A trip that shows us if we have the "stuff" to do "The Amazing Race" is what this little outing could be called.
I decided that I would like to go to the Apple store (as in computers and Iphones, not fruit) so they could tell me why my Iphone doesn't send e-mails. I can get them all day long but I cannot send them for some reason. Besides, I've heard the Apple store is a really neat place to visit so why not? Now, there's not one in Arlington, not even
south Arlington, a place I'd rather not go unless I absolutely have to. Just too trafficky down there. Anway, I digress...the closest Apple store is in Dallas.
We decided to make it an outing. We'd ride the train to Dallas then take a bus to within a block of the store. Conrad mapped it out, we bought our day passes at the train station and off we went.
The girls waiting at the train station.
Sadie, Anna and Conrad on the train. The girls were way enamored with the tables on the train. Of course, I brought snacks and juice pouches and they were gone by the time we got to Dallas.
There was a sculpture garden by the bus stop that the girls played in, getting all sandy, of course.
And, here are the big girls waiting for the bus.
That is the last "together" moments we had. We got on our bus (one that only runs every hour or so - important to remember for this little tale) and rode it to McKinney St.. We needed to go to McKinney and Knox. So Conrad tells us that when we see McKinney, we need to get off of the bus. Well, there's McKinney so off we go. Madeline had picked up a rock somewhere along the way and was delayed getting off the bus and I had a flashback to my childhood of almost not getting on the subway in NYC and my Aunt physically holding the doors to the subway open and yelling at me to get inside. I, too, was yelling at Madeline "get off the bus, get off the bus, forget the rock!". Panic set in and I nearly had a coronary waiting for that child to get off that bus. Finally, she left the rock and flew off the bus and off it went, turning down McKinney, showing us that we needed to stay on a little while longer.
It is at this point the adults had the meltdown. I told Conrad that the fun has left our little trip and he tells me that maybe I should have stayed home. Now, those of you who know me, know what I was thinking. For those of you who don't? Let's just say I was none-to-pleased with that little statement and off I went. Literally. I turned around and reamed him (to myself, where no one could hear me). "Tell me I should have stayed home? I am the one who needed to go to the Apple store. You're the one who said to get off the bus, not me! Tell me I should have stayed home, I'll show you stay home!" Those things and others were coming out of my mouth where neither he nor anyone else could hear.
He and the girls started north, as if he was going to be able to catch another bus or walk to the store. I went to the gas station that was on the corner where we got off the bus. I asked them how far Knox was and the first girl says "five blocks". The other girls says "five miles". "But", she says, "just wait a few minutes, a trailer will come by and pick you up". I ask her "a trailer?" She says "yes, it comes by every 15 min. and takes people up and down McKinney". I said "you mean a trolley?" "Oh yes," she says, "a trolley". Obviously, these people were not from Texas or even these United States. Anyway, I go back outside and call my beloved husband and he, of course, doesn't answer his phone. After all, we've now parted ways, not on the best of terms. I call him again and leave him the message that I don't know where he is, but I'm going to catch the trolly and ride to Knox St. He finally calls back and we make up. At this point, though, there's no finding each other until we get to the store.
So, along comes a trolley. It's going the wrong way, but the man is out and can hear me so I ask him if he's going to come back around and he tells me "yes, in 8 minutes" and I ask him if he's going to Knox St. and he says "yes, that's the end of the line". I tell him, "I will get on when you come back around". He gives me the thumbs up.
8 minutes later, I can see him coming down the street and I think "hmmm, I wonder if I should be by the trolley stop sign?", so I cross the street to be by the sign. Here he comes.....I wave, he waves, there he goes. He doesn't stop for me. Now, I have on a bright yellow shirt, it's not like he can't see me, or that I don't stand out in a crowd. Why did he just keep on going? I was NOT happy.
I start walking toward Knox. I call Conrad and warn him to be on the correct side of the street or the trolley won't stop. He manages to get on the trolley. He calls me and tells me the trolley does NOT indeed go to Knox. So, now they're walking toward Knox, too.
I walk and walk. He, I'm sure, walks and walks, too. Finally, I find a bus sign and it tells me in 13 min. another bus will be by and I can just ride it to Knox. Conrad calls while I'm looking at the sign and tells me we have to catch the 4:39 bus back to the train station. Well, I just happened to have looked at my phone and the time was 4:12. So, he tells me to catch the next bus going south (the opposite way I've been going) and we'll meet on the bus. Then, we decide "well, there are other buses and trains, let's go to the store". Then finally, it's just too much, he calls back and says, catch the next bus back to the train station, we'll be on it. So I run (and I do mean run) to the street to catch the bus and I see a sign but think it's a "no parking" sign and so I head south. Here comes the bus. No bus sign anywhere. I have made the decision to stand out in the street if I have to, but I'm getting on that bus. Madeline has already called me crying telling me "Mommy, I miss you". I wanted to sit down and cry when I heard her. I thought, what in the world were you thinking? I didn't come up with a good answer.
So, here comes the bus. I start waving and it stops right where the sign was that I thought was a "no parking sign". I start running toward it as fast as my pudgy little legs will take me. I see the driver holding up his hands as if to say "whoa, slow down there partner". I finally get there and he tells me "I would have waited for you, you didn't have to run". I started crying in relief. There were my babies and my sweet husband who all hugged me like I had just come home from a long journey. I felt like I had.
Here we are on the bus, Anna was asleep and Mads wasn't too far away. She hasn't let me out of her sight since.
We didn't make it to the Apple store. I don't know if we ever will. I'm sure I can find out what I'm doing wrong with my phone on apple.com. But, don't we have some great memories? What a day.
Now, I need a margarita!
Today, my friend Jennifer called and asked if I could watch her daughter, Lora, while she went on the field trip with her third grader (whom Sadie has gone to school with since they were 4 years old!). I told her "of course"! Anna and Lora get along really well. Except for this little bit of time right here...
And frankly, this was all Anna being a two-year-old. She and Lora had been riding the two ride-on thingies (technical term, be careful using it!) and Anna had this one first then Lora wanted to ride it and so I suggested a trade and Anna was having NONE of it. What's missing out of this still picture is the screaming and crying that went on endlessly over this stinking toy. And, you can't really see Lora's face in this picture (if you either click or double click on it, it will enlarge and you can probably see) is that she looks embarrassed by Anna's lack of grace and self-control.
