There's No Such Thing as a Free Lunch

Well, it all started with free tickets to the movies.  We thought we'd go Saturday night so I made our older 3 daughters lists to help around the house Saturday morning.  And their reward?  Their own bag/bucket/box of popcorn when we went to see Alvin & the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked.  {insert their screams here}.

As we worked, I was just super proud.  We were working together, gonna get out together for super cheap, and all was wonderful.  We anxiously plugged through the day.  We got baths early, dressed, got our chore lists done, school completed,  fixed 3 heads of their hair, fixed an early supper, cleaned up, and bounced into the van to go.  We made good time, arriving in Jamestown 30 minutes before the movie would start to hear the dreaded words, "SOLD OUT".  Whaaaaat? 

I walked back to the van to meet my crew who had dropped me at the ticket window just minutes before.  What in the world do you do for your super helpful kiddos who you promised their OWN BAG OF POPCORN to? 

Louis and I quickly strategized (I'm thinking we must have looked like coaches, laying out a quick plan for the team).  We were loud enough that one caught the details of what happened, whined about it, and then spread the horrible rumor through the whole van.  They all were whining in their best girly voices of their disappointment.  We were then quiet enough to plan the "official play" that hopefully would save the night and we'd come out winning afterall. 

$100 later, we walked out of Wal-Mart with 3 movies, chips & the makings for Mexican cheese dip, and other necessities, like light bulbs.  We got to the van, and waited for all to buckle up.  A woman walked over to the driver's side, and Louis rolled down the window.  "Would you like a free puppy?"  I'm thinking, "She didn't just say that loud enough for all to hear!!"  Then the little "Yeahs, and Please, can we have a puppy?" pleads filtered up from the back of the van.  Louis politely apologized we couldn 't take it right now.  Then he went to roll the window up.  It didn't budge.  The button didn't even make a sound like it usually does.  Dead.  And it's cold.  And we're in Jamestown (always a 35 or longer drive home with all the windy, curvy roads).   

We pulled through the Long John Silvers drive-thru and ordered their $15 Family Pack.  If we're gonna be cold on the drive home, it's better that the girls are distracted.  The more they had in their mouth, the less they could complain of being cold, and my theory was correct!    Louis did do a hero number and shut the door over his coat which broke the wind a lot.  The sound we heard all the way home was of whipping coat and snaps slapping the window behind the driver's side.   

We got home, unloaded the van and all got into their jammies ready to watch, "Dolphin Tale".  What a night. 

We went with free movie tickets.  We returned with $115 (+tax) less money, and a costly car repair to make.  Hmm, the statement Dad used to tell me in high school rings true, "There's no such thing as a free lunch."  Thanks Dad, for always being right.