only two of many reasons why I needed a drink just after noon on Saturday

Our Saturday mornings are hectic crazy. The girls both have dance and at the moment both Sam and Teresa are involved with basketball. Joe is coaching both Sam's and Teresa's teams too so I am the one who does most of the driving around. Most Saturdays finds me dropping off and picking up and juggling kids between the two of us. This Saturday I dropped Teresa off at dance at nine. Then Joe left with Sam at ten for Sam's basketball game. I went down to the gym with Katie and Teresa to watch the game after picking up Teresa at ten. At eleven fifteen I brought Katie to dance. She likes me to stay while she's at dance even though Mommy's are NOT allowed in the studio. We have to sit out in the waiting room and there isn't even one of those windows. Don't tell her but sometimes I sneak out to the supermarket. Joe left to bring Teresa to basketball at noon and Sam had to tag along. At twelve fifteen I was headed back to the school gym to pick Sam up so he didn't have to sit through Teresa's practice. This is a lot of time in the car. Katie is one of those kids who likes to sit in the car and chat. Teresa always wants music on and will bring CD's in the van so she has HER music to listen to. Sam likes to bring little toys to play with. Katie wants to talk. She chatters away about everything. This particular Saturday she kept going on and on about "bowlerating."

Katie: Remember when we went bowlerating Mumma?

Me: bowlerating? I don't know what that is.

Kate: Yes you do. Remember...bowlerating...booooowl-errrrr-at-innnggg (as if repeating it will jog my memory)

Me: you mean, bowling?

Kate: NO! BOWLERATING!

Me: Well...how do you bowlerate? (part of me can't even believe I'm asking this question)

Kate: You put on a little car and you go around and around and around.

Me: We drove there in a car and went around?

Kate: No! You put ON the car and go around and around.

Me: reaching back into the recesses of my memory...ferris wheel??? tilt a whirl???

Kate: No! Mumma it's bowlerating.

Me: where did we do this?

Kate: at a birthday party. Not a birthday for someone we know though.

Me: thoroughly confused...were we just there and there was a party or did we go there for the party?

Katie: We were there FOR the party Mumma. Don't you remember? I was really really good at bowlerating.

Me: (thinking...well of course you were since it doesn't exist!) Did the whole family go?

Kate: Yup...but not Daddy. He was at the football game. Sam and Teresa went bowlerating too. But they fell down...A LOT!

Me: (light suddenly flashes on!) ROLLERSKATING! You mean rollerskating!

Kate: Yes Mumma...that's what I said...bowlerating. (sighing rather impatiently and shaking her head)

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After this enlightening discussion, I ran into the gym to rescue Sam from Teresa's practice. While he was zipping his jacket I looked down into the gym to watch Teresa and see if I could catch her eye. Two teams practice together and she was at a station with the other team's coach. I waved when she looked in my direction and she waved back. Then I blew her a kiss but she had already turned her head. The coach, however, chose that moment to turn and look directly at me. He caught me blowing the kiss and quickly looked away. Great...I'll probably be arrested for sexual harassment or something now.