last weekend, we went to the mall to let emma run around and socialize at the inside playgym where all the cool kids hang out.  since emma is on her way to being cool in her own way, we thought maybe it would be nice for her to learn how to make friends.  the idea went a little easier than we thought since a lot of the older kids ended up approaching her instead. 

there was this one chinese girl who must have been 3-4 years old who apparantly thought emma looked like her imaginary friend who she’s been seeing for 3 years, because she was all over emma.  she followed emma like a shadow, and occasionally took her hand to lead her to some activity.  after countless hugs and persistent wandering about, emma grew frustrated and started crying.  after the girl left to go shopping, prolly at New York Co. to buy a cinch belt, emma started having a little more agency.

there was this one boy though, prolly 3 years old, half white half chinese who took quite an odd fancy with emma.  he shadowed emma’s strange behaviors.  unfortunately, he had to leave, prolly to go to Zales to buy a ring.  but i’m thinking, as life usually has an uncanny way with things, we had already left when he returned.

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i get such a kick out of seeing emma play.  yesterday, there was this one dad who turned his attention away from his son for prolly just a couple of minutes, and next thing you know, he’s asking every parent if they’ve seen his two year old.  the people in the restaurant near the playing area directed him to jcpenny’s where the little boy prolly wanted to buy a go-diego-go backpack.  they alerted code ADAM, that even i wanted to search for the boy.  if i was in that poor father’s shoes, i’d be sooo worried myself.  but unlike other kids, i’d prolly find emma at the shoe section at macy’s, licking black pumps or wedge shoes.  anyway, after 20 mins. or so, they managed to find a fiesty, amused little 2 year old boy, scared of his father’s countenance.  nevertheless, he was carried away in a hug, and after such an ordeal, hugs are the only way to end a story.

i don’t know why, and this baffled me a bit, but as i was searching for the boy, i went to the cooking department.