parking lots.

now that i have a walking toddler, parking lots have changed dramatically.

first, there's the fact that i'm constantly trying to hold his hand so he doesn't get run down by a car.

but then there are the distractions that i never knew existed:
-license plates. those are letters and numbers just ASKING to be read aloud.
-car colors. they must all be shared.
-any signs of any kind. every letter must be said aloud.
-any people around? well "hi, people!" has to be yelled. over and over until acknowledged.
-any median of any kind filled with anything must be explored. if said median is filled with rocks, plan to stand there for 10 minutes as rocks are picked up and thrown.
-every piece of gum on the ground will be touched. no matter how many times mom says, "ew, please no."
-every crack must be stepped on and the words, "BIG BUMP!" will be yelled.
-anything to climb, walk through, or presenting any interesting texture will be explored.
-if there are trees, we will stop to look for squirrels. if a squirrel is seen, you will be late to wherever you're going next.
-every bird/butterfly/bug will be chased.

basically, the parent ends up looking a bit crazy. and the trip just takes so long. sure, i could herd him along faster... but he's supposed to explore and i'm not technically in a hurry, though generally i have to pee. 

parking lots mean something very different to me these days!