Today feels like a Monday, but it’s really a Tuesday. When I worked a “real job,” that was always challenging. Now that I work a “really cool job,” it’s just another day. 
But, in honor of a Tuesday that feels like a Monday, here are some random thoughts that have been bouncing around in my head:
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There is a School of Massage Therapy literally minutes from my home that offers full-on hour-long massages for dirt cheap on the weekends. This type of thing has been going on for years, and I had no idea. Why am I just finding this out now? Since my hubby was on a boys only camping weekend, I was able to have the babysitter come play with Claire on Sunday, and I went to try it out. With the special $10-off coupon my hubby found for me in the mail, my massage was a whopping $15. (They are running this deal for three weekends in a row.) Even a bad massage is worth $15. I spend $15 walking across the parking lot at Target. Needless to say, “Wayne” did an excellent job, and it was worth every penny.
I’m getting a massage next weekend too, and I’d like to see you stop me.
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Speaking of pennies, we’ve started going to a different grocery store. It’s one that is just a block or two farther from our house than the one we normally go to, and it’s nothing to write home about on the store-maintenance side of things, but the groceries are significantly cheaper. The last time I’d been in that store was before I was pregnant with Claire, so walking through the aisles was like a blast from the past. It is, of course, set up completely differently than the one we have been going to.
I hate the way the newer store is designed. The placement of items makes no sense to me. But, I digress…
I forget why we stopped going to the older store, but I think it’s because the new fancy one opened up, and it was technically closer.
But, the best thing about this store? Besides the lower prices, excellent fruit and vegetable selection, and having a layout that actually makes sense?
Penny Pony Rides.
Yes. You can ride the automated pony at the front of the store for a PENNY. I didn’t think you could do anything for a penny anymore. For real. It’s only a penny, and the ride actually lasts for a decent amount of time.
Claire loved it.
Momma loved finding an awesome “please be good in the store” bargaining tool.
In fact, Claire was having so much fun riding the pony that not one, but two elderly people stopped to give us pennies! I let Claire take an extra ride and then we left a penny on top of the machine for the next lucky kid who’d been really good at the store.
I found out from another mom in the Mom’s Club that the bakery in this store also offers free cookies. I must have zoomed through there too quickly to notice that when I was there.
Please don’t tell Claire the bakery offers free cookies. I mean, cookies and a pony ride? The poor thing may keel over in a joy-induced coma. Then again, that may make it easier for me to put her in her car seat. 
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Speaking of the Mom’s Club, I got the calendar of events for the month over the weekend. I got all of them transferred into my calendar. I love our Mom’s Club because there is something we can do every day of the week (the work week…the weekends are free), if we so choose. I try to leave time to do non-Mom’s Club related things too, but it’s hard when everything looks so good.
Some months are more interesting than others, and September’s events line-up looks to be pretty exciting. It was hard to find a free day here and there! I found myself feeling very overwhelmed with our full schedule and then had to remind myself that there is something surreal about nearly having a panic attack caused by the thought of playing outside in a park or socializing with humans every day of the week. Luckily, my momentary lapse in rationality only lasted a split second (okay, maybe three seconds), and it ended just as quickly as it came.
And to think I was worried I wouldn’t find anything productive and fun to do with Claire when I quit my job.
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Speaking of fun, I think we’ve figured out a theme for Claire’s birthday party this year. (And by we, I mean me and the people in my head…you can imagine how much my husband enjoys planning birthday parties. For small children. Three months in advance. If ever.)
Claire is really into the Disney Princesses™, and there are oodles and gobs of party packs surrounding that theme. But, then I pictured her poor little boy-friends sitting under pink streamers with little sparkly tiaras on their heads, clutching their little party-favor pink princess purses. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)
So, I shifted the plan a little and will focus on The Little Mermaid. We’ll have plenty of time in the future to have an all-girls party. Claire is totally smitten with Ariel, and the last time I checked Flounder and Sebastian weren’t too girly.
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