The Sweetest Day

Wednesday we had the sweetest day…one of those that just gives me pause to think what precious, BIG kiddos I have.

We didn’t have plans for the day, and it started with our usual breakfast and play time.  The girls wanted to build a bucket truck, which we did out of their Magformers, and then we built a Lincoln Log house to be “on fire” for said bucket truck to attend to.

Mid-morning, I had the idea to go to Nashville to look for some chairs we need for our office.  I ran the idea by Hubby, and he was all for it…all for the three of us going, and him “attending to the house”, that is.  While I was disappointed he didn’t join us, the girls and I had the absolute best time.

We headed out around 11…later than I would have liked…but we were in full roll-with-it mode.  We made it to the big mall, and we headed for Carter’s to buy some school clothes.  I reminded the girls, with it just being the three of us, that they would need to obey Mommy very carefully, and that I would need their help shopping.

They were fantastic! 

They walked with me throughout the store.  As I was looking for a particular color or size, they might help me, or they might walk to a nearby display to look at something different.  If they did they, they were great to say – unprompted – “I’m going to be right here, OK, Mommy?”

I know it helped that the store wasn’t crowded (and maybe that we were shopping for them!), but they were patient and polite and helpful.  It was actually FUN!

After we did our damage at Carter’s, we headed to Gymboree.  They were again the best sidekicks I could have asked for…holding the items we chose, helping me look for sizes, working together to decide what we should get.

By that time, we were all pretty hungry.  We opted for Macaroni Grill (one of Daddy’s faves…serves him right for not being with us!  HA!).  We had a lovely lunch, and then we headed to the middle of the mall to ride the carousel.  How I love that the girls still delight in that.

We left the mall and headed to do our chair shopping.  We took a little [unplanned] detour, but Mommy finally found her way to World Market.  The girls wanted to try out every.single.chair.there…but that was OK by me.  They did it politely, and I figure that’s one of the joys of being a kiddo.

By that time, we were all ready for a snack, so we found a Panera – one of our faves – and treated ourselves to TWO cookies.  It was such a treat for this mama to share with her babies. 

We were preparing to make the journey back home, when I spotted a Home Goods store.  Since we still hadn’t found the perfect office chairs, I asked the girls if they were up for one more stop.  Baby A was game, but Baby B I think would have preferred a late afternoon nap in the car.  She acquiesced, though, and we had a fun time going through all the goodies there.

I have made a concerted effort not to position shopping as any type of recreational activity.  We go to the store when we need something, and the vast majority of the time, we stick to our list.  I would position this a little differently to the girls, but this was just the best day of shopping and lunch and afternoon cookies I could have asked for. 

Before the girls were born, I imagined days like this together.  The stress of oversized double strollers and public potty phobias are behind us.  What a pleasure it is to be out and about on the town with my babies.