Alternate title: Thank goodness Sam's Club has cooked pizza and hot dogs.  Oh, and 4-berry ice cream sundaes, too.

Today was the first day back at work after a wonderful two week break.  It was 18 degrees outside with a wind chill of 5!  I don't live in the UP of Michigan people.  This is darn cold.

But, we survived the days cold and chill and made it through the first day back to work.

Realizing the gas light went on when I arrived at work, I planned to get some gas on the way home.  I pulled up to the pump (with the girls yelling and trying to "talk" to me through the glass) and filled her up.

That's when it all went downhill.

I went to start the van.  Click.  Click.  Nada.  Nothing.  It didn't even try to start. 

Crap.  That's my first thought.

Shoot.  That's me realizing it is 18 degrees outside and I'm going to need a jump.

Click.  Click.  I try again.  Nothing.

At this point, the guy next to me realizes what is going on.

I get out and pop the hood.  He asks if I have cables.  I do.  I'm prepared like that.

He finishes pumping and drives around.  He gives me a jump.

All the while, I know this won't last long.  I know that we need a new battery (it has been on the fritz).

I head home.  I start calling Sam's.  That's where we bought our last battery.  Good prices and relatively convenient.

No answer.  The customer service counter says they are busy.

Don't they understand I'm a mom with two kids...and it's almost 5:00pm.

I got home.  Got the kids out of the car and kept thinking. 

I have to get a battery.  I got them a snack and loaded them back in the van (after making sure she would start).

I winged it.  We needed a new battery and I remembered that Sam's has a mini-food court.  I called Mr. Serious.  He was going to meet us there.

We arrived at Sam's.  They said 1.5 hours.  We walked around for a while.  Natalie saw a boy playing with a ball.  She proceeded to yell "BBBBAAAALLLL!" for the next 10 minutes so everybody in the store could hear her.

I decided it was time for food.  We ate hot dogs and pizza for dinner.  At Sam's.  While getting a new car battery.  And, it was awkward and silly and weird and perfect.

The girls behaved very well (even with the "BBBAAAALLLLL" yelling).  They were fed.  We were fed.  And, we got a new, reliable battery.

I guess I am growing up and maturing.  The old Krystyn would have been throughout ticked off.  She would have called her step dad to ask him what to do.  Then, she probably would have waited for Mr. Serious to get home and high tailed it to a place closer.

But, the new Krystyn?  She savored the moment.  Enjoyed the time with her girls being silly and eating stinky hotdogs.

And, it was PERFECT!

It's sad that I have to write this, but Sam's Club has no idea I am writing this.  I paid for my car battery and for my hot dogs and pizza.  Oh, and the ice cream sundae that we split, too.  But, hey Sam's Club, if you want to extend my membership, or give me a gift card, I'd be willing to write about that, too!

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Alternate title: Things that might seem cute the first time you hear them, but after a while, they get offensive.

First, I'll give you some suggestions of nice things to say to me about my kids:

Notice, none of these say he/she or him/her in any of these.
"Oh, what a cute baby."
"What beautiful hair."
"Look at that gorgeous red hair."
"Such a sweet heart."

Things that really aren't so nice to say to me about my kids.

"Where did she get that red hair?"
Well, I could draw a Punnet Square and do a lesson in genetics, I'd rather not. Red hair is recessive. Two people that do not have red hair can and do have kids with red hair. In fact, both of our girls have red hair. I don't like the implication that she's not mine or my husband's.

"Oh, wow, she doesn't miss a meal does she?" or the alternate "Are you sure you are feeding her enough."
Ummmm.... I want a healthy happy baby and she is that. I do take offense to this. I feel like people are implying that I am over feeding her or underfeeding her (in Izzy's case; she was seriously underweight). Kids are different (Izzy at 4 months, 4th percentile; Nat at 4 months 50th percentile). They will be different shapes and sizes. And, yes, I do have silly nicknames for them that go according to their sizes, "skinny mini" and "chuck a munk" but those are mine!!! So, yes, it may be a double standard.

Natalie at 4.5 months.

I want my girls to know they are beautiful and gorgeous girls and I don't like the fact that people at society are already weighing in on how they look and their sizes.

"So, are you going to try for a boy" or "when are you going to start trying for a boy?"
First of all, my reproductive system and mine and my husband's reproductive practices are none of your business. Second, I really don't like my girls to hear that. I love them. We love them. I don't want them to feel like we love them less because they are girls.

We are so happy, blessed and fortunate to have such beautiful, healthy girls. It really doesn't matter what gender they are.

And, when you ask Isabelle "Are you beautiful?" and she responds "No, I'm gorgeous" know that she is and that she will always think so.

This is not directed at any one specific comment either here or in real life, just things that I have been noticing and been bothered by. I know that people mean well when they ask them, but when I hear them repeatedly, I do start to get offended.

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