Making memories

It's an odd thing being a parent to little kids. Sometimes getting them to eat requires bargaining and creative presentation. You're frequently congratulated on going potty. They insist that they need help finding a toy two feet away from them, but they're figured out how to escape into the backyard (teamwork. Serious. I watched them.). A Tum makes an infected ear feel better (Steve is picking up the meds on his way home). You know the cartoons on TV better than the current songs on the radio. You monitor other people's intake and output *ahem* and adjust the intake accordingly. It's full of weirdness.
It's also wonderful. Christmas, the first snow, splashing in the water at a beach, stars, sledding, little trinkets, silly little games. These things that fall under the radar of adults are wonders in the eyes of little kids. Having kids (or spending time with kids) can give everything a fresh perspective. Last night I took Ella to MedPlus (an after-hours clinic) because I suspected she had an ear infection. It's rare that one of our girls gets alone time with one of us, so this trip to the doctor was a treat for Ella. She even loved the waiting room. She counted chairs and looked at a magazine and breathed, "I love this place Mommy." LOL. She did well with the doctor, who diagnosed an ear infection. The nurses asked me if she goes to school yet. When I said no, they said she doesn't need to. She got a dinosaur sticker (she picked it over a butterfly, balloons, and a flower) and said she was going to scare Amelia with it. Goofy kid.
The girls have come to expect that if they do well during a doctor appointment, they get a treat from Tim Horton's afterward. Since it was so cold, I decided we'd go inside last night. Ella picked chocolate milk and a donut with tons of sprinkles. I had coffee and a blueberry bagel. Ella picked the table we sat at and as we sat there, she started dancing to the music and swinging her feet. I took a picture and sent it to Steve, who was having popcorn with Mia while they watched Chicken Little. It struck me how much she was enjoying this. I remembered the time Dad took me to Big Boy for dessert one night after dinner. Just me. It stuck in my memory as a special time. Like the time I got to go with him on a trip to Grandpa and Grandma's house (he had a meeting nearby). I got to sit in the front seat and we had cheese popcorn. Memories like those are important.
We needed to go to Target after that to buy a baby shower gift for a friend and more baby wipes for us. Ella helped me pick the card, the toy, and the bib. At the end of the trip we went to the dollar bins and I let her pick out a plush flower with a bendable stem. We picked one for Mia, and one for Nora. She wanted me to have one too, so we picked the last color (blue) for Daddy just to complete the collection. Having Ella with me made the trip fun and memorable. The world is a nicer, more exciting place through her eyes. I love my girls and all they teach me.