Best Evening Ever!

I took the boys out Friday night after Thanksgivin' for the heck of it. Each place we went, something went bad. First we went to Sam's Club. In the spirit of and consistent with the training of my Sam's Club Sample Snagging Jedi father, we hit up many of the sample stations with stealth and swiftness not seen by most Wisconsinites. Most importantly, we tracked down the cookie sample station where they give away whole cookies as samples. Some 15-month old ham-and-egger singleton was in line ahead of us and the old lady cookie sample giver pumps a whole chocolate chip cookie into the hands of this 15-month old and then pops a cookie to her mom and dad each. When I roll up in the double-wide cart, packing the heat of two cookie monsters, this same out-of-it sample giver gives Donovan and Hayden (who are much cuter than that singleton) one cookie . . . total. So I bust out, "Yo, you know what you jus' did? Kno' wha' you jus' did?" Actually, I said, "Can they each have a cookie?" while looking in the direction of the singleton. Her response was a grunt in a "negative" tone. I then said, "c'mon!" to which she reluctantly busted out a second cookie. I wanted Donovan to crumble them in his hands and then hand them back to her, but we just walked away and enjoyed our cookies. Consistent with my father's training, we only ate samples and did not buy anything. I think we might join Costco.

From there, we went to Toys R Us. The boys hung out with the Little Tykes Fire Engine Car in the back corner of the store, which they absolutely loved. It was nice until a lady approached me and asked me if their mother was shopping somewhere else in the store and how wonderful it was that someone with XY chromosomes and related to the one's he was with by paternity was spending time with his children in a public place. I don't remember how I responded but I was polite.

We then left Toys R Us after about 20 minutes of free play time with the Fire Truck (which I think they may be getting for Christmas) to go to Brookfield Square Mall. On our walk over, we almost got hit by a car speeding in the parking lot. Thank you safe lady driver in the mid 1990's Geo sedan, color blue, for almost taking out my children and our stroller. You just missed us, and we could have used a new stroller.

The best part of the evening happened when we sat down for dinner. This very nice couple was sitting next to the three of us. We chatted for a little bit while I got the boys ready for dinner and I learned they were recently married (five months ago). The woman told me that she "always wanted twins." I looked at her and only smiled, and I did not question whether she was sane or a masochist (but I could tell her new husband was not excited about her exhuberance). But Donovan immediately responded to her by throwing up all over himself and his Brookfield Square green high chair. Probably too much cookie. I then had to clean up barf in front of 20 people. The nice couple smiled and walked away. I do not know if they want children anymore.

In light of the sample lady from hell, the people who do not think a father is capable of taking two toddlers to the store alone, parking lot racecar drivers, and vomit, the most important thing is that Donovan, Hayden and I had a really good time together. I have always enjoyed taking them to the store and the mall. They always love just looking around at the lights, merchandise and people, and they have seen a lot of really neat things, including the Gravedigger, Gilbert Brown. I'd do Friday night over again in a heartbeat.