Memoirs from the Mall

I did it. I bought a superfluous and overpriced ball to stop Keagan from crying. We went to the mall to meet Daddy for dinner and since we were early (because I needed to get out of the house), I went to the toy store looking for more bubble solution and perhaps the Little People School Bus (Keagan's latest obsession is buses). Keagan immediately eyed this small basketball that was in a toy with a hoop and then mesh to catch the ball. I explained that ball went with that toy and we couldn't take it. Well, Keagan proceeded to say "Ball... ball...ball" for about 2 minutes while I hunted for bubbles. We passed by a bin full of balls, so I let him take out a small soccerballish ball with little grippy bumps on it (I had actually seen this ball at one of his playgroup pals' houses and knew he liked it). This made him quite content while I found bubbles and saw they did not have a Little People bus. I get up to the register to buy the bubbles and decide to see if this silly ball is cheap so he can just keep it. I pry the ball out of his little hands to let the sales clerk scan for the price when Keagan's eyes INSTANTLY fill with tears. Oh. My. God. The ball rings in at $6.99. Although I am appalled at the price, it doesn't take more than a split second to decide $7 is not worth what I will go through if we leave the store without the ball. The ball was at the restaurant dining table with us, clutched in the car on the way home, and currently in his arms while Erik reads him bedtime stories. I will not be at all surprised if it's in his crib after Erik leaves.
Other news from the mall includes a new skill for Keagan: drinking from a straw. I was trying to share some lemonade with Keagan (yes, I know, the sugar... but at least it wasn't soda, and it was real lemonade, not Hi-C from a soda machine) who was sitting a little bit too reclined in his stroller at the time, and it ended up being very difficult to gently tip the cup just enough to give him a taste, but not too much where it spilled out on both sides of his mouth and nearly drowned him. I told Erik I didn't think he was old enough to figure out a straw, when I saw a little boy around Keagan's age with a sippy cup that had a built in straw top. Well, if some random little boy his age can do a straw, then OF COURSE _my_ son is intelligent and coordinated enough to do it. I give Keagan the straw. He thinks it's a lot of fun to chew on and is happy to have a new toy. "Keagan do this" Erik says as he mimics the sucking action in his cheeks. Sure enough, about 30 seconds later Keagan got one really good gulp up the straw. He spit the straw out, swallowed the yummy liquid and looked at me with a great big smile. So proud of himself. Then proceeded to shove his face back at the straw.