It rained off and on all day yesterday, but some friends came over and offered to take the boys to Canobie Lake Park in NH for the day!  Aren’t they lucky?!  The boys were gone until about 6pm, when they finally came home long enough to get their things so they could go spend the night at their buddies’ house.  I think they must have had an AWESOME day.  I spoke to them only briefly - they had a lot going on and couldn’t stop for chit-chat - and they had only good things to say.

Chloe and Grace spent the day doing crafty-things.  I’m not sure what exactly - but I know I came to work this morning with a wide range of temper-paint art for my cube.  The boys’ friends are also friendly with the girls but they’re definitely secondary friends, which is why they didn’t go.  it must have been sad for them to have to stay home when their brothers went with friends to an amusement park while they had to stay home.  Liz said they didn’t complain at all.  Grace later confessed that she enjoyed doing all the craft-stuff and really had a pretty good day.

When the boys drove off for the second time Chloe didn’t say anything… she just moped a little.  She was really very good and didn’t ask or beg to go too.  She didn’t appear to begrudge the boys their good fortune.  But she clearly wanted to go too.

I tried to think of what I could do with them to make them feel special.  There are no good movies out right now.  So I decided to give them each $10 to spend at Claire’s.  Its an “accessory” store for girls and young (?) women, I guess.  I’m not really sure.  I know that it gives me hives to walk in that place.  There are a lot of hair-things, bracelets, rings, plastic jewelry and knicknacks for a girl’s bedroom.  I hate the place, but then - its not for me, is it?

The girls flipped their tiny lids and grabbed their shoes and were out the door in a flash.  Chloe said “Oh Daddy!  You’re allergic to Claire’s but you will still take us there?!  Thank you!”

I clearly picked the right place.  It wasn’t much money, but at a place that sells mostly plastic jewelry it went a long way.  I took them shopping with me at the mall and made them come to Best Buy with me and take a detour through Radio Shack and Dick’s Sporting Goods, but we wound up at the right place and they were ecstatic the whole time.

Chloe had a $20 gift card to the store left over from her birthday so she brought that and even gave Grace $5 so she could afford a $15 stuffed animal.  She’s a generous girl.  Grace gave her a great big hug and a kiss and I’ve never seen her more grateful.  See, Dad is kind of strict about that sort of thing - I don’t usually just “give” them money so the whole adventure was a big treat.

Chloe got some accessories that she plans on wearing to the Bon Jovi concert next month.

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