The post in which I brag about how awesome my kids are

The girls are sick, again. Just colds again, thankfully--with PJ's exacerbated by some heinous teething--but regardless we've been sticking close to home to avoid spreading germs. I've been trying to take the kids out to places with indoor play areas at least once a week, but this week that obviously didn't happen. Both them and I were starting to get some serious cabin fever, so today I decided to figure out something we could do.

Normally if I'm looking for somewhere to go get a treat and hang out for a bit, we'll go to Crowfoot Valley. They've got a nice little back room with couches and toys, and the girls love going there. But again, because of the germs I didn't want to bring them there and have their snotty hands all over the toys. So instead I decided we'd bring our entertainment with us and go downtown to Dazbog. We packed up their backpacks--PJ's adorable ladybug one with the Nintendo DS and Abby's big-girl one with her Bugsby and book and her magnet dress-up bears. All three are toys that can each play, and they can both play with the bears at the same time, so I figured these would keep them both happy for at least half an hour.

We got drinks and muffins (one blueberry and one lemon poppyseed, yummy!) and set up camp in the back corner. Unfortunately, the only spot left with armchairs that actually had arms was right next to a lady sitting at a table doing a Bible study. I was worried we'd be distracting, so I pointed her out to the girls and we talked about how hard it is to think straight when kids are being loud. I figured if we had to leave, then at least we'd gotten out and gotten a treat and seen the light of day for once.

The girls hopped up into the two armchairs and took their plates on their laps. They both sat and ate for five solid minutes, looking around silently and occasionally drinking their little cups of water that I'd tucked next to them in the seats. When they were done, we swept up the crumbs (someone needs to invent a pocket-sized Dustbuster, I would totally get one) and got out their toys, and for the next HOUR they played quietly, sometimes together but mostly on their own, and they required so little from me that I was actually able to concentrate enough to work on learning a new crochet stitch. At one point the lady looked behind her at the girls, then looked at me and said, "They are so good!" I was so proud of them!

When it was time to go, there was no complaining, no pouting or tears. They helped me clean up, waited patiently while I gathered our trash and cleaned up their seats again (muffins are so darn CRUMBLY!), and followed me out like little baby ducklings. Into the car without a struggle, and home we came.

On the way to Dazbog I started wondering if I was nuts. Sick kids aren't known for their good behavior. Sick two- and four-year-olds are especially challenging when they're under the weather. But wow. I was so impressed and proud--and relieved. This opens up a whole new set of places we can go to get out of the house for a while. Suddenly all the days that we can't go out to 'kid places' don't seem to daunting.