, the kids were STILL bouncing off the walls, so I piled them into the Durango to go look for school shoes. This always follows a predictable pattern. Red, for whom I'm shopping, gets grouchy and sardonic and hates every pair. Betty Boop cries because she *wants* every pair, and Mystery Man wanders around the store carrying boxes of shoes to Red. And I get a headache.

So, just when both girls suddenly had to go to the bathroom, we left, with no shoes. I headed to Starbucks to cure my headache, but Red was sure she couldn't make it. I suggested she think about crickets, but surprisingly, that didn't help. So we pulled into our driveway, she ran in to use the bathroom, then ran out. Ok, the excursion is getting long, and I really need a latte! We get to Starbucks. Whew. I tell them we'll go home and they can play out in the newly arrived sunshine, while I sip my latte and browse shoes online like a sane person.

They agree to this plan.

Then... we get out of the car. I set my latte on the roof while I unbuckle Mystery Man. Boop frees herself and flees, "Shut the door!" I yell after her. Mystery Man, now on my hip, as I'm bent over to pick up his blanket, obeys and shuts his door with my head still in it, causing the car to jiggle and the full, steaming hot latte to fall on my head and over my back.

There's a split second where I think I can get to it before the lid pops off, but no. No, I can't. I just stare, hoping, praying for a different outcome to materialize out of the ether, but nothing. So, I sigh, and walk in, and as I do, Boop says,

"Well, that's one way to finish a latte fast."

I go in, and am bummed. The kids are out playing and I can't get over it. I'm so, so sad.

So sad that I whine to my mother, who calls my father, who... brings me a latte. :)

Do I have the best parents in the world, or what?

Better parents than I have a DH who thought the image of me with a latte on my head was hilarious. Husband Demerits were awarded.

And, in other, non-coffee related news, I'm at 75% completion of Lamplight. WOO!! On pace to finish by mid-September still!!