A trip to the mall

Do you remember what it's like to go to the mall without children? I remember going to the mall alone in early August--the night before Josh came home for leave--to pick up a few cute outfits. It's so rare that I actually get the opportunity to go out with my husband, as well as wear anything but loungewear and dance attire, so I wanted to look and feel cute again! I had a spring in my step, walking from store to store, carrying only my purse and purchases. I waited in lines for 10 minutes without feeling my blood pressure and body temperature rise--Annabelle would've been a fussy gussy for sure, and I probably would've re-racked the items and left. It was so nice to be able to browse without being in a rush, to try something on and look at it from a few different angles before making a decision, to actually fit in the dressing room and have extra space for a sit-down test and a couple of spins. Having a baby and/or stroller in the dressing room with you makes for extremely tight quarters! I actually spent so much time in the dressing room that night, the employees had coordinating shirts, shoes and pants flopping over my door at record speeds--suggestions for completing the look. That hasn't happened to me in over a year! Usually they can't even catch up with me to say, "Can I help you find anything?" If they would stop asking me at the register if I want to save 10% by opening up their credit card, I'd be even quicker! As I was leaving the mall that night, I stopped at Mrs. Field's and bought my favorite cookie and a chocolate milk. I always buy a snack at the end because I've finished trying on clothes :)

Today I took a wonderful trip to the mall with my mom, Brittany, Paige, Daisy and Annabelle. Our first stop was the Food Court. We all had some lunch--a full meal right off the bat! That was immediately followed by a ride on the merry-go-round. Annabelle and Paige loved it!
Because Annabelle had a recent growth spurt, I had to get her some new shoes, so it was down to Payless. Then I decided to stop into Kiddie Kandids for a quick sitting (she looked so cute I couldn't resist). I don't think I'll go there anymore. Why do they insist on shoving multi-colored feather dusters in their faces. Annabelle didn't respond very well to that tactic, or the deafening sqeaky duck either, but she pulled off three decent shots. From there it was down to the "playground" where Paige and Annabelle ran around and played. And that was our day!

It was definitely different from my mall visit in August, but it was so much better. I got to spend time with people I love, and I was there to care for Annabelle and listen to her say "Alright!" for the 30th time in 2 days! :) On our way home she became fussy (she hadn't had a nap and we were approaching the dinner time deadline). We still had a ways to go before reaching home, so I began to sing to her. She immediately stopped crying, so I kept singing. After 5 minutes I looked back, and she was sound asleep. I got misty-eyed and felt so much gratitude. I am so thankful I have her in my life. I am so grateful she loves me, and is comforted by me. It gives me faith in my ability as her mother. At times I rack my brain trying to figure out everything she needs in order to thrive, in order to be happy and well-behaved. Today on our ride home I was reminded that what babies needs most is tenderness, love, and care--the priceless gifts their mothers provide by simply being there. I love her.

PS: Enjoy the pics from Halloween--I actually made trick-or-treat buckets for Annabelle and Paige this year. My sis-in-law, Nikki, taught me :)