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Warning: two moms loose inside a Gymboree

Yesterday, we FINALLY were all feeling well enough to get out of the house – hallelujah! So we met up with Friend and the boys at the mall to let the kids play together in the play area, and to hit a few select stores.

There’s a sale going on at Gymboree, and Friend and I had a blast. While the kids were (sort of) distracted by the TV in the store, we did some selective shopping of the clearance sales. There were some pieces that I really wished were in the right sizes, but I did pretty well. I bought a few gifts, as did Friend, and I found a beautiful little sundress for Ane (and matching hair ribbons) for next summer (it’s a size 5). We could have spent all day hunting for good deals and cute stuff in Gymboree. However, the kids could not, and when they started climbing the displays, we knew it was time to go.

We took a brief detour into Gap Kids, where boys’ T-shirts were on sale (both Friend and I have an interest in boys’ T-shirts), and I found a lovely white cardigan for Ane on the clearance rack. Friend also took a quick run to JC Penney’s, where she bought black pants for the boys – they are going to be in Doc’s sister’s wedding later this month, so they needed black pants – and we treated the kids to pretzel sticks at Auntie Anne’s before turning them loose at the play area.

On the way to the play area, Ane was so busy trying to talk to the Brain that she walked straight into a store window. It jutted out in front of her and she was so distracted that – thunk! – she made contact. Honestly, I think she would have done the same thing if it had been a solid wall, but it was just funnier that it was a clear window.

The play area wasn’t that crowded, which was nice, and the kids truly enjoyed themselves. Friend and I parked the strollers and kept a careful eye on them. Tad was the happiest I’d seen him in days. I could really tell that he was feeling like his old self again – climbing, sliding, crawling through tunnels, and burning off more energy than he had in a while. It did my heart good.

And THEN… Tad began to run.

The play area has an open entrance and exit, which means that little feet can easily slip out unless vigilant mommies are standing guard. And right outside this open way… there is a kiosk with motorized toy cars running on tracks.

In other words: an irresistable, evil lure that calls small children with its siren song. And Tad gladly succumbed to its call.

However, I had a plan.

Every time he snuck out, he got an automatic 2-minute time-out, buckled into his stroller. This made a strong impression on him, but not strong enough to stop him. Friend and I even moved all of our gear to the entrance/exit to better stand guard once the people sitting there left. Still, Tad had at least 3 time-outs. Even with that many time-outs, I felt that the playtime had gone very well. The kids had been needing to burn off some nervous energy for days, and with the weather and our health being so variable lately, this was a pleasant turn of events.

And then they took decent naps. Praise God!

And Friend and I earned Gymbucks! So we will just have to go shopping again. Together, because all of out stuff was on the same receipt (Friend had the better coupon). Oh, darn.

One Response to “Warning: two moms loose inside a Gymboree”

  1. Little Cousin's Mommy
    June 13th, 2007 18:07
    1

    Gymboree has great stuff, but I hate it when parents don’t keep an eye on their kids and just send them to the TV. When we were at the mall last weekend, some little girl – bigger than Little Cousin – just came up and shoved my baby out of her chair, where she was sitting nicely watching TV with a couple other kids – whose mom was nearby. Oddball witnessed this and said there was no parent to be sen for the shover. Little Cousin was very upset and fussing from the injustice, so her daddy took her out of the store while I browsed.