I saw her for the first time in a year yesterday.

My son and I were visitng with my mother and sister at a restaurant. They had called me while I was shopping at the mall for Christmas presents. Feeling beat, I thought it would be nice to sit and chat with them. I told them I would meet them in an hour.

I ventured to a store, trying to find something to buy for my mom. This year, our budget it tight, (what year isn't?) and I was looking for something inexpensive but nice. She means a lot to me, my mom, and I didn't want a cruddy gift to represent my feelings for her. My teenage years dwelled in the cruddy gift department. Unfortuntately for me this year, the year we have no money, she asked for iron floor lamps for the living room. She mentioned hand lotions are always nice too. So there I was, looking for hand lotion that she would love as much as iron floor lamps.

The store had lots of smelly stuff, candles, and make up. The products screamed at me. "I'm the BEST! Better than REGULAR hand lotion! Only 25 dollars!" The colors were vivid and bright, emphasized by the store's high-watt light bulbs. I pulled my sun glasses over my blinded eyes and swerved around another display table. There was a product for every skin condition possible. Dry skin, oily skin, cracked skin, blistered skin, white skin, black skin. Oils and lotion for tanning, make-up to conceal, candles to cover smells, candles to eliminate smells. Something for everyone. Except me.

I was overwhelmed, decided to leave, and headed for the elevator. Shopping with a stroller is great because I don't have to carry my son the whole time, but the down side is taking the elevator. There are always three or four other strollers waiting for the elevator. Strollers that never move side to side easily. We end up hauling the enormous things to a side as our kid's head sways uncontrolling, trying to fit everyone in the box on a rope.

I love watching the other mom's relate to their kids. Most of them were in a bad mood, stressed out and tired, trying to be nice to their innocent kids babbling away about nothing. There were two girls who, thankfully, no longer required a stroller, but absolutely had to hit the floor's button we were trying to get to. Both of them had to hit it. Twice. Kids are great because they have no inhibitions what-so ever. They'll talk to anybody they feel like, point at babies like they are the rarest, friendliest, aliens ever. I love it.

I smiled at them as they eyed Harper, who was passed out, his arms up around his head. Why they were up around his head, I don't know, must have been confortable for him or something, but it sure looked funny. His mouth was wide open too. I should have taken a picture of him. That would have been perfect to put a caption by his face, "I'm spent!".

Our wild ride in the box on a rope ended and we spilled out from the doors. It was like the scene in Titanic, (ok, ALL the scenes in Titanic), where water busts through a glass window and begins filling the boat with it's icy fury. The girls ran out, each headed in a different direction, the mom grabbing one by the sleeve and pulling her towards the other. Joining side by side, they trotted a few steps ahead of their mom who no longer hid her exhaustion. She ambled behind them, her head slightly back and her feet dragging. I would've thought she was drunk, but her balance was too strong to be inebriated.

I needed to go down one more floor. The brilliant mall architechs decided to put each elevator in a completely different spot to go to the next floor. I can't take just ONE elevator to go to the first floor. I have to walk through the food court, which is always packed with starving, grumpy people, or obnoxious teenagers who dart their eyes about, looking for acceptance, looking for the reactions of strangers to their loudness. I was on a mission. Harper and I formed a frieght train and began charging towards the next roped box. Harper was unconcious still, but I'll still give him credit. Even though we were a massive entity heading towards them, people made no effort to get out of our way. So my effort to make a bee-line was deterred. I decided to spare their lives. This time. Next time, forget it. I'll be so stressed out from shopping I won't even care. We'll just flatten them, Harper and I, with our SUV stroller.

We finally made it to the elevator. This particular one pings really loud, making Harper jump each time it did. I love watching his eyes open partly and then dissolve closed, resealing themselves in slumber. Also joining us, was a father and his son, who loved to talk REALLY LOUD. I think Harper just got used to the kid's voice, because after his first startle, he rejoined his dreams quickly and stayed there.

The doors parted and we were free. I pushed Harper around the corner, right by the kiddie corner, and stopped. I was lost in my mind. I had to refocus. I asked myself out loud, "where are we going?" I identified myself on the first floor. We were going to the car. Then to meet mom. But why were we on the first floor? We are parked on the THIRD floor. Why did I go to the first floor? AHHHRG!

I returned to the elevator, pushed it's button as fast as I could, expecting the doors to fly open in anticipation of my hurry. Nothing. I stood there as the doors parted and families spilled from it's guts. I swung our party aside and let them pass and you know what that elevator did as I pushed Harper towards it? It closed it's doors! It denied me entrance, which I thought particularly unfair considering my situation. I retaliated and hit it's button again. Since it had not parted to the ONLY other floor it visits, I was granted entry, but only because I was fast enough to play.

Two elevator rides later, we were at the car, Harper still out cold. I parked the stroller by his door, thankful he was still asleep. I tossed his bag in the back and took a second to stare at his peaceful face. So angelic, so perfect. I smiled and took a deep breath when suddenly, head lights flashed on me. Expecting a car to drive by, I began unhooking his lap belt. The car did not drive by, in fact, it stopped behind me and offered it's annoying, blinding light so courteously to me. I did not look up and stepped in front of my child to shield him from the rays. I picked up Harper and as his head flopped on to my shoulder, I sat in the car and strapped him in while my "friend" waited for me, still shining his light. Then, I put the presents I bought in the trunk and reached over to fold up the stroller. This stroller is so cool because all you have to do is twist the handle and the whole thing flops down. I packed that up as well, hopped in the front seat, and got the car going.

I reversed, and as I did, I noticed another car had pulled up at my friends adjacent side. I felt a little tension between them, but they lay their differences aside to back up and let me out. I felt like a celebrity, them letting me pass and all. I should've waved, but as my friend zipped into my spot, I remembered him blinding me and denied him.

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Not done, but that's not the point. I'm just trying to work on my detail writing. :o) Merry Christmas!