We are here. We have been talking about this trip for months now. The last time we were here was at least 2 years ago, and we are finally back.
Little Lady clutches her purse, her gift card safe and secure inside. Middle Little Lady grips her money in a little ziploc bag. She didn’t want to bring a purse. “This is easier, Mom,” she explains. Little Man has left his money at home; he isn’t sure why he would need it anyway. He isn’t even sure where we are going. He just knows it must be something special because his sisters are so thrilled.
We arrive, park and walk inside. The girls are actually skipping.
As we enter in, my little people are mesmerized. Before us is a vast expanse of, well, things, lots and lots of things. And for a moment, we all just stand there, stunned.
Little Lady breaks the silence, “Where do we go first?” she asks breathlessly. Little Man grabs a shopping cart and looks up at me, waiting for someone to take the lead.
“How about this way,” I suggest and start walking. The girls race ahead. Little Man is pushing the cart through the narrow aisles of the store; I try to navigate him while keeping my eyes on the girls who are bounding 10 steps ahead of us. They are completely captivated by the delights on every single shelf here.
“Buddy, hey, slow down,” I laugh and grip the cart as my boy almost crashes into an elderly lady who smiles and nods. He is pushing that cart so quickly, coming up so dangerously close to countless breakable items.
“Girls, girls, hold on!” I call out.
“Mama, do you see all this?!” they exclaim, eyes as wide as saucers, as we catch up to them. “Mama, look at this fabric! Mama! The silks! The calicos! The colours! Oh, Mama! Here is what I’ve been looking for!!” They are giddy. Both girls has been saving for a sewing kit and some fabric and here we are standing amongst a sea of fabrics…
“Which one should we get?” they ask earnestly as I gaze upon rows and rows of colourful material
“Well, I’m not sure,” I begin, “this one looks beautiful…” I want to be of some assistance.
There are a dozen reasons we haven’t been to this store for years: lack of time, lack of necessity, and perhaps the biggest reason – the endless supply of goods displayed all around us here is just too much for me. I get overwhelmed by all the choices; I have even been prone to hyperventilate here. But today, we have made the trek. Today, for my little people, being in this ubiquitous store that others more crafty than I dash in and out of on a regular basis, is a pretty big deal.
Little Man tugs at me… “Mom, when are we going to get to the boy stuff?” He looks around at all the sewing supplies and fabric and beads and fake flowers and stares up at me with his big eyes. “Mom, where IS the boy stuff?”
I hug him and laugh. My girls, lost in wonder, my little man trying to be patient with his older sisters.
The girls gather up their treasures and we search for the boy stuff now. We pass candles and baskets and lamps and vases and no boy stuff yet.
“Mama, look at all this stuff” Little Lady proclaims, still mesmerized by it all.
Middle Little Lady is entranced with her own goods; she is ready to go home. She’d rather be outside anyway.
And then we spot it. Aha! The boy stuff! Little man dashes to the aisle with dinosaurs, toy soldiers, animals… he’s found it. His eyes darting at all the goodness before him on this one shelf. We pick out a pack of toy soldiers that he clutches close to his heart, and we make our way to the cash registers. We are done.
Money that’s been saved for months and months now, gift cards that have been patiently stored away until the right day…my little shoppers are satisfied. Little Lady swelling with pride that she has had the chance to swipe her gift card and sign her name on that little machine for the very first time. Middle Lady swinging her ziploc bag of leftover money; Little Man holding my hand. We made it.
I am watching these little people in the rearview mirror as we drive home, listening to their eager non stop chatter. Designs for dresses that will be sewn for dolls! Battle plans that will be won for toy soldiers! Three hearts are brimming with excitement. I’m treasuring all of this right now. I breathe it all in. That priceless thrill of discovering something for the very first time, of seeing anew. Of earnest anticipation and innocence and the newness of it all. Sure it’s only a huge store filled with things that in the past has left me overwhelmed. Sure, it’s not a mountain top with a breathtaking view. But my little people are growing and at every turn, I am observing them discover the world for the very first time. There is something so beautiful about all this, seeing the world from their eyes.
And it takes my breath away every single time.
Tags: children, discovering anew, growing, homeschooling, learning, perspective