Memorable Moments....Or Not

I work part-time, so often on the days I'm home with my children I try to get them out.  This one morning I woke up and I thought, I'm going to plan a special day for the kids today.  We'll just have lots of fun all day.  We needed to go grocery shopping but I decided to put it off in favour of a child-friendly day. 

In the morning I took them to the Royal Botanical Gardens.  We looked at all the plants and flowers.  There were stained glass items placed throughout the gardens, and we tried to find them all.  We watched the fish swim in the fish pond.  We noticed the different colours of the flowers and the shapes of the leaves.  Ryan and Ella ran up and down the ramp and played hide and seek.

Then we went and I bought Ryan some new winter boots.  The boots he had were too small and every time he wore them his socks would get wet, and there's nothing I hate more in the winter than wet and cold feet, so I bought him roomy and warm boots in his favourite colour blue.  I also ordered boots for myself.

Then we went to the Marble Slab Creamery, and I let them have whatever toppings they wanted mixed in with whatever flavour of ice cream they wanted.  Ryan had Kit Kat AND mint patties mixed into maple ice cream.  Ella had chocolate ice cream with rainbow sprinkles.  I got a no-fat frozen yogourt smoothie with fruit.  (See 'Wagon' post.)

Then we went to the second-hand store and I bought Ryan pants and they each got a new video and a puzzle.  I wanted them to get a book instead of a puzzle but they each wanted a video, and I thought, "Okay, it's their day.  Go ahead!"

I thought it was a great day!

That night at dinner, my husband asked Ryan what he did that day.  I looked up happily, an expectant smile on my face.  'Here we go,' I thought excitedly.  'Ryan is going to talk about how much fun he had today and how special it was!'

Ryan thought for a second, and then said nonchalantly, "Oh, mom ordered some boots."

That was it.  That was all he said.  He resumed eating his dinner.

I think my head dropping on the table face first may have made him pause.  He stopped with his fork in the air, eyeing me interestedly.  Then he thought again and said, "Oh, yeah....and we had ice cream."  He went back to his dinner unconcernedly.

I started stammering about the Royal Botanical Gardens, and new puzzles, and so on, but it was no use. 

I may as well have taken them to the spa and had a manicure and a pedicure! 

Oh yeah, and the other morning I was pulling out of the parking lot at the hockey arena, and a man ran over and knocked on my window to tell me that my coffee mug was on top of the van.  I mean, I don't know why I keep doing that!  I only had my hands full with my 3 year old daughter, and a huge stinky hockey bag, and a bag of snacks and water and toys to keep the children who are not playing hockey occupied, and a doll and a stroller that SEEMED like a good idea at the time (see keeping child occupied) but in fact was a horrible idea because I ended up pushing the stroller (not something I really felt like doing although the doll IS pretty cute) and I swore I would never, ever again bring it, and I forget my train of thought....but I guess that's also how I forget my mug....anyway, you see where I'm going with this.  That nice man also agrees that I could use a little time at the spa!