Stephanie Saves the Day

As you may have guessed, we were slightly out of sorts this morning.  Riley was still under the weather, and Noelle was that lethal combination of healthy-enough-to-be-functioning-but-sick-enough-to-be-super-crabby-pants.  My stomach still hasn't fully recovered either, so simply put-- we were/are a mess.

I knew my sanity wouldn't hold on long if we stayed in the house, so I texted Stephanie and asked to borrow her Arboretum pass, so we could drive through and, as I told Riley, "look at the pretty trees and flowers."  Stephanie obliged, and in doing so, quite possibly saved me from a mental breakdown.

Naturally, I had to swing by Starbucks on my way there, so armed with an iced caramel macchiato, we ventured over to Morton.

It was just what the doctor ordered.  I sipped my drink and listened to Sara Bareilles through my headphones while the girls rocked out to the Go Fish Guys.  Of course, the morning wasn't totally deplete of asinine conversations.  The following did occur:

Riley bursts into tears.
Me: Boo, what's wrong?
Riley: I have something on my hand!!
Me: What's on your hand?
Riley: A bug!  Bwaaaaahhh!
Me: Oh, Riley-Girl, you don't have to cry from a bug.  Just shake your hand, and it will come off.
Riley: (Blubber blubber)
Me: (pulling over) It's a gnat, Riley.  It won't hurt you.  Just shake your hand or wipe it off with your other hand.
Riley: Want you do it!!
Me: No, Riley.  Big girls need to get bugs off their hands by themselves.  (These words really left my mouth.  Advice for the ages, people.)
(Pause)
Me: Did you wipe it off?
Riley: Noooooo-wahhhhh!
Me: (pulling over again and taking her hand and wiping the gnat off) Ta-da!  See, not hard.

Sigh.  But things like this were easily offset by Riley's beautiful big sisterliness.  As we drove through, I tried to clue the girls in on what we were seeing.  ("Hey, look!  Those are birch trees!")  Riley dutifully repeated everything to Noelle.  ("See, Noelle!  Birch!  Pinecones!  Grass!")

All in all, not a bad morning, and one necessary to restore our equilibrium.  Thanks, SP; you're a life-saver!