It started out as a harmless New Year’s Day trip to a local mall. As we exited a department store and went into the mall area, a nearby vending maching caught the attention of my daughters. “Mama…can we pleeeeeaaase get some candy!?” they asked politely.

Nine out of ten times I say no. But I agreed and put a couple quarters in the machine. Then… nothing.

“Are you going to get your money back, mama?” Presley asked.

“No, there’s something wrong with the machine and it’s just not worth complaining about. Things happen and I’m not going to track someone down in this busy, crazy mall because it’s not their fault either,” I told her.

I was impressed they were more concerned about losing my money, than losing their M and M’s.  Since they handled the disappointment so well,  I offered to take them to the cookie counter instead. Down the escalater we went, where the lower level food court was loud and crowded. We spotted the cookie counter and hurried over where my girls were eager and excited.

A nice older lady took our order and was about to ring us up when two young female customers–including one who was pregnant–returned to the cookie counter cash register for a confrontation unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed.

One of the women complained that her straw would not reach the bottom half of the slushy. When the cookie lady explained  they didn’t have longer straws, the woman asked for her slushy to be refilled to an amount she felt entitled to.  When the cookie lady refused, the women asked for their money back. The cookie lady declined the refund and gave the women a phone number to file a complaint.

“You F&@#!**  B^*%!!!!!  I am ENTITLED to my money back!!!”  The irate customers began shouting expletive after expletive. The days of shielding my girls from R-rated language are over, I thought. 

The foul-mouthed women continued to shout and finally walked away without refunds. But as they walked off they hurled their slushie cups toward the cookie lady’s head– narrowly missing my girls.

That was the last straw for the cookie lady. Pardon the pun.  She retailiated by throwing a vase at them, which ultimately reignited the firestorm as objects everywhere began to fly, including my new belt purchase that had been sitting on the cookie counter. I shielded my girls as I led them quickly out of harms way.

Empty-handed again, we sat at a nearby table to discuss what we had just witnesssed. “It’s okay, mama. We’re sorry.”  They obviously felt some sort of guilt about the vending machine, and now the cookie incident gone awry. Or maybe because my new belt purchase had turned into a weapon. (Happy to report that I went back to retrieve my purchase and the belt was undamaged)  Needless to say, they didn’t ask me for anything else. 

They handled the situation with such dignity and maturity, I ended up back at the cookie counter .  In my quest to satisfy their sweet tooth…the third time was the charm. They finally got their treats. Not because they were entitled…but because they earned it.

  Happy Anniversary to my mother-in-law Margaret and father-in-law Norman, who celebrated 50 years of marriage this year! We threw them a party in their hometown of Centerville, Tennessee, in the exact same place they tied the knot 50 years ago!  Among the guests: their two children with their spouses, 4 grandchildren, and dozens of family members and friends, including three folks who attended the marriage ceremony 50 years ago.

 Below is a cardboard cut-out made from a wedding photo from 1961….you two haven’t changed a bit!!

Dedicated to all you parents who tirelessly wait in those long lines to see Santa at your local mall:

What I am about to share only took me nine and a half years to learn. And although it’s too late to use this tip in 2011, write it down and store it with your snowglobes for retrieval in 2012.

Now think back to where you were on Cyber Monday. You know the day. It’s the Monday following Thanksgiving and the biggest shopping day (and weekend) of the year. A day dedicated to shopping online AT HOME for super cyber deals.  And as I discovered, it’s a day where everyone is soooooo pooped out from weekend chaos…they have absolutely no desire to venture out to any mall. 

 Bingo!  It’s the PERFECT day to grab your kids and take the obligatory photo with Mall Santa!

Perhaps it was my disdain of crowds that led me to procrastinate our Santa mall trip until that Monday. Maybe it was my own exhaustion from the aforementioned weekend. Whatever the case….I “put off” taking my girls to see Santa for about a week, which ultimately led me to pinky-promise to do it on that Monday.

Best decision EVER! No waiting, no line, and no stress! In fact, my kids enjoyed extra time with Santa:

BROOKE:  Santa, what is your favorite movie?

SANTA: The Santa Clause

BROOKE: Do your elves fly?

SANTA: No, not unless they have a turbo engine behind them.

BROOKE:  What happens if  you get too old and die?  (Her comfort level with Santa obviously going up)

SANTA: There will always be a Santa Claus taking care of  good little boys and girls! And I think you are one of my favorite little girls this year!

What a memory!

Now…if only I could eliminate the $40 price tag for two poorly-produced 5 x 7′s with red-eye…..

Martini–our cat–had a great 2011….

Moments of 2011 continued….

Hard to believe the year is about to end! In honor of Wordless Wednesdays between now and the end of 2011… I will be posting some of my more interesting moments (captured in photo, of course) that I have yet to share on this blog. (and believe me, there are plenty!)

This week’s selection is a wedding from earlier this year. One of my employees–a dispatcher/driver married another driver.  The twist? They married on one of our motorcoaches!  Bride Becky walked down the bus aisle to her groom, Rick, as friends and family looked on from passenger seats.  TV news crews also showed up to capture the moment.

Congrats to the newlyweds! And may your marriage be free of any bumps in the road….

Things do happen in threes.  But loosing a tooth (3) three times doesn’t seem that unusual if you’re seven years old. Unless you’re loosing a tooth…then loosing the tooth.

Case in point– Brooke was so excited when I picked her up from a friend’s house to tell me that she had lost yet another tooth.

Then panic set in.

“Mommy…I left my tooth at Ashley’s house!!!”   

“No worries, “I consoled her. “We’ll just write the tooth fairy a note and she’ll pick up the tooth at Ashley’s house.” 

My assurances didn’t do much. Brooke reminded me she had also written two previous letters to the tooth fairy with excuses. Last month, her tooth went down the drain. The tooth before that was knocked out and vanished on the gym floor after a boy threw a ball that hit her in the mouth. 

Brooke was trying hard to collect herself so she could speak.  “But MOM-MMEEEEEE…the tooth fairy is going to think this is getting REALLY OLD!!”

Despite her reluctance, she proceded to write yet a third letter to the Tooth Fairy pleading her case.  And I am happy to report that a very understanding fairy still left $3.00 under her pillow.

I stumbled across an invitation and thought I would pass this one along…considering most of our readers are mamas looking for something a little different to do!

Heifer Ranch in Perryville, Arkansas, is celebrating its 40th birthday this month. If you’ve never been on a regular day–I highly encourage you to check it out.  It’s not only a learning experience for the kids–exposing them to agriculture, charity, and attaining a world without poverty–but it’s a lot of fun!  My kids loved it.

This month there are more than enough reasons to experience the Ranch. For one, the October weather in Arkansas is beautiful…so here’s your chance to get out of the house.  But mark down  October 29th– from 10am-3pm–on your calendars. That’s when Heifer Ranch is having its birthday celebration, complete with a haywagon tour of the ranch to see how others live in the global village. It will also include special activities for kids,  including games and a chance to get close to the farm animals in the Showbarn.

Happy Birthday Heifer!

For more information visit www.heifer.org/ranch or call 501-889-5124.