Crazy Saturday

I was in a grumpy mood when we got home from vacation -- the house seemed messy, we had a lot of unpacking to do and a very full Saturday -- I really didn't want to do Odyssey of the Mind, I just wanted to sleep, and then Rachel had to sell Girl Scout cookies, and our synagogue had a Purim carnival on Sunday -- all I wanted to do was relax and slowly get back into the cold before I had to head back to work on Sunday.

I went to bed in a foul mood, but on Saturday morning I found myself with a lot of energy. We headed off to Odyssey, Rachel's team competed for all of 10 minutes (it was a weather-related theme that I can't really explain, but she, Libby and Simone were "weather girls." I had stayed up late making a rainbow to pin on her tie-dyed shirt that we had fortunately bought at the resort, since all the girls were supposed to dress in colors of the rainbow -- and at one point during the competition, she, Libby and Simone linked hands and twirled around trying to imitate a tornado. Don't ask).

Rachel got a purple ribbon for her contribution, and then she, Drew and I went out for a donut at Dunkin' Donuts to celebrate. On our way out of the restaurant, Rachel forgot her book and something else she'd brought, and I realized how much kids frustrate parents. It's like the part of their brain that you think would remember to gather up, oh, mittens, jackets, books, scarves, is just blocked until they're adults. Sorry, Mom and Dad, for all the times that drove you crazy.

Then we got home, I raced around unpacking and carting suitcases and summer clothes back up into the attic (when all I really wanted to do was sleep because I was exhausted), and at 12:40 we left to sell cookies at a Giant supermarket about 15 minutes away from our house. Out of guilt, I have volunteered to spend the entire four-hour shift at Giant and at the Ballston Metro station next Friday because I can't lead the troop or do the cookie-related sales stuff that Drew is doing. I've already volunteered to coordinate logistics for next year's Odyssey of the Mind team, so I can participate more in Rachel-related stuff.

Anyway, it was a sunny day and much warmer (46 degrees) than when we had arrived, so we set up a folding table and chairs, and Sydney and her dad, Chris, joined us. I thought he tried the hard sell a little to aggressively, but Sydney was a whiz with the math; she figured out quickly how much change people needed, and we sold a lot of cookies. More than 300 boxes by the time the shift ended at 5. (Rachel got upset when I let Sydney figure out the change, but as I pointed out to her, "You said you hate math, Rachel," which she had said, to my distress, early in the shift. So I put her in charge of noting down how many boxes of what cookies we sold).

By mid-afternoon we were out of samoas, tagalongs and thin mints, and then the savannah smiles, so by the end we had three boxes to choose from. We got lots of donations, too. Rachel's line was, "Girl Scout cookies for sale! Get them now...or next week!" She was remarkably poised and didn't lose interest (like some of the other kids who joined us later did). She also insisted on staying the entire four hours, which NONE of the other girls did, and Drew and I praised her profusely for her commitment. Chris bought us fruit and dates, and Kelly (Libby's mom and the troop leader) contributed apples, so we were fed, if not exactly full, by the time Rachel said, at 4:45, that we was done and "I just want to spend time with my family!" Both she and I were pooped, and my back was aching, but we kept at it until Drew arrived to pick us up.

At home we reheated pizza and watched "The Great Mouse Detective" about "Basil of Baker Street," a mouse who lived in England in 1897 and modeled himself (and his friend, Dr. Dawson) after Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. The movie came out in 1997 and it was unexpectedly great. While Rachel and I were selling cookies, Drew gathered together our tax documents (he is attempting to do our taxes himself this year) and bought us a bunch of cupcakes for dessert as a surprise. So, we had pizza and cupcakes, and it was a very relaxed evening after a very hectic day.

After Rachel went to bed, we watched one episode of "House of Cards." Nothing like that show to get  me right back into the swing of things as I prepare to head back to work and real life!