Christmas shopping

Today was a fabulous, great, outstanding, fun, exciting, freedomishous day. That's right - freedomishous. Let me explain. Richard works very near to his parents house. His mother watches my kids sometimes (see my recent post). Yesterday it occurred to Richard's mom, Margaret, that I should just send the kids with Richard in the morning and then go pick them up when I'm ready. Really? REALLY? I'd be alone for like 5 whole hours! I get giddy just thinking about it. Really!

So the kids and Richard left the house at 7:30 this morning. I left the house at 9:30 after chatting with my Mom on the phone for a while and getting ready for the day in no particular rush. Then I went to the mall. I went into every store that I wanted. I walked the entire mall - both floors. I went into shops that I had no purpose in going into - it just looked fun. I bought presents for people I love. I scored big at a toy store that was going out of business. I found the perfect gift for my sister and was inspired as to what to get my parents. When I was ready to go, I went.


Let me tell you another story. It goes like this... I LOVE the mall. I love just walking around the stores. I love imagining how great I would look in this or that. Or what shoes I would wear with that. Or what fancy place I would go if I owned that dress. I just like being there. I feel cool and connected to the cool people in the world. Me and the kids go often. But going alone, and with no real timetable, is the total and complete definition of freedom to me. Hence, freedomishous.


So here's to Christmas shopping. And being one of the first people into a mall in the morning. Here's to not having to squeeze a stroller, or worse, a double stroller, through a tiny shop. Here's to not having to mitigate a discussion deciding between riding the train or the carousel. Or forking over the money for riding the train or the carousel. Here's to buying just ONE cookie and eating it all. Here's to freedomishousness.
(*crowd cheering*)

Here! Here!