I'm guessing the "This Place" blog is going to be a recurring one. At least twice a week either Phil or I utter in exasperation, "Argh! This place!" generally when something has occurred that wouldn't have happened anywhere else that we've ever been. It usually is the result of living very far away from civilization and resources, where our only options are what's available here in town or on base. Here's what the situation was today:
The Bears are playing the Vikings. Phil's boss is a Vikings fan. We've discussed getting together for the game for quite awhile. As it drew closer it became evident that it wouldn't be broadcast on our TV (no SportsTicket or whatever it is that you have to subscribe to in order to get every football game ever played anywhere). There aren't any sports bar/restaurant places here, but it's not a big deal because The Club on base shows football games and they would have it. So we stopped by after church to make sure that there would be room for us; several people from the squadron planned on going. Phil left early to secure seats and a TV and I got the girls ready to go. Here's what it took to get the girls ready to go today:
*Lured them into the house from outside with promises of going to do something fun
*Fed them b/c they probably wouldn't eat "game food"
*Printed up Halloween coloring sheets for them to keep them busy at The Club (found with the powers of Google)
*Found two packages of crayons that included the colors orange, purple, black, and green, one set of which was washable crayons for Maddie (for the aforementioned Halloween coloring sheets)
*Found 6 board books that would interest them and take them awhile to read but were small enough to be portable
*Packed all of that - plus some princess figurines and some notebooks - into a bag
*Attempted various forms of mind control and eventually reverse psychology to convince Claire to put on her Bears cheerleader outfit
*Wrestled each girl into her cheerleader outfit
*Redid their hair because the turtlenecks messed up their pigtails
*Fixed my make-up and put on a presentable outfit that successfully combined the "casual" and "put-together" looks
*Made both girls go potty and wash hands (this is way more difficult than it sounds)
*Prepared Bears-colored sippy cups - juice for Maddie and milk for Claire
*Cleaned up a juice spill from an over-excited Maddie
*Put shoes on all of us
*Put sweaters on the girls
Then the phone rang. (No, I didn't have them strapped into their carseats yet, but I swear I was in the process of opening the garage door.) It was Phil, saying that there was no room outside of the bar area for the football game because the Sunday brunch was still going on. No kids are allowed in the bar area, so the girls can't be there. Soooo... I get the wonderful job of explaining to the girls that we're NOT going anywhere fun and they CAN'T wear their cheerleader outfits anymore (can't wear 'em outside or they'll get unfixably dirty in the Oklahoma dirt and at this point Claire was very excited to be wearing hers) AND I miss the Bears game.
This place...
PS - HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Phil's sister Nikki today! Hope you have a wonderful day!
7 comments:
Sorry you didn't get to see the game. Da' Bears actually won! I know the girls must have looked very cute in their cheerleader outfits.
Thanks for the birthday wish!
I swear we go thru the same things no matter where in the world we are OR how old the kids are!
Sounds like you did a good job anyway!
I swear, we've had similar experiences here even though we don't live in one of "those places"! I think everybody with kids does. However, you're right. We do have the luxury of watching the football games pretty much when we want to.
Add a couple more children on top of that.. Then you are lucky if you remember where you put your car keys. :)
Ugh...*that* place! Well, it made up laugh anyway! :)
The bears game was on???? Oh yeah the place daddy escapes to when I get to entertain my two year old. Ah yes....we are parents. I want a Bears cheerleader outfit? I live in Illinois and don't have one for my daughter, Hello! Believe me..you are doing way better than me as a parents no matter where you live. But since we are on the subject..can you move back here and teach me how to be a great mom???
Haha, oh I had many of those 'this place' moments in Hawaii. I think I said that to Sam at least once a day. Football was on at 8am, traffic, can't find the simple luxuries you have enjoyed your whole life, like Olive Garden, a Walmart with products left on the shelf and not picked over, food you actually wanted to eat. Things that NEVER happen anywhere else, never even WOULD happen somewhere else. That was 'paradise'....and I didn't even have kids! Hang in there! :)
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