Friday, June 11, 2010

south of the border shopping adventure...

Since it was raining...and we both had reasons to go south...yesterday seemed like the perfect day for us to brave the border line-up...and head to Bellingham. I stopped by to pick up my two passengers and we weren't far down the road...when Heidi mentioned she was feeling somewhat car sick.  Oh dear...some things haven't changed over the years.  She was just an infant when we realized that car rides did not make her happy!  Road trips of any length always called for 'gravol' before leaving home.  Maelyn seemed quite happy on her own in the back seat...singing along with the Cedarmont Kids.  The nice man at the border didn't keep us long...and we were soon at our first stop, Ship Happens...where Canadians pick up their parcels without having an American address.  When I returned to the car with parcels in hand...
 

...Maelyn was sitting in her corner enjoying a banana.  Hmmm.  I asked Heidi if she knew that no banana had ever been eaten in our car before.  She seems to have forgotten our 'no food in car' rule since she's left home.  The rule hasn't really changed...but Grammy decided we would bend it...just this once.

Soon we were back on the road...on our way to Joanne's Fabrics.  And this at my daughter's request...the one who doesn't sew!  We didn't get very far before we realized...Maelyn is more like her mommy than we might have thought.  It seems she gets car sick as well!  Uh...oh!  Poor Maelyn.  Her clothes soon lay discarded in a bag...and with no spare set along...
  

...she agreed to wear mommy's sweater and scarf.  She sat and shivered while mommy cleaned up the backseat as well as she was able.  We decided to postpone Joanne's Fabrics...and opted to stop by Target first...where we were sure to find an outfit that would fit Maelyn a little better than the one she was sporting.
 

She looked rather like a seasoned shopper...flipping through racks long after we had her outfitted.
 

I love that she checks the labels!  I'm thinking she has seen it done that way. 


She was not really in a hurry to leave this place.  Just outside the store was a playground...


...where it seems she met up with a friend.


After a little coaxing...we were on our way to the fabric store.  The trip home was uneventful!  Maelyn was happy with her new Carter's outfit...and slept soundly in the back seat...while mommy kept her eyes fixed on a spot straight ahead. 

There are many good reasons to shop at home.  If only we had a Target...and a Joanne's nearby.
    
  Have a wonderful weekend!
 

14 comments:

  1. Yes, a Joanne's would be nice on this side of the border! That's a place I have to stop every time I go that way....in fact at the end of next week I'm going to do just that!
    I love the shots of your little shopper - what a sweetie!

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  2. Loved your post! You are a good Grammy....bending the rules and all! That's one of the perks of an empty nest....we get to keep a clean home and vehicle! Irving, Texas is just as isolated from the 'necessities of life' apparently as YOU are in Canada! NO Jo Ann's fabrics or any other art/craft/sewing store at ALL! However we DO have a Target so I best not complain! Happy Shopping!

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  3. I have found in my life as a grandma, there are times one just has to break a few rules. Because our middle daughter is like your daughter, I could relate to this car sickness happening. And, how often have accidents happened to the grandchildren and extra outfits are not packed in the bag. This was so cute watching your granddaughter flipping through the clothes at Target. Joannes and Target are within a few minutes of my home. I think it would be better is I would have to cross the border to shop at these store:)

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  4. My that little gal is a better shopper than I am!

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  5. Funny how plans change when your traveling with children! I'm sure we all have some stories to tell about that! Our Joanne's closed a few years ago. I always enjoyed shopping there. And we love our Target...glad there is someone to give Wal Mart some competition!!

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  6. What a wonderful ladies' day out! I can relate to Heidi, sure makes travel difficult at times.
    We're headed south real soon now, and Joanne's will be one of our stops as both my sis-in-law and I are quilters and need to take advantage of the bargains to be had. Next month, it'll be even better, when the HST means we don't have to pay Washington state taxes any longer!!

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  7. She is adorable! I used to get car sick when I was younger and still have issues if I'm in the back seat. Once when we were younger I actually got sick on my sister. Ugh, she was ready to kill me...lol.

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  8. I had to smile at your no food in the car rule.. we've always had that too .. saves a lot of cleaning on the weekend. I don't know if any parents today have that rule and it has gotten broken a bit in our car now too. Doesn't make for a very happy Papa.

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  9. Great shots. Too bad about the girls and car movement! Ugh. Glad you had the right store close by to come to the rescue! :0)

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  10. We had a very firm no food in the car rule too. .but now I often find myself tucking a smartie or two in the hands of my grands before they go home in their own vehicles. We understand the car sick issue well over at our neck of the woods . .oh the times a carseat has gotten a power wash here by Grandpa .. .we've lost count.
    Very fun post.

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  11. Do you have any rules about no barfing in the car? ROFL! Oh my! As one who gets carsick and as one who has a daughter who gets carsick (unless she drives...hmmm...), I have a great deal of empathy for this situation. You are a natural story-teller, Judy!

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  12. What a great adventure. I used to live in Blaine, WA. We often made the trip north to BC. We always loved it there.

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  13. My daughter always got car sick as a child! Even now she likes to be the driver as she feels better traveling in a car that way.

    I've bought many Carter's outfits for my grandson..I like their designs and quality for the price.

    Luckily I have a Target nearby but Joanns is very far away, and craft stores like Michaels. Maybe that is a good thing as I save money that way...lol!

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  14. I am going to remember Maelyn's trick for how to get a new outfit!

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'The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.'
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson