Do you ever wear a skirt that is too big for you and as your walk it rotates in a complete circle around you, like its the sun gravitating around the earth? (The sun does do that right?) Ya, that's never happened to me either.....Fine I was at the "festival of Trees" tonight and I kept having to do a "skirt seam check". I have a real problem with clothes sometimes. Today I was dressed in my most comfy new running suit, that I will probably never really run in by the way, and I kept getting the worst wedgie. I was disturbed to find out that it wasn't because my underware were on backwards..like the other day. Don't ask. I have no clue what the problem was all I knew was that I was supossed to be comfortable and I wasn't. Maybe it was my punishment for looking as if I was wearing jammies in public. And yes, often my underware are on backwards. It goes nicely with the random array of snacks I often find down inside my bra at the end of the night. #4 often stow's his favorite snacking foods down there. Why? I don't know that answer to that one either, all I know is I usually eat a decent amount of goldfish before bed.

It rained all day today. I love the rain. I tried to shut my eyes again after #1&2 went to school. That was a joke. #4 likes to give me his full attention whenever it looks like I might be nodding off. Today he chose to sit on my head. So I relocated to my bedroom when he wasn't looking. Didn't take him long to find me and before I knew it , we were engaged in a full under the cover tea party in my bed, it didn't last long, he kept hogging all the cake.

I think I must have a hidden homing device implanted in me somewhere. It never fails that as soon I am even kinda alone, my kids know. All of them just know. Especially of I sneek off to the bathroom for a minuet. It's like the have a 6th sense. There ears are so sensitive to the turn of a doorknob, or click of a lock, and BAM just like that...There is a knock, on the door followed by "Mom, are you in there". This is where I ususally answer "No" in my best Mexican accent. Or to really throw them off, I simply just answer "no" in my own voice. They are quick though and usually don't believe me in either voice. Sometimes to save my voice, they simply slide a note under the door with their request neatly written on it. This is where I murmur under my breath, "can I just have one minuet to my self?" This is where I answer my own question with my usual answer in my usual voice, "no, you can't"

So the house is much quieter today. Good and bad. I can finally hear myself think, good. But now I'm left alone with all these random thoughts, bad. I know the whole cliche' of the "inlaws" coming to visit, but I have to say I really had a good time, only a few weird comments were endured, (if we are being totally honest) I really enjoyed hanging out with my sister in laws...or is it "sisters in law?" anyhow, I forgot to mention the day after Thanksgiving madness...You know what I'm talking about, BLACK FRIDAY. Oh YA. that's the one. I have never in my life been scared at Walmart. Until BLACK FRIDAY. The crazies were out I swear. Who in the heck goes to Walmart at 4am to stand in lines, and grab at items that you don't even know if you want or not, but because everybody else is grabbing, it must be something of interest. therefore, you take whatever you can get in hopes that you or someone in your party will have need of that particular item. I still don't know if I need the one thing I got, I just grabbed it because it was discounted and left in a random place. Probably by someone who was coming back for it and didn't think anyone would find it.

So the alarm was set, I didn't set mine, I figured someone would wake me up. As it was when we went to bed I was still unsure of the "plan". Well, I had a rough night with the kids and we had a crazy wind storm. I thought for sure our tree mansion was going to fly back to Kansas where is looks like it landed from. So when I heard a tap on my bedroom door at 4am, and a whisper of my name, I shuddered and pulled the covers tighter around my face. I'm not a morning person per se. So I politely declined the invitation to set fourth at 4am and fight my way thru the crowds. Well 45 mins later.....I was still wide eyed and bushy haired. I was listening to the wind race thru the trees and waited for the "crash" of the swaying tree house that never came. So I decided, if I couldn't beat em', I'd join em'. So I left the house. AS I pulled into the parking lot of Walmart that is on a hill, I looked down at the swarm of cars and thought I was in a nightmare. I couldn't believe that amount of activity going on. Never even on the most crowded Saturday Afternoon, have i ever seen such a sight. I was soooo lucky to get a spot in the front. But nothing could have prepared me for what lie ahead. As I entered I felt my pulse quicken. Not with excitement, but with extreme anxiety. Now I don't mind crowds so much. I love Disney Land and Fairs and all that jazz. But BLACK FRIDAY is like a crazy game show. And your racing against the clock. And you can hardly move because there are so many players, and there are lines going this way and that. I felt ill and if there had been room to lie down, I would have. I instantly regretted getting out of bed. It got worse when I saw sister in law #3. She looked like she had just walked out of a FOREVER 21 Ad. Seriously?? Who gets up that early and showers and puts on make-up and does her hair?? #3 apparently and I didn't get the memo, but then I saw the rest of the group and realized that they too didn't get the memo either and that #3 is an over -achiever. You know who you are, and you know you looked good. Dang you. Then #1 sister in law comes over with her cart of treasures to auction them off. She was standing in the right place at the right time and just grabbed what everybody else was grabbing hoping one of us would want something that she risked her life for. I didn't even have a cart that's how stressed out I was about the whole thing. And the thought of standing in that horrendous line, made me just want to leave and go to IHOP, (which, I suggested a few times but was ignored)whatever. So Sister in law #2 is all business and organized and quick. This makes the other sisters in law have to hurry, which was hard to do given the cirumstances. So while we waited in line and made the cashier check the price of every item and then made her put back half of them, sister inlaw #3 continued to shop. This was stressing out the rest of the group because she didn't answer her phone and we had quite the line behind us building up, and I'm pretty sure they didn't want to wait any longer then they had too. So we finally made it out, and I did purchase one item (that I still may take back) only because I had to wait in line anyway. If it had just been me I would have made a quick U-turn the second I saw the parking lot. I swear I thought it would be like a leisurely, Saturday night Walmart run. You know when you go to get those few things that you didn't want to stand in line for earlier in the day? I had no clue it was so chaotic. Then they wanted to go to Target. I reluctantly followed in my car. But once again was turned off by the amazing number of cars and people in the parking lot. So I grabbed #1 sister inlaw and we were out of there..Am I glad I went? Absolutely. It taught me that #1, I wasn't missing anything by sleeping in, and #2, I'd rather pay the extra $20 then go thru that again. Live and learn. Thanks for the experience #1. It was Memorable.AND you owe me $$ for anit-anxiety medicine that I now take.

We also went on a family hike to 3 waterfalls. That was actually fun. I'm glad I went to that one. We had been doing so much eating and relaxing it was nice to do something physical...so we didn't feel bad eating again later...One morning we girls went to Fletcher Park to run. That was fun. I havent ran outside since Dr.Van ran my jogging stroller over. So it was a nice change and so much easier then the tredmill!! Holy Cow I forgot how much I enjoy running outside!! It was brisk and the cold wind on my face felt good. I probably had snot running down to my chin, but I couldn't tell. My chin was numb.

We ate at a few pretty Fly restaurants. "Frankie Bones" mmmmmmm good. Their "twice baked potato egg rolls"? I'm going to have to make those. And their Goat Cheese Spinach salad with raspberry puree and honey mustard and french fry straws?? yum. Then the "Shrimp and Grits"? aahhhhh.... So yummy. Then there was the "Grove PArk Inn" we went to one of the breakfast buffets there, that was good too, and so fun to see all the Gingerbread Houses on display. They were amazing!! I was totally impressed and jealous and overwhelmed all at the same time. Then" 12 bones" BBQ, is always good...which reminds me, I need to have them cater our work party next week.... They have great ribs with unique sauces like "Blueberry Chipotle" and there sides are to die for, the "corn pudding" and "jalapeno Grits" and "Mac n cheese"...yikes..bikes! SO tasty.. Then of course you have to get "Bojangles" chicken and biscuits because you're in the south, and then you have to compare to "Zaxby's" chicken to see which you like better. And my favorite sandwich shop??? "Franks NY Deli" hands down, the best sandwiches in town...I didn't make that up, their sign says that...I just happen to agree with it, and I have a stamp card that just got filled up, to prove it. (Can't wait to get my free sandwich!)

So Lots of fun, lots of food and lots of memories. It was a really fun Thankgiving. ....Obviously,.... I keep talking about it.