What a day...

Spent the entire day out running errands. Preregistered for the 5K on Sunday and checked out the preschool on the island to our south. L wants to go to school; Mommy school isn't interesting enough, I guess, but unfortunately, school's full up for the next two years. She is so eager to learn, it's a little scary. By this age (3.5) S was reading fluently and G was about to, and I know you're not supposed to compare your children, BUT, this one is writing and spelling already, not reading exactly, except what she writes down. I'm not comparing, mind you, just marveling.

My MIL loves to say, "I'm glad I'm not raising children smarter than I am." I'm never quite sure who she's referring to...

Had to go shoe shopping, for kids' sandals and new sneakers. Their sandals were just a horrible, embarrassing mess and their sneakers are all packed away in some box somewhere. Bought myself a pair of sneakers, the first pair I think I've owned since high school. If it's not a wedding or a funeral, and even then there have been exceptions, I'm wearing my Birkies, or else I'm barefoot. Thought about running in them, but figured that probably wasn't such a great idea. Running shoes, tennis shoes, cross-trainers, aerobic shoes, walkers... It was all so complicated.

During the time we wasted in the mall, the temperature had dropped about 20 degrees, and the sun was setting. I raced home in the remaining light, but by the time we arrived at the marina, it was pitch black, cloudy, windy, and cold. G had driven over to the east coast this morning to do his payroll and was on his way back, but had been delayed and still had three hours to go before he returned. I opted to head on home with the girls.

Got everybody loaded up and then discovered the boat lights were not working properly. Had the red and green navigation lights barely on, but no rear white light and no dashboard lights, so I couldn't read the instruments. Decided it was such a lousy night that nobody else would be out there on the water and we'd just take it slow. Made it out of the marina, through the two bridges, found the first two Intracoastal markers and made my turn across the bay. Couldn't see the next marker WAY on the other side, but held a steady course in the approximate direction. Getting close, I slowed down almost to an idle looking for the marker that should be on my left, but worried that it may be coming straight at me, when I caught a glimpse of it about 30 feet to my right. AHHHH! FLATS!! Quick, hard right back into the channel, searching for the second marker when I see a boat coming at us in the opposite direction. "Oh, good!" I think, "that must be the channel!" Wrong. They were just some other morons out in this rotten weather. And they were stuck on the flats. Then we were too, but just momentarily, as I lucked out again. Phew.

We made it home, bundled up, snuggled on the couch and did a little reading. Dad made it out safely a few hours later and surprised me with a week's worth of Indian food. What a guy. Ate a little and promptly froze the rest.

So now, off to bed I go, safe, sound, and looking forward to the wild dreams that always follow an extra hot vindaloo.