At the Mall, Part 2

Yesterday Willow and I went out for ice cream. Just me and my daughter. It was in an outdoor mall nearby...I just wanted a change from the playgrounds and play areas we have been frequenting this summer. (Full Disclosure--I am not a big fan of playgrounds--I prefer going on a nice nature trail or hike--but I understand the need for playgrounds and especially understand Willow's fascination with them)

It was a great day for just walking around, eating our (expensive) ice cream. The breeze was cool, although the dark clouds were starting to come in and I knew soon we would have to go inside.

Walking in an outdoor mall reminds me of times walking downtown with my Grammie. As we sit in a gazebo and she finishes her cone bowl of ice cream (licking the remaining remenants of ice cream out like a dog, thus getting chocolate dipped ice cream cone chocolate on her face and a rainbow sprinkle--jimmies here in NE--up her nose), I think how the roles are reversed. I used to be the little girl with her grown up watching and waiting with the napkins.

After the ice cream is finally gone (and a quick spit laden napkin cleaning up) we walk around the mall.

While we sit on another bench, she tells me that she is a superhero (Super.Girl in fact) and that she battles bad guys. (I did not know this!) Also Coco is mentioned. And then...she says plainly:

"Momma, do you want to go into this shop?"

And we go clothes shopping. She wheedles a dress out of me (she is wearing it to preschool today); I find a couple bargains for the fall. She plays with the toys the children's clothing store has cleverly set up.

We leave and she immediately wants to try on the dress. A quick change and we walk around a bit more. I hear some music pumped out on a nearby speaker. And she decides we should dance as the rain starts to fall.

We run to the car and I realize that our first mother/daughter mall trip is over.