It was all going too smoothly. I decided not to go to the gym and actually managed to get 30 minutes in on the treadmill, interrupted only once to go get Julia when she woke up from her nap.
We were to leave at 3 pm to meet the Ws at 4 at Edaville. I was plugging away, getting stuff done, had coupons printed out, directions printed out; coats, hats and mittens ready to go.
2:50 rolls around and TJ makes a noise. I usually give him a few minutes to "hatch" when he wakes so he is a little more coherent. Maybe that was my mistake, not giving him that time. He was extremely crabby - he was crying and when I asked what's wrong, he said his throat hurt and he still wanted to sleep. I told him he could if he wanted to. He changed his tune to wanting to sleep in the car so we could go to the railroad.
I had him drink juice, that usually snaps him out of his crazy crankiness and it made a difference, he was getting back to normal.
Finally get everything together, get them into the car, go to grab the stroller. Flat tires. Oh well, it still rolls, so I take it anyway.
Forgot my mittens, run back into the house and grab them.
Get onto the ramp for 95. Traffic stopped on the highway. Realize I left Julia's bottle in the microwave. Have no gas. Stop for gas in Pawtucket and the credit card machine at the pump is broken. There's no way I'm taking them out just to pay for gas, luckily the guy tells me over the intercom that I can use my debit. Informs me that "no, we don't have any baby bottles here for sale at the Shell station."
OK. Here we go, back onto 95 North. What's this? A detour to get back onto the highway. Traffic.
Get back on. Start to worry about Julia's bottle. Input CVS into the GPS and it says CVS 1 mile away, take ramp. So I do, with glee. On the ramp it says turn in 1.8 miles. Liar GPS.
Drive by a Shaws, decide to go there, turn around and miss the exit to get into the store. Finally make it in, didn't grab a cart, carrying Julia and TJ walking with us. Get to baby section, the whole way in TJ is asking for bubble gum from the machine at the front,l a balloon, Russell Stover candies, Sponge Bob something, , no no no to all. Grab bottle, formula, water at the cash register. TJ wants Reese Pieces. OK, that's fine. Two cash registers open, both with lines of people with full carts. No way. Will do the Self Checkout. Stand in line, people are taking their time, going s...l...o...w...l...y. Don't know how I'm going to scan it with Julia in my arms anyway. See Express line open, try to get there, blocked by a closed register line. Figure out it's at the end of the Self Checkout. Get there, buy the stuff. TJ holding one of the waters and the Reeses Pieces.
Walking in the parking lot, holding TJ's hand and the bag and Julia, notice her angora hat that my mother-in-law "paid a fortune for" (and TJ thinks makes her look like a cactus) is missing. Oh well, I'll just call the store later and get it some other time. We are in Mansfield and that's where we want to move so we'll be back.
TJ drops a water and starts crying. We get to the car, Julia is holding the cactus hat in her hand. Yay!
Get them in, give him the Reeses Pieces we are on our way. Again.
Cruise along 495 for a few miles. TJ makes up a really good and catchy song about going on a merry-go-round with his friends. Traffic jam. Take advantage of the stopped time to make a bottle. Try to hide what I'm doing from other drivers.
The directions tell me to take exit 2, but Liar GPS tells me to take exit 3. I listen to Liar GPS and take exit 3. Not a good decision, crazy way. Miss a turn, TJ calls me a bad girl.
On dark road with no lights for a few miles. TJ wants to know if we are lost. No, just on an adventure, I tell him.
Turn left, GPS says, I do and see the lights of Edaville Railroad. Park in front, get Julia out, it's freezing, need to throw on her snowsuit, get the stroller out, call Karen, oh no, where's my phone. In the front. No, it's not. Where is it? Ask some random people to call it, it's underneath my seat. Phone rings, it's my sister, I practically hang up on her - tell her I can't talk. I'm trying to change Julia, put one leg in, the other pops out, TJ has lost his mittens. Cars around, dark, can't see.
Finally hear "Anne?" - Karen had come to find me.
After that, all fine at Edaville. Rode the train, TJ and Matt rode Dumbo (called Jumbo, I think!) solo, ate food reminiscent of that at a ski lodge, we all rode the merry go round and that was it.