Wishing

Yesterday we spent some time in Louisville. Steve had gotten a speeding ticket just across the river from Louisville in Clarksville, IN, the last time we went to Illinois. He opted to go to traffic school and was scheduled to go yesterday. [Side note: if you have to do traffic school, do it on Superbowl Sunday - a 5 hour class was 3 hours 45 minutes because the instructor wanted to go to a party.] The boys and I didn't want to just stay home so we dropped Steve off and went to play at the Malls in Louisville.

With our brand new Sit 'n Stand Double stroller, we first headed for Oxmoor. We ate lunch, got Alex his first pair of tennis shoes courtesy of Stride Rite, checked out the Disney Store and then ventured around "just to see" what was there. We happened upon an indoor water fountain and Ethan asked why the money was in there. I told him you can throw pennies into the fountain and make a wish. He thought this was a GREAT idea.

I happened to have 2 pennies. Ethan threw in the first one and I asked what he wished for. He mumbled several times before I could make out what he was saying. You see he was so excited that his wish would come true; his wish "to be a Superman" was going to come true because his penny went into the fountain. He was sooo excited. I said, "you want to be Superman." He said with eye brows bouncing and sheer joy on his face, "oh yes! I wish to be Superman."

He immediately asked for another penny to make Alex's wish. Since Alex was fully enthralled in his dried mangos in his new snack cup, I didn't think he'd mind. Ethan threw in Alex's penny and then told me that "Owix wished for a princess." Me: "He wants a princess?" E: "He wants to BE a princess." Me: "Oh. OK. Well, let's see what else the mall has." E: "But wait. What's Daddy gonna wish for?" Me: "Well, I don't know. I guess Daddy will have to make his own wish because we're out of pennies." E: "OK. I'll tell Daddy to make his wish."

We window shopped a bit more and headed for the car to go check out what the Mall at St. Matthews had to see. First stop - the cleanest family restroom I've ever been into and I've see pretty much every family restroom in Lexington and several others. This bathroom was cleaner than well, a really clean person's bathroom (not mine, because I don't clean nearly as often as I should.)

What did we find when we ventured a bit further? That's right, another wishing fountain. Ethan was downright giddy. We had reloaded on pennies - somehow we only 2 again but that's enough. I asked Ethan who he was wishing for. He was wishing for himself again. Me: "Ok. What did you wish for this time?" E: "I wish to be Superman again. I want to be Superman two time." Me (chuckling at his excitement): "Ok - you can be Superman again." E: "Now I need to wish for Owix again." Me: "OK. But this is our last penny." E (throwing the penny): "Owix wishes to be another princess." (He is only 3 - he doesn't quite understand the difference between a prince and a princess - they are all the same to him.) Me: "OK - Alex can be a prince again, too." E: "But what about Daddy's wish again?" Me: "Daddy will have to fend for himself again, I guess." E: "Yeah, I guess, too."

After a bit more strolling around, we left, picked up Steve and headed for home. We went out to eat back in Lexington and Ethan remembered to tell his Daddy one important thing. "You'll dust have to make your own wish, Dad. We dinint have another penny."