Makes My Monday: Shopping Buddy

As much as I try to maintain denial, my kids are growing up.  So many things that I used to do for them are now things they do themselves, or things we do together.  I understand on some level that this is all an important part of getting them ready to launch, but it never stops surprising me.

Gone are the days of mom getting up to make a big breakfast for the family.  Now they hit the kitchen one at a time and make their eggs exactly the way they like them.  And while they're not coffee-drinkers yet, I notice every time one of them flips on my Keurig coffee maker to dispense hot water for their tea or hot chocolate.

Perhaps the most notable shift is the way we shop.  When the kids were very small I bought adorable outfits and brought them home and they wore them.  Then came the point where they actually had to try on things like jeans, so I went with them into fitting rooms.  Then of course, the girls preferred to make all of their decisions themselves and I was even banished from the "try on and admire" step.  Now if I'm lucky, I'm allowed to be in the store at the same time they are.  Jungle Boy on the other hand, would be happy wearing the same clothes every day, so his story is different.  He probably wouldn't mind if I came home with a bag of clothes every six months.

I was so surprised this weekend when Wasabi Girl wanted to go shopping with me.  Usually it falls on me to do 95% of the Christmas gift shopping.  I don't mind, but it's a big job and takes a lot of planning.  But just like she grabs an apron and inserts herself in the kitchen, Wasabi Girl jumped in and brainstormed over my lists with me.  She picked the store to hit first, and even split up the list so we could find things at the same time.

It was just like being out with a grown-up shopping buddy.  It was golden.  It meant someone else to help carry packages, to make decisions with - "do you think he'd like this one, or this one better?"   She was the perfect company for lunch and while she restrained me from a few impulse purchases, she also was absolutely insistent that we buy that tin of peppermint bark.  She was right.  We needed it.

Having another "grown-up" around to help pull off the holiday makes my Monday.  To see other Monday-makers visit Cheryl at Twinfatuation.