Walking to stop.

Lucy attempts to take Abby down.

It has now become a fact of our lives: there is an inverse relationship between how mobile the girls are (walking, running, etc.) and how mobile we are with the girls (going places 'n stuff).

Jen was busy for the morning, and I was weighing my options. Considering the blustery start to the day, my options were few and grey. In a moment of pure desperation, I considered revisiting my old haunt of choice: the Mall of America! 'Get out of the house. Get some exercise. Start some Christmas shopping, ' I thought to myself. Perfect solution.

I (wisely) pictured how this would go. I put myself in that future situation. I decided it wasn't good.

I opted for a quick walk instead. It's impossible for me to take them and the dog for a walk-walk by myself; one kid will stop, the other runs, or one walks one way, the other runs the other way, or they both walk the same way but are somehow striking each other with tiny fists. As far as I can tell, it just can't be done. The stroller was pulled out.

In all fairness, I did brief Lily extensively that this would be a stroller walk and not a walk walk. This did nothing to stem the enormous meltdown she had when I tried to put her in. 'Twas a first rate hullabaloo. Abby handled it pretty well, but Lily had her heart set on walking herself.

I had to bring her inside and tell her that we weren't going; this sent her through the roof. After she'd calmed down a bit (I should state that, this entire time, the dog is wandering our block, unleashed, unwatched), I went back out to try again. Same result. This time, though, the mailman showed up (he didn't just show up...this freaking guy tiptoed up on me like a ninja and said, "Hi!" from about 4 inches behind my ear. I swear, I about jumped out of my underwear, it scared the living hell out of me), and the delivery of our mail by this mysterious stranger proved to be the necessary distraction for Lils. She watched him walk to another two houses while I got her good and strapped in, and she was - no surprise here - fine for the entire walk.

This drama would have certainly played out in the MOA if I'd decided to do that trip solo, there is no doubt.

But this post has a happy lining, capitalistically speaking. We did end up going to the mall later, after Jen came home. It was a fine, well choreographed trip, and it was only on the merits of having both of us there that it was so.

Finally, I should mention that Jen and I closed the day out by racing matchbox cars around the floor late tonight. Quality Saturday night.

Day two hundred and eighty one.

Lily straining her brain.