Busy Outings

Today was a very busy day!

Smiley used to have a limit of three stores before he would melt down, frustrated at switching so much between being in and out of the car. But today we managed ten!

I've never heard of "shopping patience" as a developmental milestone, but perhaps it should be.

We went to St. Vincent de Paul's because they are currently accepting donations of styrofoam peantus and we had a big box of those to get rid of. Then we went to REI to return a plastic mug that made tea taste like plastic. Next to REI is a Used Bookstore I have been curious about, so we stopped there and Smiley got two Little Golden Books. Then we went to Hartiwck's to return a strange kitchen gadget I had bought as a joke gift for my aunt, only to have my wife had remind me I had given her one years ago. Then we drove to the local State Tax Office to pay our quarterly taxes so I would not need to do so next month during the busy days as the Winter Term started. Then we went to Toys 'R Us to buy a car window shade for Smiley's window. Then to True Value, where we returned a salt and pepper shaker set we did not need and bought more storage boxes for Smiley's closet. Then to OfficeMax to donate empty inkjet cartridges. Then a snack at the Supreme Bean coffee shop, which was supposed to be a treat for Smiley but he was too busy flirting with another customer to eat. Finally to Safeway, since we needed more organic whole milk before his nap.

Whew!

Can you tell I don't like driving somewhere just to return something? Items to return tend to collect in the car's trunk for a month or more, and eventually I do a bunch at once.