No pictures necessary

I'm not going to post a picture. I don't have one. I don't need one. Your imagination will be better. A photo wouldn't have done us justice. All I am going to preface the following story with is this: our realtor in Chi-land was worried about getting us a house in a neighborhood "with a lot of freedom" as she would put it. I think she may have been wrong. There have been many instances in the past that have pointed in this direction, but today may have proved it.

So there we (the 3 kids and myself) were at the grocery store at lunchtime after picking Sparkle up at Safety Town. Picking up just a few items to make a cole slaw (almonds, sunflower seeds, red wine vinegar, shallots). To help keep us from overpurchasing or wandering too much we had the Fisher Price red plastic cart with us-- Peanut pushing, Sparkle with a purse and my wallet, and myself with the list on old scrapbook paper carrying Tank. We could be just any family running for a few things. Cute kids helping their mom. And then I really noticed what we looked like.

We all know I like to foster independence in my children. We know that the girls refuse to let me help them get dressed. I try to dress Tank in all the cute stuff he has, but he has been spitting up a lot lately. I attempt to look somewhat decent and not have baby goo on me. It is also in the 90's and humid here. So here's what we all had on:
Tank--NOTHING but his Pampers cruisers. He had just yakked all over himself and the carseat.
Peanut--orange crocs (at least they were on the right feet for a change), short white socks with orange and silver stripes on the ankle, mauve and white checked knit capris, her fave grey t-shirt with red and blue lettering that says "my dad is the man", and hot pink sunglasses that wrap around her head and velcro in the back, with wild curls all over her head
Sparkle--tennis shoes with no socks, a tan and rosy pink plaid mini-skirt (because it is getting too small and she won't let me take it away yet), a bubblegum pink (hey--it matched they were both pink!) t-shirt with the Disney princesses, red purse over her shoulder, and a purple gem barette holding back wild curls
And last but not least Me--black flip-flops, a knee-length denim skirt, my t-shirt that says "my life should be a reality show", my bob-length hair tucked behind my ears with bobby pins, and bubblegum pink lip gloss that I forgot I let Sparkle put on me this morning.

Maybe if only one of us had been this way it wouldn't have been too bad. But as a collective group. Dude!
I almost peed my own pants laughing and typing this. What a sight! We belonged on the tv show "My Name is Earl" living next door to Joy!
It's all good. We had fun. I now realize the full extent of why other people were smiling and giggling at us. They had fun. I'll start being a little more aware before we get out of Stan the tan van. :)