I have decided

that time is going quicker and quicker each day. And the older I get, the quicker time goes.

Today annoyed me. Why? Because I relied upon someone to do something they said they would do and they didn't do it, and it changed my whole day.

I was to pick up a jacket I had purchased from ebay. It was massively cheap. And a lovely little jacket for Lexi. I got an email this morning saying the person would leave it out for me and I could call past and pick it up. Fine, sounds good, so I bundled the kids into the car (after the mandatory 20 minute preparation, which of course involved at least one child crapping their nappy right as we were about to leave) and off we went to travel the 20 odd km to pick up the jacket.

So we arrive, I go up the driveway, and no jacket. Fanfrickingtastic. I was rapt. No. Really. And of course I had not brought the chick's phone number with me. So I leave a message jotted down on an envelope in the chick's letterbox, and off we go. And as we turn the corner Lexi says "where's my jacket?". Oh. Crap. Why the hell did I tell her we were going to get a jacket for her?

So I try to explain to her that the lady wasn't there and that we couldn't get her jacket, and the tone of voice in which she was responding to questions was becoming decidely shaky and on the verge of tears. And then they came. And I thought great. Sensational. I'm rapt. And I did tell her we were going to get her a jacket. So I said "would you like to go to the shops to get one then?" And blow me down if she didn't bloody well say yes. Crap.

So there we go, headed to Watergardens again. Now if you remember the last time I went to Watergardens I vowed never to return. And that was with someone else with me as well as the three kids. This time I was on my Pat Malone.

Driving through the carpark I suddenly realised it was Saturday. And oh yes it just gets better. So we cut four or fifty laps of the carpark til finally I find one and zip in. I get Lexi out, tell her to stand by the pram that I had previously removed from the boot (that is my way of ensuring she stays put and doesn't get into mischief - I ask her to hold the pram so when I put Angus in it doesn't move....even though I do have the brakes on....it keeps her there), and I get Angus out and whack him in the pram quite unceremoniously and he is most unimpressed because he was asleep, and then I get Tabitha out of the car and it is then that the scent hits me.

So I lock the car, nappy bag on arm, kids in tow, and we head for the parents room to remove the offending odour from Tabitha. And it is once I have made it to the safety of the parents room that I realise that the nappy bag is distinctly lacking in baby wipes. And the day just gets better. So I wet toilet paper and try and make do as best I can, with Tabitha quite unhappy about the whole deal, Lexi trying to get out, and Angus looking at me as though I have deprived him of the best sleep he has ever had.

Nappy done. Jacket time. Target o'clock because we have a voucher. Gotta love vouchers. So in we go to the kids section. Lexi decides on a jacket. It is pink and fluffy and has Dora the Explorer on it. Great. So she tries it on, she loves it, and I stupidly ask as I remove it from her "So is that the one you want?" And she says "no". Great. Okay, so tell me a colour. Black, pink, purple, green, something. "Green". Do you know how hard it is to find a green jacket in Target? I'll tell you. Impossible. We did however find an aqua coloured hoody top and some aqua cords and they were close enough. No jacket, and not what we intended on getting, but they will get worn so it's fine. Grabbed a couple more pairs of tracksuit pants and away we went.

Checkouts. Designed by bastards. Why? Lollies. Everywhere. Great if you're an adult and can zip through, absolutely horrendous if you are a mother with two children who live at lollie level. So a bag of jelly beans, two meltdowns and several monumentally bad farts from god knows who later and we were out of Target. I opened the jelly beans, gave the girls 2 each, and off we went in search of the car. We made it back, I bundled all the kids in, and away we went.

Tabitha fell straight to sleep. I wasn't going to argue with that. Angus talked a while and then fell asleep. Also good. Lexi didn't. She decided that five minutes before we arrived home was a good time to fall asleep, and so awoke upon our arrival home as though she had been asleep for hours. Not ideal. And Angus also decided that he had had enough. Tabitha I put into bed and she slept a further two hours. That is gold.

So that was my morning. Totally unprepared for the adventure we had, but we survived it, hurdles and all, and I am vowing, again, never to return to Watergardens.