Wishing for More Wishes

It's cold and snowy in our city today, and after cabin fever creativity had resulted in a plastic scuba diver with a broken leg, an entire Yahtzee game gone awry, and a fireman carefully poised atop one blade of the ceiling fan, it was time to leave the house.

To the mall we shall go, my little men.

After we had visited the puppies, guinea pigs, and bunnies in the pet store, and after we had ridden the escalators up and down and up and down and up and then back down, we visited the fountain. I only had dimes and quarters in my purse, and I'm not so much about tossing those in by the handful, and the boys weren't interested in the time investment of traveling to the food court to trade a dime for ten pennies.

So, they called on their own ingenuity: they climbed the rocks, leaned over the side, held one another's feet for safe keeping, and gathered pennies of their own from inside the fountain.

I'm pretty sure there is something unethical or illegal - or at least unsanitary - about that. But it's not like we kept them. It was entirely a catch-and-release system. Oh, look, a penny. Toss. Hey! A nickel! Two pennies! Toss, toss.

So, since we weren't pocketing the change for our own lunches in the food court, I think there's only one thing really at risk: the wishes. I think there is some fairytale rule that says you can only wish on a penny once before you toss it in the fountain. After that, maybe you're wishing for someone else's wish again, or wishing their wish for yourself. And when I think about it that way, my children probably retrieved the pennies of children who wished for a new baby in the family, for new teeth for Christmas, or for a pet snake.

All of which I can say are effectively not happening anytime soon for my kids.

Anyway, it all worked out in the end. An outing for us, pennies for them, a break for me, and dry clothes for all. Somehow.

And maybe those count for a few granted wishes.

Another Kind of Crayola

The boys colored all over each other's bottoms with magic markers today.

They chased each other in circles, like a puppy chasing his own tail, with markers in hand.

Yep.

Scribble, scribble.

Who Keeps You Safe?

"Mommy, I just saw a big truck by the sidewalk. We need to be safe," Tyler reminded me, from his post in the backseat.

I had been walking with him to our parking spot, so I can personally vouch for his safety. Still, never hurts to affirm.

"You are right. Who keeps you safe?"

"Um, Mommy."

"That's right. And who else?"

"Daddy."

"You're right. And who else?"

"Um, Mommy."

"Yes, Mommy does, again, but so does God."

"Right. God keeps me safe."

Ready to share the wealth of this learning moment, I said, "Tucker, who keeps you safe?"

"I would just like to be quiet right now."

Well, okay.

Fair enough. As long as you know, somewhere in your sweet little head.

Thank You For Noticing.

Last night, to ring in the New Year, Robb cashed in some hotel points from a year's worth of business travel. The boys stayed with my parents, for a New Year's Eve Bash with Grandma and Poppa: complete with hats, balloons, a buffet of their favorite snacks, and ice cream before bedtime.

We dropped the boys off, and Robb and I ran happily away for the night.

Robb spared no expense with his hotel points, and we stayed at one of the nicest hotels in town. When we checked in, surrounded by high class of all kinds, Robb and the host behind the counter exchanged various pleasantries about Robb's loyalty to their hotel chain, how many points he had accumulated, and my, what a year of travel.

And, then...

He said, "Ma'am, we would like to personally thank you for your loyalty as well. We know that when a businessman accumulates this many nights away, it is the spouse at home who makes the sacrifice. May we upgrade your room this evening?"

"Why, yes. Yes, you may. And may I say, you have just made my New Year by saying so."

And with a few click-click-clicks, he handed us the key to our room on the concierge floor. We were upgraded to a suite with a living room, bedroom, 1 1/2 baths, 2 closets, robes, slippers, a jacuzzi terrace (translated: on the roof), full view of the fireworks, complimentary cocktails, appetizers, and breakfast, and living space larger than our first apartment.

All thanks to my loyalty.

(I told Robb we should invite some people to join us... it felt nearly wasteful to have that much space, all to us, for one night. But, um, no dice. It was just us. And it was so great.)

Not a bad payoff. And not a bad way to ring in the New Year.