After the frolic at Naval Medical Center, the 3 boys and I drove thru McD's. I was distracted and departed (even though I sat for 5-minutes waiting for fries) without Jamie and Charlie receiving their chocolate milks. So, up to Wal-Mart where we did McD's once more with feeling (and paying another $2.38) for the same 2 chocolate milks.



Wal-Mart on a Saturday afternoon with 2 kids with autism (and another visually-assaultive hive-faced child) was oh-so-pleasant. Did buy 8 (EIGHT!) pairs of nosepads for Charlie's eyeglasses as well as 2 boxes of the colloidal oatmeal that the doctor forgot to enter for the pharmacy. And 2 bottles of Zyrtec (TM) for Charlie that the pharmacy hasn't had in stock for months. And a birthday gift for our neighbor's son. And 2 replacement lunch boxes (because I can never find them when I need them). And other stuff to render a total of $90. Pretty impressive given my entourage!

Home and back to the laundry, tidying up, showering Charlie and Tim before dinner, and readying for the Long-Awaited Movie Night. The Sitter-Who-Cancelled this a.m. called around 4:30 p.m. to report that she felt bad about missing today and to offer to come tomorrow. That it was just last night and early this morning and that she felt WAY better now. (After 8-hours not watching my kids, I feel WAY better, too!) I opened with "12:30?" And she said, "How about 2 p.m.?" My auctioneering skills are old n' weary so I said, "sold, 2-to-6 it is." 3 or 4 hours of help on a Sunday seemed better than a sharp stick in the eye...or better than persistent schedule-related questions! I thought how considerate, how responsible, and then...

Right around 5:01 p.m., I remembered that S-W-C was supposed to babysit for the family across the street immediately after her shift here. Miraculously, and sure enough, she appeared promptly for their date. I know this because all hell broke loose (their kids screaming so loud that it sounded like blood so I poked my head out to see if paramedics were required) and saw her come out of their house to see what was going on. *** Awkward moment and am referring the incident to APC's memory for such HR faux pas. ***

Anyway, the boys enjoyed their Little Caesar's pizza & breadsticks as well as cut-by-the-Queen watermelon and have settled in with Hoodwinked (the matinee before our Pink Panther marathon begins). Thankfully, after a few minutes of technical debauchery (and mild panic on my part), the livingroom DVD player managed to decode the 2nd-choice movie.


Fairly peaceful Saturday night with 7 boys in one room, interrupted only by the every-few-minutes query about "What time is it on the stove? Is it almost 6:30? Can I have Capri Sun and Goldfish now?"

6:06 p.m. Darrin calls, offering China Inn delivery service. Movie night with a side of fried dumplings!