"Tax Free" Madhouse

I had a little more to add about my shopping trip with Little Guy last Friday . . .

So, Friday Little Guy and I ventured out to Target for 3 reasons: 1 - it was "tax free" weekend in Florida, so with that plus using my Target Red Card I could save 11% on school supplies 2 - I thought it would something fun Little Guy and I could do together 3 - Target has Starbuck's and all kinds of yummy other snacks AND if you are lucky they have cake samples at the bakery.

Well, it was a major FAIL on all 3 accounts: 1 - "tax free" translates into "madhouse full of people who will punch you in the face to get to a good deal" or "aisles full of carts that people have forgotten about because they are digging through things and which you might sprain something trying to get around them" 2 - I mentioned this in my last post but for a 5 year old buying school supplies with your mom ranks right up there with getting your fingernails clipped 3 - well, I guess the snacks thing wasn't a total failure.  It was no Auntie Anne's but it wasn't a bad cinnamon sugar pretzel.

The funniest part occurred about 3/4s through the trip.  It was about 3:30 and I was supposed to leave for the women's retreat at 5:30.  I hear the standard Iphone ring and realize it's actually mine, although it could have been any of the 16 other people in that aisle.  It says "Tammie" on the caller ID, and I figure I'd better answer it, because she is the women's ministry leader of our church. I thought she might be calling with crucial information about the weekend.

I say hello.  We talk for a brief second, and then she gets down to why she called.  What I'm hearing her say is that she wants me to lead an hour long seminar at the retreat about outreach.  The bottom drops out of the stomach.  This pushes me over the edge for several reasons - I am in insecure speaker.  Whenever I have to speak in public, it takes me about a month to prepare and this supposed seminar is supposed to take place TOMORROW.  I have had a fairly stressful week as you may have read about in an earlier post.  Lastly, I'm in the middle of the "tax free" madhouse zone.  So, I do what any crazed, stressed woman would do.  I burst into tears.  Poor Tammie.  I think she was speechless.  Turns out she was actually asking me to lead a discussion about orphan care ministry.  She knows I am very interested in starting something like this at church.  She was actually giving me an opportunity, but I burst into tears about it.  Oh, my.  Someday I'll look back and miss this stage of life, right??????????

You know I always have to add random pictures.  This is right before bedtime.  Please ignore me in this picture, and if you've never met me, don't judge me by it!

I guess these are the moments that will make me miss this life stage . . .