AuburnChick's Adventures

Auburnchick’s daughter turns 16 on Tuesday. What a milestone! Auburnchick remembers her 16th birthday. Her mom had a surprise party for her, and people actually showed up! And they stayed! That’s a miracle for a girl who was a self-professed nerd. Oh…wait…this post is about Auburnchick’s DAUGHTER! Good grief…

Back on topic…

Ok, so Auburnchick’s daughter turns 16 this week. Being the A-mazing mom that she is, she decided to make this one extra-special. Auburnchick’s daughter is going to get her first diamonds. More specifically, diamond earrings.

Oh yeah…she’s so proud of herself. Finally, a birthday when the child doesn’t get a makeup tote or sheets. Poor dear.

So, Auburnchick took advantage of both children being out with friends last night to go shopping. Auburnchick’s husband went along since, well, he kind of had a hand in bringing said birthday child into the world (and he had to pay for the earrings).

So, off they trudge to the mall.

Now, Auburnchick is not a cheap shopper, but she does like to get the most bang for her buck. This does not come naturally. You see, Auburnchick married into a family who cannot buy toilet paper without opening every sales ad, comparing prices, cutting coupons, and then demanding that Store X match Store Y’s advertised price, which saves them all of about 25 cents. Shopping simply is not easy in this family due to the suspicion that they could have found the desired item cheaper somewhere else. It’s all about the journey, people, not about the thing itself. You should see them do the happy dance when they snooker a store into a FAB deal. <giggle>

But, I digress…

Auburnchick did her homework, and she knew she could buy a decent pair of diamond earrings for a certain price — mustn’t go over budget, you know. Gotta buy groceries this week after all, and diamonds are not in the food pyramid.

Well, what started out as a simple quest for a decent pair of earrings turned into a marathon. Now, it must be stated that if Auburnchick’s hubby had not been there, JCPenny would have had the sale all wrapped up. But no, it couldn’t be that easy, could it?

Grrrrr…

The pattern did not vary at each store they visited:

1) Auburnchick explains what she’s looking for (hoping to get the employee’s sympathy by mentioning said teenager’s BIG birthday…salesperson only sees dollar signs $$$)

2) Salesperson pulls out requested item and uses well manicured nails (have you ever noticed how their hands are always beautiful, by the way?) to run numbers on a calculator, cause everything is on sale, you know

3) Auburnchick’s hubby turns pale when he realizes that this is going to one expensive gift

But, here’s where the fun begins. Each stop provided a bit more information about the color and clarity of diamonds. Gee…they did not know that this could get so complicated. Have you ever noticed the difference in diamonds (other than the size) before? Neither had Auburnchick and her hubby. But once they did, they were sunk. The price rose exponentially.

Then there was one other factor. Auburnchick insisted on screw back earrings thanks to an enlightening conversation with her good friend (here’s a shout out to Auburnchick’s friend!! You go girl!). Oh, sorry. Having a blog is kind of like being on TV.

Anyhow, Auburnchick’s friend has a pair of screw back diamond earrings, and Auburnchick must not deny her daughter the best, you know. Plus, teenage girls constantly change their clothes and mess with their hair. Heaven forbid that expensive piece of rock getting lost.

Auburnchick’s hubby was not amused. Do you realize how hard it is to find a nice, clear diamond with screw back posts? Not very easy if you only want to spend $19.99 (just kidding, of course).

So they went back and forth to all of the stores. It was almost like a game, watching the faces of the salespeople light up as they thought they were going to complete a sale. But then the Auburnchick tag team would dash their hopes when they explained they needed to look a bit more. Gee…that’s almost cruel.

So, they finally made a decision and left with a pair of earrings. Here’s a picture of what they came home with:

Filed under: This-n-That | 2 Comments »

Well, Monday was the start of the first full week of work and school (not the kids, but mine) since Christmas. Needless to say, I was not very happy.

My daughter had prepared a menu for the week — well, all of three meals since we are rarely at home. Groceries were purchased according to the requirements of these meals. She informed me that I would be cooking on Monday.

Uh, okay, I guess.

Well, Monday afternoon came all too quickly, and the family was waiting. Now, you need to understand something. Since returning to college during the summer of 2006, I have not cooked very often. I have never really enjoyed cooking for a family that picks apart my meals. As everyone knows, teenagers are very opinionated and do not like vegetables. So, I’ve basically stopped.

Monday night was going to be a rare exception to the case. However, I just did not want to cook the three ingredient (yes, you read that right) recipe that daughter-dear had picked out. I grumped, complained, and growled to all who were within listening distance. The meal turned out really good, and I did feel bad afterward.

Ok, ok…where am I going with this? I do have a point. Bear with me.

The next morning was the first day back to school for the kids. We got up and prepared for morning devotions. It’s a rule in the Auburnchick household. Devotions at 6:30am at the kitchen table. We have done this for years as I quickly realized that the mornings were the only time Auburnchick and children were together, consistently, each day.

I opened up the devotion book we are using, Daily Grace for Teens, and Tuesday’s devotion was titled “Feeling Grouchy.”

Ouch. Ok, God. This is not funny.

The devotion makes reference to the Israelites who, after being rescued from Pharoah’s hands, complained in the desert…after receiving manna from heaven too! They also complained when they saw giants in the Promised Land. They were telling God that they did not trust Him with such bleak circumstances. God became angry and prevented them from entering the Promised Land. Their grouchiness manifested itself in a lifetime of distrust and ungratefulness. It seems unbelievable, but I’m sure we can all relate. How many times has God rescued us from circumstances that seemed way beyond our ability to cope with? And yet, we quickly return to complaining.

<Sigh>

Ok, God. I understand. I’ve been blessed so abundantly. I sometimes forget that, or worse…I take it for granted. As the devotion stated, I need an attitude check.

I did cook dinner Tuesday night, and I did not even complain, despite one unhappy child (who will remain nameless). The family was shocked and appreciative.

Guess I’ll have to try cooking a bit more often.

Filed under: This-n-That | Leave a comment »