Parenting at Its Best...

Some mornings (and by some I mean most these days) the house is a mess and I don't have the energy/will to do much about it. Sometimes on those morning I have a baby who is pretty crabby and doesn't stop crying until naptime. Some days the toddler feels like joining the joy with her own contribution of unhappiness.

But I have a nifty parenting trick.

Just such a happy morning dawned earlier this week, so after morning nap I loaded up the two munchkins and we headed to the local mall (aptly nick named "the small" due to its very limited size). I got a freshly baked pretzel while Paige got her tummy filled with some apple chicken goop.

Give Olivia a cup with a straw and water becomes quite the treat.

The world is a happier place when you are somewhere other than home apparently.

They place those giant teddy bears at toddler level on purpose. When I texted Paden the above picture, he responded saying he hoped I had gotten it for her.

Nope. Meanie Mom had her put it back without even glancing at the price tag.

By the time we got home it was naptime for the girls. Since going to the mall is hard work at nine months old I got a long nap out of the baby.

Success.