Right on Target

So last night we took a family trip to Target before bedtime. Don't hate us for our cosmopolitan lifestyle. But there we were, cart full of all manner of items, and ready to head home...when Emie got an idea. Now this is not altogether uncommon, for the girl to get an idea and certainly not uncommon for her to have an idea for fun. She suggested that we all head to the Target cafe for some refreshment. You can probably guess that this was not something that Dirk or I would readily file in the fun category... but the girl is persuasive and it is hard to resist unmitigated cuteness. Emie sees a bistro, a chophouse, a bar and grill where the rest of the world sees a hot dog stand.

So we ordered up some fruit (and I do use the term quite loosely) smoothies and gathered around the formica. Well Emie was probably the only one who wasn't surprised to find that it was incredibly fun. Staring across the table into those precious faces was enough to melt me to a puddle. And they looked back at us with the joy of lottery winners as they sipped their treats through plastic straws looking into the faces of some of their favorite people: us their lucky parents. Life is rich indeed.

Well Dirk seemed to be feeling the joy as well since it wasn't long before he had made his way up to a poster size print of a glass of bubbly pop. And, to rave reviews he stood sideways next to it pretending to drink it down in big gulps. I thought I might need a bathroom run I was laughing so hard. Now it doesn't seem that funny right now but in the moment it was the greatest. Emie, not be outdone made her way up to a poster size print of popcorn an pretended to shovel it into her mouth by the fists-full. Ainsley love was laughing so hard I thought she might slide right off of her little stool.

I will remember that night for a long time. The kind of night that makes the sometimes long days especially full. The kind of day that makes you eager for tomorrow. But what I hope I don't ever forget is what I learned from the resident five year old. The lesson that plans are best held loosely. That sometimes for all of our adherence to schedule and routine we often miss the most hilarious fun of the spontaneous.