In which Thomas has an adventure in the snow.
After convincing me that pictures of T bird amidst descending flakes are a must, I bundled up junior and put on my big girl boots. T bird wasn't as surprised as I expected him to be, surprise! But he was quickly enamored by his winter wonderland. He pointed at snowflakes, ate clumps of snow, walked bravely down the sidewalk in too-big-boots, and then when he had completed his quest of discovery he walked up the driveway, climbed onto the porch directly to the front door, got down on his knees and slapped the house and called, "Dad. Dad." As if to say, "Okay, Dad c'mon on down and open this door I'm ready to come in." And then when I brought him in he began protesting adamantly enough for me to clearly understand he didn't want Dad to let him in, he wanted Dad to come on out and play too. Alas, Mr. Working Student was at work and couldn't save the day. Or the moment. So we ate taco soup instead and called Dad and left a message.
Not to make this post longer than it aught to be, or inordinately long as some may say, I will tell you that today I finished my Christmas gift shopping for the family. The family meaning the three of us. I felt that I spent way too much money, but could I resist buying the perfect gift for my child? The gift that could give me uninterrupted-by-pounding-on-the-bathroom-door showers? No. I most definitely could not. So I bought it. Don't ask what it is Mrs. Claus doesn't give up her secrets. It was made by leap frog and sold for 49.99. I bought it new and I only spent a month or two thinking about it, and 20 minutes in the isle deliberating about it. Plus T bird just received a welcome to Earth gift of 50 dollars cash from one of Grandma's sweet and wonderful beautiful friends, so I figured we can afford it.
I would like to recommend searching google for "cheap stocking stuffers for him" and reading the various results. I was able to come up with some quite satisfactory results, and I put them into motion as I shopped this afternoon.
I failed to mention the amazing things my child did this afternoon at the department store. First and most impressively, he slept. Yes, friends and neighbors my child dozed as I squeeked my squeeking cart around the promotional Christmas inventory. He dozed as old lady onlookers oohed and even as they ahhhed, and then he awoke and somehow topped it all off by walking around the store patting toys and pushing the "try me" buttons. He even flirted with a woman Grandma's age. (which is young, but...) It was great. I can't believe how much more kid-friendly toy stores are now then when I was a child. I wasn't worried about him touching things at all until we came to the shoe isle. I had no idea my baby could be so fascinated or that he could walk so well, until this small family with loot in their carts walked by and he decided they were better than Barbies and Tickle-me-Elmo's and began following them. Once the toys ended and the home decor began, I realized I would have to cease the following a random family around Kmart gig, so I swept him up and then he sat so sweetly beneath the basket of the cart, below the handle. It was the perfect little shelf seat. And he licked the salt off the Ritz crackers. He's only 10 months, and loves licking salt off Ritz crackers. Wow.
Then he got tired and I took him home to bed, and I hid my treasures from John. The End.
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