Today's trip to Franklin

I love independent toy stores. They are wonderful, stuffed full of playthings that are as much fun for grownups as for small people. And the one closest to us right now, is Imagination Station, in Franklin.
Their 5th anniversary is coming up this week, and to celebrate, they're having all sorts of sales and events. Today, they had all puzzles at half price, which was wonderful, because I have been thinking about a ravensburger (I realized I can't pronounce that properly, it's german) puzzle for Jaiden's Birthday (and for everybody else, too). It's a great puzzle, it has three different parts to it with big, medium and small pieces, so that everybody in the family can work on it together. Why didn't someone think of this before? Obviously, I didn't think of it before now, either, but it is such a great idea, that now, it's like 'duh!'.
Unfortunately, I can't go in that store without buying more than one thing (I'm sure the toy store dosen't mind that at allll) and this time, we wound up with a whole bag of goodies. Two ravensburger puzzles, a sand scoop, a packet of stretchy dinosaurs for Little J, a chirpy soft chick toy for Little G, and a teeny little glass penguin for Little Sister (all the little people are 'Little'. Makes it easy for me to name them on here). Oh, and two board books, too.
Afterwards, the kiddos(G and J) and I went over to a bakery for chocolate chip cookies. Benjamin's Bakery. They are the absolutely yummy baked goods...and the little ones entertained the staff. Especially when Little G tried to take off her jacket, and ended with a cookie stuffed up her sleeve. She was dancing to the music, and don't you get warm while you're dancing? She just kept a firm hold on the cookie, and it didn't quite fit through the sleeve.
And Cami, the trip to the bakery is why we didn't visit Clementine's today. I wanted to, but the boy said no when I asked him if HE wanted to, and, well, they were both covered in chocolate. Temptation said to visit the yarn store, but then reason said "do i really want to take sticky, grumpy little kids to the store? no, no i don't."

I haven't been knitting much. Gloria is to the stage that if she see's me sitting down, she wants to sit on my lap. Or, someone says they need to use the potty. Or they need food. Or, someone's screaming....I'm about ready to lock myself in the bathroom and PRETEND I'm taking a bubble bath, so that I can actually knit in peace....and that's a measure of how desperate I am, as I haven't had a chance to have a real bubble bath in months...

See all ya knitters tonight at Panera's!