Now on to the beginning of classes for Tim, and the beginning of super mom time for me. Monday morning, Tim got up and headed out for class. Dave came downstairs and got in bed with me for our morning cuddle. It's about the only time of day that he is cuddly, so I make the most of it! The kids and I ventured out to the mall because it had been raining since Sunday evening and was predicted to rain all day. It was really chilly out. The temps were in the 50's I think. We all had on long pants, but I actually went back in and put on longer sleeves before leaving the house for good! It was obvious that the locals are used to cool weather even in to June, because most people in the mall had on jackets and warmer clothing than the kids & I had on.
The Tom Tom helped us to navigate to the mall. That thing is really amazing!! I am going all over the place already thanks to its help. Our first stop in the mall was Build a Bear Workshop. The kids wanted to check it out. Rachel made a turtle friend for herself, complete with a shell that's also a backpack and a voice box that says several phrases. David decided to hold out for a Thomas train. While we were in Build a Bear, we saw a couple of the partners from Sloan. They were both from overseas and have been in Mass for a couple of weeks now. We exchanged phone numbers and then headed out to find a toy store for David. The mall has a KB toys, so we felt right at home there. David got a James train. Then we went to lunch in the food court. Jamie had Chinese - Chicken and Mushrooms, almost as good as China Wok's. Rachel went for pizza, and David and I opted for Chik Fila. Afterward we stopped in at the Disney store - they were having a big sale, and David got a Toy Story play set with Woody, Buzz, Zurg, a Little Green Man, Jesse, Bullseye, and Bo Peep. He was quite beside himself!! Then it was time to head home. But, when we got through the downpour and to the car, the Tom Tom wouldn't do anything. I was just a little panicked. I felt ok moving around close to home, but I was very unsure of our path to the mall (a 30 minute drive) with several turns. I called Tim in a panic, and he told me how to reset the Tom Tom. Nothing. So we set out to try to find our way back home on our own. Jamie helped me navigate a little. But we made it without a single wrong turn! I was almost giddy when we got to a place from which I knew for certain how to get home!!
After coming home, we were all very excited to see that Arthur comes on every day at 4:00. The kids and I have all missed Arthur since the PBS satellite feed at home switched to PBS sprout programming all day. So we all piled in front of the TV to watch for a bit. Then it was time to think about supper. Since it was so cool out, we had soup and cornbread. (And yes, I did bring my iron skillet from home so I could make it correctly!) Tim didn't make it home for supper due to a class session that started at 7. I told the kids that we'd probably eat without him at least a few times a week. :-(
After supper, it had quit raining, so we went outside for a bit of fresh air and ran into Jan & Don - our landlords. They hadn't met the youngest two yet, so we visited for awhile. Then they came in to see the treefrog and how Rachel has fixed up her room. They are both very nice folks!! David was sweet at first, but then wanted mommy's attention to be on him rather than our company, so he had to have a time out. Oh well, it's real life! While visiting, Don showed Rachel that we can buzz people in the front door from upstairs - which she thought was totally awesome and had to try out. When I was going down to reengage the deadbolt, David tried to hurry down the stairs after me to get back outside and took a big tumble. It was so scary to see him bouncing and rolling. He rolled parallel to the stairs, rather than head over tail, so he didn't do too much damage before I could get to him. But he did get a big goose egg on the forehead, a bruise on the arm, and he also bit his lip. Two accidents in two days for this poor baby. I hope that this isn't the beginning of a trend!! I swept him up in my arms and sat with him for awhile. It took quite awhile for him to calm down. I know that it must have been really scary for him!! Then I tried to ask him some questions to check on his short term memory and check for possible concussion. He did fine, but it was hard to think of something that he would remember and be able to answer. Tim arrived home during this time, so he loved on David some too. Then it was time for bed for the kids and blogging for me.