Girl's night out!

Every week, Joel works late one night and Hannah and I are left to fend for ourselves. This has turned into a ritual "Girl's night Out" where we go and do whatever we feel like doing. Most times, Hannah wants McDonald's or ice cream or to go to the Chinese Restaurant and eat inside. All big doings for a five year old. Last night, we ventured to the grocery store and picked out something special for dinner. I picked crab legs and shrimp. Hannah picked a kid's meal with mac and cheese and pizza and the little ice cream bites that Edy's makes. We also picked up some other needs and wants. Hannah pushed the mini cart which are store has for shopper's who are only grabbing a few items without much incident. We then proceeded to self check out where Hannah scanned every item, bagged it all nicely and put the bags back in the cart while I paid. She even sat up on the counter alongside to enter the codes for the fruit so it could be weighed. She did a great job. She loves to help.

The amazing part of the entire thing was another mommy at the scanner behind ours was admonishing her little boy and said to him, "Look at that little girl and how good she is being. You need to act more like her." I looked around for other children. Hmmm. Did she mean my little girl, Nah, couldn't be, but she did. She meant Hannah. Wow!!! My Hannah, the good little girl. My little girl being so good and well behaved as to warrant attention from an envious parent. Could have knocked me over with a feather. I smiled and told the other mommy reassuringly that this is not always the case, but I appreciated it anyway. I gave Hannah big kiss for being such a great helper and such a good girl. She looked up at me with her big eyes and said, "I love you, mama."

Such a perfect girl's night out. My heart melted all the way home. And once at home, it was a tear free, meltdown free night too. Yay!!! I don't know if this is going to stay, but I'm grateful for the time we had together.

Days of Whines and Neuroses

Things were so much simpler with Gary. He was an easy child. Hannah not so easy. She's been hormonal since air first hit her lungs. I don't quite get it. I am usually patient and tolerant but this little child can push buttons like you would not believe.

Today, we went to Chuck E Cheese for a birthday party. It was just the two of us today cause Daddy had to work. We had a great time despite the torrential downpours flooding the East coast right now. Any body see the Penn game today. LOL. What a mess. So drenched though we were, we played and partied and sang and used tokens. Hannah had a blast. She didn't put up too much fuss when it was time to go. The little plastic inducements they sell you for a gross of tickets helped.

We then went to the library. This was good and bad. I had to return some books on Cd that I had listened to last week. I love these for the drive to work, since my reading time is limited by college. I get there and the place is packed. Today was the last day of the used book sale. There are literally 100's of people meander through. This makes me nervous as my daughter is not exactly the best at staying with me. So, I grab three new CD's and take her to the children's section to look at the book sale items. What does she pick? A Santa Claus coloring book. The fact that we celebrate Hanukkah and she has had little actual contact with the pudgy guy in the red velvet suit is completely lost on her. I tried to gently persuade her to another choice but she was having none of it, so fine we color Claus. I'm cool with that. I then grabbed a few classics, The House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder and Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Not bad for book sale stuff either. I then head her out to the children's area to pick some books to take home and then the trouble started. She wanted to use the computers. I told her she could use the computer at home if she was good, but not today at the library there were too many people and all the computers had kids at them already. She whined, stomped and made faces. I then told her if she didn't pick books right away we would just leave. More stomping and then sitting. Now, there is no way I can do anything in a room full of witnesses that will not result in DYFS and she knows it. Then starts the "Hannah, let's get a book and go." .... loudly and with dripping sarcasm the cute one says, "NO!"
Okay, I calmly try to figure out how to do this. I can not leave her and walk away cause I'm panicked by the crowd. I cannot pick her up as I'm holding books. I could dump the books and pick her up, but Damn It I came to get the books and coming back later is more time I don't have. So, I cajole, bargain, beg, and try to engage the young little demon who sits smuggly saying No over and over. Finally, enraged. I get her up and in a chair and set books in front of her. She is disinterested. I throw them in my bag and tell her it's time to go. Suddenly, she's fine. She wants to look at the videos. She quitely picks two.

Then the really good part happened. The speaker announced that the book sale was ending in one hour and that they were now having a bag sale. All the books you can get into one bag for $3.00. Woo hoo!! So, we went to the grown up section and I got 3 Nora Roberts books. She is my new favorite author for light reading. John Jakes, Savannah. A Barbara Taylor Bradford book "Silent Night" and two others that I had heard good things about, but hadn't read. I'll let you know how I like them after I read them. All were hard cover and in exceptional condition. Plus the books I picked out of Hannah all for three bucks. So, despite the nonsense with grumpy girl, we managed to get a great deal in the bargain.

So, you never know. Sometimes, the stress has a payoff later. Today it was books. Who knows what tomorrow holds? Hopefully, no more whines.