Labor Day Adventures: Shopping, Fishing, Falling, Riding

I decided to take the girls shopping today to take advantage of some of the Labor Day sales. Evidently, we were not the only ones in Whatcom County who had this idea. We didn't accomplish nearly all I'd hoped to, but we did enough. Shopping with 2 in the stroller and one walking is difficult, especially when the one walking is actually running about the children's department at J.C. Penney's exclaiming that she's found something in a 5T or a 2T AND when one of those in the stroller kicks her feet out to make getting through the oh-so-narrow-aisles all the more difficult AND the other one in the stroller is completely unhappy about being in said stroller AND you have to figure out how to push the stroller, look for clothes, keep up with the runner, carry the baby because somehow the Snuggli got removed from the car and didn't get put back in, keep the other one in the stroller from reaching out and grabbing clothes from the shelves or shaking the tables on which the clothes are neatly arranged in an attempt to make them all come tumbling down AND your stroller is about 3 inches wider than said aisles in store. It was an adventure to say the least, but, you know what, we still got some deals so I say it was worth it! What a disappointment it is to shop for clothes for your sweet innocent 5 year old when you realize that everything is skin tight or has slogans like "It's All About Me". It ISN'T all about them (not even a little bit) and I sure don't want them thinking it is! When did it become okay to be proud about being a self-centered selfish snot nosed brat? It's not okay in our house! That's not to say that those attitudes aren't there; they're just not okay!

This afternoon, we headed up to "the pond" to help celebrate Jim and Audrey's 55th anniversary. Jim and Audrey, for those unfamiliar, are friends from church who have taken us in as their own. They are so good to include us on all sorts of family things and it was an honor to help them celebrate 55 years of marriage. They didn't become believers until 20-some years ago and it's a blessing to see how the Lord has preserved them and raised them up to be a wonderful example of what a godly marriage should look like. They give me something to which to aspire.

While at the pond, Mr. Ken took Lainey fishing. She insisted we take her pole up there and Mr. Ken, always being game for 1) anything involving a rod and reel and 2)seemingly anything that brings delight to our girls, obliged her and tried to help her catch her a fish. They hunted for grasshoppers for a time, but unable to find anything that satisfied her desire to catch "The Big One", Lainey opted instead to use herself as bait. That's right, my dear readers, Lainey fell into the pond. Thankfully it wasn't deep where she fell, she didn't get hurt, Daddy was able to rescue her quickly, and Mom always has a change of clothes handy! All was well. Of course she had on her brand new WHITE shoes when she slipped in, but thank goodness for the power of a warm water wash and strong detergent; all is white again! She really didn't let the fall slow her down and they continued to have a great time. Mr. Ken even pushed them around in the wheel barrow for a while (This totally brought back memories of my Granddaddy Comer's green wheelbarrow that he kept propped up by the pump house. I used to get rides in it from time to time!). I'm not sure who's going to sleep better tonight, my girls or Mr. Ken!