Ahhh...The Wonders of Walmart

So it's been pretty quiet here.  On Saturday, Sunshine and I left for a bit while Daddy watched the Notre Dame game.  That's generally a safe decision, especially if it looks like the Irish might play down to their opponent.  It saves me from having to explain to Sunshine why she shouldn't yell at the TV or repeat the colorful new language that she's learned.  

We needed some groceries, and I thought we'd head to Walmart.   I'm generally not a fan of Walmart.  The stores are dirty, the help is lacking.  But the economy being what it is....Walmart is far cheaper.  Anyways, it's also a good place to kill a little time.

We had the best time together.  Ladybug was napping, so she didn't join us.  We got there, and spend almost 30 minutes swinging in the garden center.  She laid her head on my lap, and we spent that time just talking about what we were seeing.  Then we moved on to the fish.  We looked at every tank.  Then it was on to the clearance aisle.  We'd spent almost an hour there by the time we hit the toy section.  She loved it.  Just Mommy and Sunshine time.  I got a lesson on what accessories princesses need.  She showed me how almost every toy within her reach worked.  She rode a bike.  And she talked to me.   We talked about everything.

Sunshine has been fairly quiet lately.  She clams up a lot, especially since school has started.  But just walking with her in Walmart, she really opened up.  She talked about everything.  Her friends at her old school.  Her friends at her new school.  Her teacher.  Colors.  Her favorite food.  We spent 20 mintues talking about what kind of candles she'd like on her birthday cake.  She was a totally different kid.  I'm thinking that it was the one-on-one time that sparked it.  We don't get much of that lately, and it's so incredibly important.  I need to keep reminding myself of that.  We killed so much time just talking to each other at Walmart that the game was over by the time we got home.  Talk about a Win-Win situation.