My first outing with the girls (also known as the post with all the run-on sentences)

Today was a good day.

It had the potential to be scary awful because today was the day that I decided to take both girls off the premises... by myself.

Chloe Jane has officially passed the "potty training" stage and moved into the "she-knows-what-she's-doing-but-still-may-have-an-accident" phase. So today, in addition to being the day that we would all go out for the first time sans daddy, we also ventured out into the world without a diaper. Now, she has been to the playground and to church without a diaper, but, you know, that's like a 30 second walk from my home. Today, we actually took a taxi... to a mall. Can I confess I was just a LEEEETLE bit nervous that she would be too distracted to remember her diaper-free attire and that I would be stuck, alone, with two little girls, inthemall, inaforeigncountry, withmyhusbandmilesawayonsomefarmwithoutcellphoneservice...?

LEEEETLE bit nervous.

But my fears were laid to rest when, within the first 30 minutes, we made no less than three fruitless trips to the bathroom because she thought she "might" need to go. She's a cautious one, that one.

(Note to self: buy more hand sanitizer.)

All in all, it proved to be a wonderful outing for us girls. I purchased some much-needed do-dad items for my home from the oh-so-wonderful dollar store that should be called a magic store because of how cheap all the fabulous stuff is including but not limited to dishes, rugs, and cutsie aprons.

Where was I?

Oh yes. We went to the dollar store then spent a ridiculous amount of time in the kids section of the book store. Oh! One thing about book stores here: people treat them like libraries. It's so weird for me to walk into the store and see bookoos of Korean folk sitting on benches, chairs, and the floor reading their novels and magazines. Then, when they are finished reading, they just put the book back where they found it. As a result, some of the books have crinkled covers and dog-eared pages. Crazy, right?

So what did I do while Chloe Jane was playing/reading/terrorizing the children's book section? I plopped myself right down with a copy of Confessions of a Shopaholic, which is one of those books I would never actually spend money on because I'd be too afraid of what the salesclerk might think of me but which I would cower in the corner of the kids section and read while feigning interest in whatever book my child is thumbing through.

And since I'm a firm believer in the "when in Rome" principle, I put the book back... and doggy-eared the page I was on... because we might need to make a trip back to the bookstore tomorrow, you know, so Chloe can have another outing.

So after the oh-so-fabulous dollar store, and the bookstore/library, we headed to Mickie D's for some home cooking. And when I say home, I mean greasy American restaurant. And when I say cooking, I mean fried frozen patty covered with processed cheese and smothered in onions.

Only the classiest joints for my little girl.

After spending three point two minutes trying to open a toy that broke in one point six minutes, we scarfed down our french fries. At least, I scarfed. Chloe nibbled. On that note, can I just say that, while I have spent most of my adult life trying to convince myself that a french fry is, in fact, potato and therefore should qualify as a vegetable and therefore I should be able to eat as many as I want, I find it ironic that I spent most of our meal telling my two-year-old that they were not vegetables in an attempt to convince her to eat them. Surreouslay.

So... oh-so-fab dollar store, library/bookstore, McD's.

Oh! So then. Then! We're heading out of Mickie D's, broken toy in hand, when Chloe begins her first and only breakdown of the night.

After offering several guesses as to what had offended her, I finally informed her that I simply could not understand her when she, you know, acted like a heathen, and that she had to use her big-girl words if she wanted me to help her.

Then she said...

Wait for it...

"LEAVE MAPLE HEEEEERE!"

You want me to leave your sister at McDonald's?

"YYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS!"

Um, no?

We have to take her home so she can see daddy tomorrow, just like Chloe.

Tears stopped. Hands clapped. Cheers rang out. Crisis averted.

And you thought I was kidding when I said she was bipolar...

So, that's pretty much it.

Dollar store, book store, McD's, home, Peter Pan, in the bed, sleepy head.

It was a good day.

'bout time.