month ago, we took a trip to “Up North” with baby. He did really well in the car - slept almost the entire way, except for five minutes of crying when we hit construction.

Last weekend - we weren’t so lucky. We drove to Toronto to celebrate my grandmother’s 97th birthday. A normally 4 1/2 hour drive became a solid 7 hours coupled with the stress from service centers on the 401/403 being about 1 hour apart (e.g. do we need gas for say, the next 80 km?) and when we had barely trekked 50 km on the 401, we heard what sounded like a flat tire only to find out that the huge plastic part protecting our undercarriage had cracked and was dragging on the floor. (This is to say nothing of the two massive poop explosions in the car which are now really not worth mentioning and the torrential rain downpours on the drive home )

My mother’s side of the family does annual gatherings now because my grandmother is, well, she’s 97 years old - so we feel like every year is worth celebrating. Unfortunately with the baby’s schedule, we made it to just 1 1/2 hours of her birthday celebration before he hit the wall. I got to have about 10 minutes worth of conversations with my cousins who drove the 11 hours from Boston. It was sad but really - who has normal conversations when little kids are at the dinner table?!

So, this week - I’ve spent it packing up our bags to go home to Seattle. I’ve written friends and asked them for their best encouragement and advice about our connecting flights home. In response, I heard about the little guy who vomited all over my friend and her husband, and another little guy whose diaper kept on leaking all over two changes of clothes. So, our fingers are crossed!!!! Maybe it’s kind of like the birthing experience  - once you go through it, you realize it wasn’t so bad after all.

I admit I go to the Mall a lot. I know the jist of almost every stores’ specials on a weekly basis. I can recognize sales people.  I notice when sales people get new uniforms.  I know that baby will wake up when we walk into Sears (because it’s so dang musty in there, I think their AC is out!) and I know that there will always be an asian gathering of Maclaren strollers at BabyGap.

It’s a bit sad.

And despite wanting to try new stores at the Mall, I somehow just can’t set foot into Coldwater Creek or Chico’s. I know, both are a bit old fo rme, but Coldwater Creek looks so darn comfortable and who can pass up peeking at what the heck could be 70% off.  I keep thinking about something MC told me a few months ago.

MC heard a conversation on WTKA sports talk radio.  about how you know your marriage is headed downward (or - you know you’re not going to get any love), when your wife starts shopping at Coldwater Creek or Chico’s and she comes home with a sweater with a salmon on the front.

This isn’t meant to offend any of you who might shop at Coldwater or Chico’s - or those who like salmons on their sweaters (and I guess if you can afford to pay full price at either place, you can afford to be offended). But man, I keep thinking - I know I don’t do my hair every day (okay, never),  but I just can’t commit my marriage to that direction just yet. 

I guess if I ever come home with that salmon sweater that I thought actually looked cute. That’s when 1) I know I’ve been staying at home for a little too long without proper socialization, AND 2) I’ve been in Tree Town a little too long - the only place in America where wearing CROCS with a suit in court is not considered contempt of court.