I skipped today's run in favor of an outing to the Berkshire Mall. If you aren't from the area, you may still recognize the name, as it received a bit of notoriety last year when some moron with a criminal record tried to sue the mall administration after a video circulated showing her walking into a fountain. Yup.
I worked at this mall for several years during high school and college. In fact, it's where I met my wife. This was the first trip my son and I took to the mall together, so naturally I had to take him to the place where his Mommy and I got to know each other. Before that, it was essential that we stop at the pet store, pet a few puppies, and stare at a lizard or two. Having accomplished all that, we continued on to what is now F.Y.E. Immediately upon entering the store, I recognized its smell as if I never left. Hours of my life were spent on the cheap faux-wood floor and rarely cleaned carpet of what was then known as Record Town Saturday Matinee. The only things that have changed about that store are the name, employees, and inventory. Tapes and laser discs have been replaced by Jeff Dunham plush toys, some sort of headgear called a "laplander", and action figures from movies I've never seen. It didn't make me miss working in retail one bit. The four minutes or so that we wandered around in FYE were plenty, so we moved on to the next store.
I have recently been surprised by how many people want to talk to me- well, me and the baby. This was never more true than when I walked into The Shoe Dept. A college-aged clerk greeted us as we entered the store, which was not unusual. However, he engaged me about my son's Phillies attire, and we continued to talk as I inched away from him. We shared little but a common interest in baseball, but his similarly-aged coworker came over and asked a few questions about my son. They were watched and smiled as he walked/ ran around their store. I couldn't believe that two guys their age would have any interest in a baby, but we spent at least 10 minutes talking and playing in their store. We didn't buy anything, but we did learn something about how awesome my son is.
The next stop was lunch at Taco Casa, an on-again-off-again local franchise. While I knew that we were going to have lunch at the mall and remembered to bring water and snacks, I neglected to bring other essentials such as a bib or washcloth. I gambled (and won) by not using a bib at all. I was especially pleased with the result because I used a standard-issue plastic spoon to feed him, and he has never eaten from of anything other than a soft plastic baby spoon. I was also able to use his unused water and some napkins to clean the soft taco remnants off his face and hands. This was easily the quickest and easiest meal he's ever had.
We visited a few stores after lunch, but I had band practice in the afternoon, and he needed a nap. He slept for about 35 minutes on the way over to the school, and was in a really good mood as I got set up. He danced for most of our short practice, occasionally stopping to pull off a sock or throw a toy out of his play area. He seemed genuinely excited that I remembered to bring along his little drumsticks.
Unpleasant situations become much more bearable for him when he can hold something. When he let it be known that he didn't enjoy "swimming" lessons, we brought along a bath toy for him to hold. The only time this trick hasn't worked is when he had to have a routine blood test a few weeks ago. Nothing could have saved that day.
After band practice we stopped at PopPop's house for a quick session of taking magnets off the refrigerator, shaking music boxes, and staring at the ceiling fan. My son also carried on an adorable conversation with my dad, actually responding at the proper times and pausing for replies. Words are coming soon, I'm sure. Mommy was already home and waiting for us when we pulled up to the house. And with that, we were already more than halfway through our first week alone.
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