First Gracie and I went to our local rec center for their "letting kids run amok in a padded room" program. This was the second week in a row we'd gone, and it went fairly well. Again she's rather too much enamoured of the lawnmower toy they have there, but it wasn't too bad this time. She wasn't as good about sharing it as she was last week, but then the pushy little two-year-old boy wasn't there either.
I'm thankful for the little things.
But there were several women there that were nursing. Now before you start sending me hate mail saying that a woman should be able to nurse where and whenever she needs to (amen to that!), I wasn't upset that they were nursing in public. I was only upset because nursing was something I wasn't able to do with Gracie. And to see two different women whip out a boob and attach their infants to it like it was no big deal tugs at my heartstrings a bit. Plus they were discussing which La Leche group they attended (I overheard one saying she goes to the hoity-toity island's group, but I didn't hear the reason for it), which bummed me out even more since they had a built-in support group to hang out with and compare stories.
I get a little lonely at times, that's all. It's hard to make friends when you aren't a part of the right moms' group or your kid isn't in the right playgroup.
At any rate, I'd already decided that Miss Gracie and I were going to go to the bakery cafe for lunch because it's just so darn good, and it's a fairly good deal too. For $7 (including tax), we get a large handmade sandwich, a bowl of soup or potato salad or pasta salad, and a drink! If I ever remember my water bottle, then I can get a dessert instead of the drink for the same price, and all their desserts are homemade. It's so much food that it easily feeds both Grace and me, though my mouth still tends to water for the sweets when I'm done, and I don't even have a sweet tooth! Today the special was egg salad, so we had that on rye with bean & ham soup. Yum yum! Then I bought Gracie an oatmeal cookie for dessert. I'm so naughty.
It's a mom-and-pop joint too, so that way I'm putting my money into the local economy, which is always a good thing.
I needed a bit of retail therapy, so it was off to the boutiques and antiques shops with us. Kurt was a doll and had put the stroller in the back of the car before he left for work this morning, which was quite helpful as I forgot my sling -- AGAIN. I went into the children's boutique that's closing its doors and going online, and found some awesome moccasin-type slippers for Gracie that she can't kick off. Yay! I also got her a ring tower made of wood, and the rings are smaller for increasing her fine motor skills.
At my favorite antique store (how many other antique stores do you know that display the Major Award from A Christmas Story in their window from Thanksgiving to New Year's?), I found the coolest things!! I managed to find a nice gift for my friend who turns 30 next month... I don't think she reads this, but on the off chance I'm not saying what they are. But the funny thing is, I got her two sets of something. One was marked $25 and the other wasn't marked, adn the proprietor said it was $15. She thought I wanted them both (which I kind of did, but not for $40), but I couldn't decide between them anyhow. I hemmed and hawed a bit, and she said she'd give them both to me for $15 each. I said okay, and apparently she thought I was haggling, so she dropped the price down to $10 each! So I got both sets for $20. Score!!!
I think she'll love them too. Let's hope!
Then for ME I found the most lovely things... Check them out!!!
It's actually a set of four, and they were $15. They remind me of red Venetian glass, soooooooo pretty. They hold about six ounces, which will be perfect for a nice cuppa when my friends come over.
That store is definitely something I will miss when I move.