Yesterday I had a bunch of errands to do and we decided that it would be faster if I went alone while The KoH stayed home with the girls. I was out much of the morning enjoying the heady, glorious feeling of being unfettered with children each time I had to get out of the car. There are a lot of things I really love about having kids and I wouldn't trade them for anything on earth, but if someone could tell me how to keep my kids and avoid the in the car, out the car, seat belt, car seat, scream loudly to avoid getting put in the car seat, drag them both with you wherever you go, can't even leave them in the car for a minute because someone might call the cops, rigamarole that you have to go through for every trip outside the home, I might just kiss that person on the lips. (Actually, I think the answer to that request begins with "live in" and ends with "nanny," but that's not really a line item in my budget.)

I had to drop off the cat at home after a vet appointment and then intended to go back out and get a pedicure, something I only do once in a great moon, but when your five year old daughter starts picking the dead skin off your feet, it's time to seek professional help. I ducked my head in the house to open the pet carrier and free the beleaguered beast, and The KoH suggested I take The Dormouse with me. I'd had almost one full hour of freedom so my motherhood guilt was already starting to tell me I was enjoying this too much and neglecting my children. With that one comment, he managed to make me feel sufficiently contrite to cave and let her come to get a pedicure with me.

On the way there, though The Dormouse's improvised song of "Ped-i-cure, ped-i-cure, I'm gonna get a ped-i-cure," I finally asked,

"Do you know where are we going?"

"To get our toenails painted... and then we're going to get a pedicure."

"Honey, do you know what a pedicure is?"

"No."

Despite it being a rather girly thing to do, we had a nice mother/daughter day together. She was thrilled to pick out the most vivid purple nail polish I've ever seen in my life and was fascinated by the paraffin wax treatment they gave me because apparently my heels were that far gone. She even got to stick her feet in the whirlpool and they let her take home the toe separators as a souvenir. What more could a kid want?


The Caterpillar gets her own pedicure... but is unhappy with the size selection of the toe separators.