24 is a finite number

And so it ends. I hate admitting it, but this season isn't as good as the last and that's been the trend for a few seasons. Scott and I sit on the couch predicting every move (although Dana the terrorist was weird...). When we can write as well as people paid to write, there's something missing. Still, without a doubt, 24 has been the best show on television for a decade. It has been a great ride and kudos to Sutherland (thanks for staying out of jail this year!) and the rest of the crew who've made it so much fun to fight the bad guys. We had a great time.

Service with a round, yellow smiley face

Late this morning I heard horrendous screams and virtually everyone in the house ran into my room. (I say virtually because Andrew ignores a lot that goes on in this house...)

Caroline screamed, "Katie's glasses are broken!"

Oh, no. I really was so sad. The girls take such good care of their glasses and, with all the screaming, it's nice that Katie's arm wasn't hanging from it's socket or something else actually worth screaming about.

What happened? Caroline had gone into the powder room to take care of business and... "They all came in there wrestling me!"

So, how did her glasses get broken? "Well I just touched them with my arm."

Oh. So, they all (Katie and the aforementioned missing Andrew) followed you into the bathroom and you began swinging and hit Katie in the face, breaking her glasses? Yes. OK.

I panicked because I didn't know if they were insured, I didn't have time to go to the doctor's office, I didn't have the paperwork handy, so many things. I panicked inside me and told Katie I'd get them fixed. (There's no fixing these things...they are busted good. Caroline. What an arm.) I'm actually late leaving for a hair appointment (yes, it's already Spring again. Every year whether I need it or not.), but I ran back in and grabbed the Medical 2009 file from the file cabinet. Digging through it as I drive down the driveway, I remember that we got her glasses at Wal-Mart. I recall that in November and every day I needed the spectacle buying experience to be convenient and occur after 5PM, so we went to Wal-Mart for her specs.

And at Wal-Mart, they guarantee kids glasses 100% for one year.

Still nervous when I arrived at the store, I told the clerk I didn't have the receipt, just the brochure promoting their policies. She looked up Katie's name in the computer and said, "Let me see if we have this frame." She pulled the exact frame from it's spot on the wall and said, "I'll just be a few minutes."

Three minutes later she returned and said, "If she needs them adjusted just bring her in anytime. I tried to duplicate the fitting from the broken frame. Bye now."

Tears welled up in my eyes, I swear. I have never been so grateful for just simple customer service. Our insurance company gives us total grief for not using their providers, but their providers could NEVER provide the service that Wal-Mart did for me today. I am so thankful for that place. God bless Sam Walton! (Scott always says that Sam is rolling over in his grave for the way that place is run now, but today Sam is proud of his optical shop in Michigan.)

Rewind

The Primary will sing for the Easter presentation in Sacrament Mtg this week. Our girls are passionate about their rehearsals.

Katie: "Mom, can you print out the music for all of us from the Church website?"

Of course I can. And do. Promptly after her 2nd reminder.

The girls all explained to me the arrangement of "If the Savior Stood Beside Me."

Caroline: "Isabelle sings the 2nd verse first and then we all sing the 1st verse..."

Got it.

Alex: "We repeat watching over me three time, not two like is in the other arrangement. 3 times."

Got it.

Katie: "Mom, will you play it on the piano so we can sing?"

Hmmm. Yes, only don't expect to recognize the notes when I play. They might be a different "arrangement." The girls have been very understanding.

When we are in the car, they want the CD of their music playing and when their song ends (it's #2 and they know it) Caroline always says, "Will you back-forward it so we can sing it again?"

Indeed I will back-forward it. I should have thought of that myself.

At the garage door...

there is a "knock, knock, knock."

I open the door.

3 year old Andrew stands there.

I say, "Hello, how are you?"

He says, "Well, I was in the neighborhood and I just brought you some ham," with his empty hands cupped and raised to me.

"Oh, thank you!" I replied. "I love ham."

"OK, bye," he says as he walks down the wooden steps.

"I love you," I call after him.

"I love you," he says, head bowed and in his most responsible, deep, adult voice.