Why are we shopping here???

Emma and Matthew have both been asking me to get them some skinny jeans. I'm not a big fan of that look, but they have valiantly worn hundreds of Children's Place clearance rack outfits, and they deserved an update. Plus, I know what it's like to want to be like the "cool kids." So I packed everyone up and we headed to the mall. We found ourselves in Tillys, (see photo above for an idea of what kind of gems you'll find in the store.) and I tried in vain to navigate the racks with stroller, diaper bag, and wiggly baby and toddler in tow. Literally, I could not get my whole gaggle to the back of the store where I needed to be. So I stranded my stroller in a random spot towards the front of the store and dragged all the kiddies to the back. If that wasn't enough of a spectacle, at that point Nathan arrived to help me out. He walked into the store and rhetorically asked everyone in earshot "WHY ARE WE SHOPPING HERE???" I guess I hadn't made him aware of my mission to help the kids up their cool quotient.

In the end, I think I was succesful. And if the skinny jeans didn't do it, I"m sure the family shopping trip did the trick.

Tillys aside, what am I supposed to do with these pwe-tween kids? It's so much less complicated to care for a baby. I know how to change diapers and hug squishy tummies. It's these gangly limbs and complicated emotions I don't know what to do with.

Things Ry says that should never be taken out of context:

As we were reorganizing his room: "Well Mom, where am I going to put all my weapons?" He wasn't kidding. He has amassed quite an assortment of old water guns, pirate swords, and ropes fashioned out of belts, that he carries around with him as his weapons. He does not like to separate his collection and so has to have a large space in his room to store everything.

As we were getting out of the car at his friend's house: "Wait. I want to put on my fairy shoes first." He was wearing a Peter Pan costume and wanted to have the full regalia on when he greeted his friends. I should note that this is a girl's Peter Pan costume but we've never wanted to tell him that the skirt bottom is actually a "skirt."