Barnes and Noble

Abbey and I do all sorts of stuff now while Adam is in school.  For instance, on Monday, we went to Walmart, which she loves, as I was determined to stock up before I have the baby.  There's Abbey in the seat of the cart (she loves climbing into the cart and riding in that seat!) and I'm pushing her and pulling another, huge and pregnant.  I wasn't daunted by the prospect.  After I had Abbey, I always used two carts if I needed more than a few items because both kids had to be in the front.

My feet have been swelling, so I made sure I went first thing.  And I filled those carts.  Stocked up on things from OTC medications to diapers to shorts for Adam to a cupboard full of snacks to make babysitters' lives easier.  (But, of course, when you get home, you always realize there were things you didn't get.  Sigh).

This morning I took Abbey up to Barnes and Noble in Clay because I wanted to cross end of the year teacher gifts off my list.  I have to get for his two teachers, a volunteer in their classroom and Eric, his speech therapist (which he has recently gotten pretty attached to). In case you couldn't tell, I am insane with having everything ready!

We went in and I let Abbey point to what she wanted from the bakery.  She picked an M&M brownie. She picked out a table and we sat down, but she kept slouching, which is more of an Adam thing.  I was scolding her and then she got down and bent over onto the floor.  It was obvious her belly was bothering her, especially when she was OK with me packing up her brownie.  We went into the potty, but she was adamant she didn't want to try it.  She also has started not liking to go in her diaper. ( Not sure where to go from here on that but that's another story.)  I walked her over to the kids section to distract her and it was kind of pathetic, because she wanted to play and look so she'd be talking and then start crying a little because her belly hurt. Even over at the Thomas Table.  I could tell she finally went and I took her out to the car to change her.  It was clear her belly had NOT felt well.  I felt so bad for her while she tried to deal with it.  But she wanted to go back in, so we did.  I relieved that she clearly felt better.

She is so much more grown up now than she was in the fall.  She played with Thomas, but was attracted to the pile of bargain books.  She loved these little sets of a boy with figurines...one Princess, one Minnie.  I told her she could pick one and we'd get it.  I picked up a book and an Angry Birds puzzle for Adam and headed to the front, while I looked for some teacher gifts and to pay.

While I was looking at the gifts, Abbey took off back to the children's section.  She had changed her mind and switched from the Princess one to the Minnie one.  It was cute that she had been weighing it!

We went to pick up Adam and as we were driving away, I thought about how Barnes and Noble, though a conglomerate, is one of my favorite stores.  When I was pregnant with Adam, I'd drive up and walk around, get a book and some magazines, get a snack, look for gifts for other people.  After I had Adam, we'd go up and I'd stroll him around and get myself something and him something.  Now, I got teacher gifts, something for each kid and not even a moment to browse for me!  Life has changed!

At least I got most of what I need for his teachers!