Smart Little Shopper

We ran a few errands with the boys this evening and Aidan came up big in two situations.

First we were wondering through one of those department stores with exits all over the place but just one checkout area in the most difficult to find location. Unfortunately we forgot our compass and treasure map. You feel like a mouse looking for cheese just hoping you don’t wonder out the wrong door after you find a place to exchange your cash for the desired goods. I always try to note the merchandise near the door we enter in to. It always seems to be ladies’ unmentionables for some reason though not tonight. I have circled the entire exterior periphery of a store and one major league baseball park looking for my vehicle before. Again, not tonight. Anyways, we were looking for the checkout lanes and a conversation something like this took place…

Rachel: I think it’s this way.
Aidan: No mom, that way.
Rachel: How do you know?
Aidan (pointing upward): The sign says “checkout” and points that way.

Score one for the big little guy.

Later while shopping elsewhere the boys and I found a little puzzle and book station near the dressing rooms. What a novel idea for those waiting while their wife or mother is trying on clothes. I read a few books to the boys. The final one had a number of pictures with text beneath them so I was quizzing the boys. Kellen saw a picture of a roughly illustrated dog and quickly said “puppy”. The dog was identified more specifically by its breed so I pushed Aidan for a more specific answer. It happened to be quite a phonetically challenging breed so I told Aidan I’d give him a dollar if he could tell me what it said. He paused briefly, looked up at me and confidently said “Chihuahua”. Dang! I’m out a dollar. He admitted he’d heard of them before. I knew he didn’t sound that one out.

This dog stole my dollar!

I’m very excited that the kid absorbs so much information and quickly recalls it all. The only time recently that I’ve been able to stump him was yesterday when he suggested we should have brought a towel to the park during his bike riding session so he could go down the slide (without the bicycle, of course). We do that in the mornings when the dew is still fresh but with the recent thaw the slides ended in giant mud puddles. I told him he wasn’t sliding down anything unless he brought his ShamWow with him. I got a very giggly response and of course now he wants to know exactly what that is and how it works. I’m not sure I know what to tell him.

ShamWhatever!