Last week the kids and I had big plans to go see a play downtown. We packed our lunch, drove over the Dave's work, walked to the train, caught the train, and walked to the theater with just enough time to buy our tickets and sit down for our lunch. Only problem was I took us to the wrong theater. And when using public transportation/walking this is kinda super bad news. We thought we'd try to make it to the correct theater on foot, but after run walking about a half a mile and finally understanding the written directions enough to realize it was actually a substantial distance for three children and their mama to walk (even when not in a hurry), we gave up. There was a lot of crying. And sadness. And even anger at the crazy mama who screwed it all up. It was pretty sad.
So we walked back to the train, got ahold of ourselves and worked on plan B. We chatted and discussed, discussed and chatted and decided the discussion would be even more fun if our bellies were full. We remembered several benches right next to the ice skating rink in the mall that's at our train stop. The kids looooove to watch the ice skaters and after they finished their lunch we decided that ice skating was the perfect plan B.
They've been wanting to go forever (and I really do mean for-e-ver) so we paid our money, found skates that fit and stepped out onto the ice. Brennan promptly freaked out, screaming and telling the entire mall how I was torturing him by making him stand on the slippery ice. Isaiah and Ellen held onto the side rail and took off.
I let Brennan off the ice and we sat together watching the kids inch their way around the rink.
They stayed within three inches of the wall at all times. And they loved every second of it. They immediately made plans to find a babysitter for Brennan and return the next day and the next. I had to burst their bubble and remind them about how much is cost. Isaiah, never one to let a little thing like money slow him down, immediately asked for a chore list so he could earn the cash to go back. That's my boy!
