Why I like Barnes and Noble

I would truly like to thank Pinellas county for giving my family a fresh new experience in why not all bookstores are created equal. The kids and I were making our way to the All Children’s Hospital oncology/hematology Christmas party on Sunday when Rachael looks over and hands me the perfect argument for why literacy is overrated.

“Hey, mom! I want to go to that bookstore! Can we go?”

I look over my shoulder and see the sign that says “Bedtime Stories” in letters 2 ½ feet tall…underneath which, in microscopic writing, are the words “adult bookstore”.

“Yeah…no…I don’t think so.”

“Why not? We love bedtime stories.”

Which is totally true, how can I argue with that?

“Because we can go to the Borders by our house if you want a new book.” – Translation: I will buy you an entire set of encyclopedias transcribed onto butterfly wings by chimpanzees if you will just drop this!

No such luck.

“I like bedtime stories, mommy!” comes from Peyton in the backseat.

“I know you do, but if we stop we won’t be able to go to the party.”

That worked because they let go of the bookstore that the mean mommy won’t take them to.

BUT, with all the fun and busyness in our lives, I got mixed up on this one day. Instead of realizing that the party was from 1 to 4 PM, I had it that the party started at 4 PM. We arrive as they are closing everything up, Peyton got to see Santa…again. Seriously, she’s starting to look at Santas like a fairly chubby stalker….he’s everywhere we go! But the food was all gone, the kids got their presents and we were forced to leave. Making our way back the same way we came.

Right by the bookstore.

“Please OH PLEASE can we go to the bookstore, mommy!!”

“No.”

“Why not??”

“Because it’s closed.”

“Uh-huh, the lights are all on.”

“Oh well, I don’t think they carry good kids books there.”

BAD BAD BAD I knew it the moment the words came out of my mouth. There’s nothing like punching yourself in the face while driving down the highway.

“What kinds of books do they sell?”

I pulled my last panicked trick out of the parent’s avoidance handbook.

“Who wants ice cream for dessert??”

“Oooh me!! Me!!”

“Yeah, ice cream!”

Saved by DQ again.

Other than that, we had a fairly easy going weekend. Saturday night we went to the Badge Bowl. It’s the charity event football game between the Tampa Fire and Resue and the Tampa PD. Deep friend foods, firetruck rides, swat team helicopters landing in the middle of the field and sweaty firefighters and policemen…what’s not to love? It was such an amazing event, with our friend Brooke Martin and her family being honored as this year’s Badge Bowl recipients. They will be receiving a large portion of the money brought in through the night. The last count I heard, they raised somewhere in the ballpark of 40,000$!!! WOW

Sunday, instead of going to the party on-time, Nathaniel went off with his big buddy, Eddie to see an Imax movie about mummies and enjoy some time at MOSI. The girls and I napped in an attempt to recoup some of the lost sleep courtesy of the many events we’ve been going to. It was a nice and lazy day until our “Adventures in Adult Entertainment” episode.

I had to make an appointment for Peyton to head to the clinic tomorrow because she’s got a nasty cough that she’s had for over a month. They haven’t thought much about it, giving me allergy medicine to see if that fixes it but it is sounding worse and worse each day. So, we head up tomorrow to get checked out and potentially get a chest xray to see if anything interesting is going on in there.

f.r.o.G…fuly relying on God
—Anissa

This is a new video project I’ve finished. It’s dedicated to all the phenomenal cancer moms out there, and features many of the wonderful friends I’ve made and their cancer children. I can’t tell you enough how amazing these women are in their strength, faith and love. I’m so thankful that because God gave us this journey to walk, he has provided us so many tremendous people to travel with.