As Lila would say, “It’s sunning outside!” « The McClelland Family

Today we were blessed with blue skies and warm(er) temperatures, so Mary and Lila rode Kevin and I pushed M&L on their tricycles to a playground near our house, then we stopped at Cafe Javasti for coffee, cookies, and milk on the way home.  It was the perfect way to spend such a beautiful morning.

Mary wore their cute new Lila's polka-dot sweaters this morning, which brings up a funny story (well, it's more like one of those things that I realize is funny after the fact, but at the time I'm seeing stars and cussing under my breath).  Kevin's parents sent the girls a package with these sweaters and some other spring clothes/gifts.  We needed to go pick it up at the post-office because we weren't home when the mailman tried to deliver the package.  So after work on Monday, I psyched Mary and Lila up by explaining that we were going to stop at the post office on the way home to pick up a box that was a present from Grandma Julie and there would be a cute new outfit in the box.  They were totally into it…"Yeah!  Poseofisss!"   "Oh, cuuuuuute!" and one of my new favorite comments they make when they're excited about something, "I SOOOO happy mommy!  You happy mommy?"  We arrived at the post office, waited in line, and handed over our package slip.  The post office worker gave me our box and we were about to head out the door when  Lila let go of my hand.  I turned around to get her and saw that she had taken off her jacket, was holding her arms in the air struggling with her shirt sleeves, and saying, "Clothes off mommy!  Yaya new clothes on!"  I explained that we would open the package at home and then if she wanted to put on her new clothes she could, but Lila wasn't having it.  She sat down in the middle of the crowded post office and proceeded to cry, beg, and plead for me to change her clothes.  Awesome.  So, I grabbed her under one arm, grabbed Mary under the other, grabbed the box, my purse, and Lila's coat with my 3rd arm…oh, wait, that's right.  I only have TWO arms.  Thank god for teeth and a neck–did you know you could hold a purse under your neck, a coat with your teeth, and then balance a box between a toddler's head and your shoulder?  Well now you know.

We made it out awkwardly, but alive, and as usual we managed to provide entertainment to complete strangers.  And when we came home and opened the box, Lila was as happy as a clam to try on her new clothes.

Not a bad view from the slide at Wedgwood Elementary!