Nigel was next up for a Mommy Date.  We stopped by the mall and visited Collector’s Paradise to look at the sporting memorabilia.  From there we looked for somewhere to eat.  We thought we might like to try Five Guys, a burger shop we’d heard about.  Two steps in the door and my brain started to process what all those cardboard boxes with allergy warnings were… boxes FULL of PEANUTS.  He picked up on it just as quickly as I, and we slowly backed out the door.  We rubbed our shoes on the ground as we headed back to the car.  Our appetites would not have been very good as we worried about what peanut dust we might wear back into our house…

He then chose T.G.I.F.  I hadn’t eaten in one in close to 20 years.  While we had a nice meal, I didn’t think the place was anything special.  What WAS special was getting to visit with my 12-year-old son.  Oh – his words just revealed a joyfulness in his heart that I often don’t see while doing language arts or mathematics.  It was grand to have that talking time.

Two days later, I had to take the boys to Henrietta to meet their Spanish teacher at the library.  While they were doing their class I took Johanna to Target for our Mommy Date.  Imagine her glee as I did not rush her through the toy aisles!  She was able to linger on each of the pink rows, touching, studying, and, um, yeah, desiring every princess and dolly and animal they had to sell.  She chose to wear her Easter dress, which she called her Aurora dress.  But she couldn’t find her sandals, and thus donned her sneakers.  I kept calling her Sneaker Princess.  She kept correcting me.

Before we left the house, I had told her we could get a slushie and some popcorn.  Yet, as we were waiting there I saw these rice cereal treats on a stick.  Covered with chocolate.  And sprinkles.  Offering her one of those yielded a gasp of elation I hope to remember forever.  She pointed out I had said popcorn, too.  OK.  I have to eat something anyway, right?

I’m not one to avoid sugar…

You won’t see any photos from a date with Stewart.  See – DADDY got to take him out Thursday.  They went to the optometrist and then to Olive Garden.  And then Friendly’s.  But they don’t think like bloggers and we have no pictures to share.  Hmmmm.