You can’t buy this at any souvenir shop

So this was what I saw out the window first thing every morning.

And this is what I spent my days doing.

And this is P and me on our way to one of our many restaurant dinners that didn’t involve a booster seat or using a salt shaker as an entertainment device.

Monday night, after our dinner out at Harbor Docks, we stopped by one of the many Wings stores to buy a few souvenirs for Caroline. It took everything in us to resist the urge to relive our youth in the form of an airbrushed t-shirt. I was really rooting for “P and M FOREVER” with some intertwined hearts and a unicorn.

Because nothing says love like an artistic rendering done by someone who is paid minimum wage at a tacky souvenir shop.

Anyway, we knew we needed to get a stuffed animal because we found out through the grandparent grapevine that Caroline was expecting a stuffed animal that she planned to name Isabelle. We found a little stuffed Nemo-esque fish complete with carrying case and also picked out a bright orange t-shirt with a cartoon shark that says “Here Comes Trouble”.

Clearly we are fans of the tasteful, understated souvenir.

I thought we were done with our guilt gifts until I received a voicemail message from Caroline on my cell phone reminding me that “I sure do really like bubblegum”. So, when we arrived at the airport yesterday morning, I added a pack of BubbleYum to her sack o’ gifts.

The good news is that I managed to balance out the weight in our suitcases so that American Airlines wasn’t able to rob us blind with another $50.00 overage charge.

Although we did have to pay THREE DOLLARS to enjoy a bag of generic Trail Mix on the plane.

THREE DOLLARS.

TRAIL MIX.

It’s just a matter of time before they start charging you to dole out the soft drinks. Mark my words.

We made it home, unloaded our bags, and I went straight to Mimi and Bops’ house to pick up Caroline. P and I couldn’t wait to see her. And as much as I thought I missed her, I knew the minute I held her that I’d missed her even more.

As soon as we walked through the door of the house, she wanted to see what we had brought her. I pulled each item out of the bag and they all received an enthusiastic response. She put on the shark shirt that will make me question my judgement for the remainder of the summer and started chewing her way through her pack of BubbleYum.

A few minutes later, she followed me as I carried her suitcase into her room so that I could begin the laundry marathon. I started unpacking and she bounced up and down on her bed while she watched me.

All of a sudden she let out one of the largest, loudest toots I’ve ever heard.

If she were a dog she would have frightened herself.

She looked right at me and said, “That’s your welcome home present.”

My delicate flower.