Winter... brrr...

Wow, so winter is here. Its going to be a long haul! Sam and I have been flying solo a lot this week because Daddy has been tied up three evenings in a row. Wednesday evening was our ultimate mom and baby adventure. After nap we bundled up and trekked up to the Burlington Mall to meet Sam's friend Gavin and his mom. We hit up the new play area which was quite fun. Everything is padded, squishy and new. Its right in the food court so its out in the open. Sam loved it. Then he got Chick Fil A for his dinner. He thought that was equally exciting. After that we hit up all the toy-ish stores the mall has to offer. Wow. What a stimulating evening! But hey, I was out of the house. We have got to find more interesting things to do or I will need to go back to work full time!

Last winter I have fond memories of hanging out with our baby friends and being a mall rat or cozied up in someone's house. Sam is a lot more fun, a lot more predictable and a lot more animated than last winter. However, he is a lot more high maintenance, too. This means the hours of meandering through the mall, pausing to nurse in the cushy bathrooms, are over. Maybe he'll sit in the stroller for a bit, but certainly not for hours and there are no more stroller naps, either. If we get together with friends at a play space or someone's house, new challenges also arise. The kids all go in their own direction. I can't remember the last time I finished a conversation with another mom! Moming a toddler is a lot more challenging in the winter.

So, as this week offers us our first taste of winter, I have to get creative. We will definitely be seeing more insides of malls. This time for the playspace and not the shopping and gelato... Perhaps story time at the library? Museusm? Any other wild suggestions are always welcom.

We're travelling for Thanksgiving this week. We will have Daddy around all week and a whole slew of family. Maybe I can sneak out for a few minutes!? Me time? Nah!