Schultz Party of Four

We were enjoying Day 3 of our Four-Day-Fall-Family-Adventure. My little brother was lamenting his school's decision to implement a business-casual dress code and decided that he would hit up JC Penny to boost his wardrobe of jeans and t's to the more classy khaki and polo. I was contemplating the ridiculousness of dress codes, maybe its my generation but I would prefer a uniform to a dress code personally. That is unless the dress code was elastic pants at all times, in which case I might go for that.

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The girls were pleased-as-punch to forgo Pennys and climb all over the foam play structures, which surely have a better name than that but I am coming up short at the moment. The space was walled in on three-and-a-half sides to keep the kidnappers away of course, so I sat on one of the perimeter benches and observed.

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Carolyn immediately removed her shoes and ran to the nearest climbing apparatus without batting an eye. She climbed triumphantly from oddly-shaped piece to oddly-shaped piece all the while observing other children with a little wonder, a little caution and a lot of friendly smiles. After a few minutes she approached a taller foamy-thing that had not yet been summited by any of the other children. She was motivated and her mad-monkey-climbing skills were more than ample to get her to the top lickity split. She stood triumphantly on the top with hands outstretched like a rock star, but after no one cheered she shimmied down to the next obstacle. Upon seeing that she had, in short-order, defeated all heights and tunnels she moved on to her second favorite thing...people. I watched in amazement as she approached a group of little girls, some obviously older than her, or taller at least. She walked right up and said with complete confidence, "Hi, can we be friends!?!" The girls nodded in approval and she turned to run as they followed her around the foamy-friendly-structures. One could hardly imagine this child's mother ducks behind the aisles when she sees a potential, former, or current friend at the grocery store. I had to wonder where she got her friendly-skills?

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And then there was Julia, much less friendly and much more timid. Every twenty-seconds or so our eyes would meet as she anxiously combed the sidelines for sight of her Mama. I would smile to try and encourage her, and she would seem satisfied, at least for another 18 seconds or so. Every now and then she would run over to my lap, lean against my legs as though this was how her battery was recharged, and ask "What should I climb next!?!" I would make suggestions but the darned play-pin-of-a-space was only equipped with about four foamy-features and she quickly was hearing repeats until I finally said, "What would you like to climb?" Her mouth just curled up to one side in apparent contemplation but her eyes seemed to say, "Look lady, I know I'm supposed to be a kid-and-all and enjoy this crap, but its germ-covered foam shaped like who-knows-what...what is fun about this, and how much longer do I have to fake enjoyment?" I offered my lap as a concession given that her sister was still in the throws of complete enjoyment, but she declined reluctantly.

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At one point Carolyn hollered out her sister's name just to make sure the three-and-a-half walls had indeed kept the kidnappers at bay, and when she was assured that it had, she went right on with her new-found companions. Finally Christopher emerged from Pennys empty-handed and decided Walmart would really be where it's at.