Darek sat quietly on my lap, Mia ran loudly around the room and then out of the room.
Darek whispered as we looked at the fish. Mia ran up and down the aisles yelling, "Here fishie, fishie, fishie!"
Darek slowly and conscientously chose which books he wanted. Mia indiscriminately threw one book after another off of the shelf and onto the floor. With Mia screaming in my arms and Darek walking quietly behind me, we left.
And I'm sure we'll go back. There's not much else to do in the winter.
Mia, at home, is the easiest child on the planet. She entertains herself all day long. She is charming and happy and independent.
She's still happy when we leave the house, but her independence means she runs everywhere except for where I am. She gets into everything. It makes me crazy.
Darek, at home, is ridiculously difficult. He is attached to my hip and wants me to do everything with him. He does not give me any breathing room.
When we leave the house, he's incredibly easy. He listens well and is entertained by what's going on around him. It's the best way for me to get some space.
Darned if you do and Darned if you don't...
After the library, we went to McDonald's. Darek and Mia were best buddies - she's too little to pull herself up in the play area, so he'd give her a boost and they'd laugh all the way down the slide.
But when Darek made a new friend, Mia was on her own.
