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or household gone wild...

We don't take the children out to restaurants very often. When we do, we usually have the children share meals. There are, after all, four of them, and they seldom actually finish a whole meal...(and I need to spend our money on other little things like shoes, clothes and groceries).
I am often heard uttering what are sure to be homey-nostalgic words of wisdom to my kids such as "if you are still hungry after, you can have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when we get home" or, "everyone is having water". We actually do have McDonald's as a treat occasionally, it is a favorite to take to the park on library day or to take home on a busy day. But, we never actually eat at McDonald's because I have found a way to feed us all for under 8$. My secret? Cheeseburgers for everyone, the two little ones share one, we get one large fry and share that, and no drinks-the kids enjoy a juicebox at the park or at home. Yeah, I've learned to be cheap in some areas. They are supremely happy with the little cheeseburgers...I figure why waste funds for more exotic fare?

This weekend our church held a conference for the Elders and responsible ones from different localities near and far. Sky attended, and we had a dear friend and his daughter stay with us for this event from Washington State. The men-folk were gone everyday, all day...Friday and Saturday...So, left to ourselves-I planned some unusual fun.

Friday I took the older girls and their friend to Disney Walk and for lunch at the Rain Forest Cafe. (Which I have never eaten at...I have visited the outside many times with my little ones, but never actually had a meal there...again, that cheap thing coming into play...) The girls had a blast. I was disappointed with the food. I ordered an appetizer first, did not make my girls share a meal...and they hardly touched their food. Well, they did have a good time-but I will never eat their again-the food was not really good and was expensive.

We spent a couple of hours walking around and visiting the shops. Stopped at the candy store, of course! It was a beautiful California day, not too warm-just a wonderful day to be walking around outside. We ended the day with homemade pizza and molasses cookies from Trader Joe's-I had thrown caution to the wind by this time!

Saturday I took the older girls to the nearby mall and dropped them off to have lunch and to see a movie at the discount theater there. It was a really odd, milestone sort of moment to hand my oldest daughter some money for lunch and the movie..and walk away. Yikes! I could tell they were hoping I would leave..Yikes!, I am the mother of pre-teens!!
I took the littles over to the McDonald's in the food court and ordered them A! HAPPY! MEAL! each, with chicken mcnuggets and a soda. They thought they had won the lottery.
And THEY! GOT! A! TOY! Mutant Ninja Turtles...we like them at our house. I don't know why, but apparently we do...

I then walked around with the little ones and bought my oldest a few cute, trendy shirts because she really needs new clothes. And maybe I had to prove I was a way- cool mom. I found the girls on my way out to establish a meeting place later (because I was about to leave my flesh and blood baby girls at the mall without me!) and to showMeg the shirts I bought her. I got this hard to decipher strange look for my efforts..I think it was a "please leave, you are embarrassing me-look" ...not certain, I haven't received one of those before. Should I write the day down in her scrapbook for fond remembrance?
And so, I left, cuz' I can take a hint...eventually...

We ended the day with some dvd's (2-5$ movies from Target, cause I was just running hog-wild at this point) and In and Out for dinner, because our little Washington friend had requested it- In and Out being a California thing.

Sunday we ended the weekend over at Cortina's for pizza after the Lord's day meeting. A really fun time with old friends and a few of the bible school boys.

So, yes I feel like I went a little crazy with the spending and outings-but it is a rare thing, and the kids had so much fun.
That was my weekend, how was yours?