For those of you who don�t know, the Mall of America is a large four-story mall with an amusement park (Camp Snoopy) in the middle. The top level consists of several bars and a movie theatre. There are four food courts as well as various restaurants scattered throughout the mall, filling the air with aroma�s that make you mouth water and your stomach rumble. The stores themselves are diverse, anything you want or need can be found.
We did a little shopping, though not much due to the astronomical prices. I just can�t see spending a hundred dollars on a pair of jeans when I could get several outfits for that amount elsewhere.
I let my daughter rids a few rides in Camp Snoopy. I enjoyed watching her face light up with each turn of the train. I enjoyed the sound of children�s laughter and for a moment wished things could be that simple again. I was briefly saddened by the thought of my baby growing up. At that moment she came up and hugged me, the sadness was instantly replaced with joy.
Before we knew it, it was time to leave. As I reached to open the doors, I braced myself against the inevitable blast of hat. Much to my surprise, we stepped out to find the temperature had dropped drastically. I glanced up at the sky and noticed that it was more green than blue. Having lived in Oklahoma, I knew what that meant. Tornado weather!
I rushed home and turned on the television. Sure enough, we were on a tornado warning and the county to our west was under a watch. The news reported that several tornado�s had been spotted with two confirmed touchdowns.
I started pulling boxes and other items out of our downstairs closet. Once it was empty, I started putting sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows in to form a bed.
My daughter came to see what I was doing and asked why I was making a bed in the closet. I hesitated before my answer, pondering how to explain a tornado without scaring her. Since The Wizard of Oz was her favorite movie, I decided to use that as a reference for my answer.
When I had finished explaining, she ran to the sliding glass door. I was a little puzzled, so I asked what she was doing. She turned to me with an innocent look on her face and said, �I am watching for the witch to fly by of course.�
I guess I didn�t explain it as well as I had thought.
It was a hot and humid June day in Minnesota. To escape the sweltering heat, my daughter (then three) and I decided to go to the Mall of America.
For those of you who don�t know, the Mall of America is a large four-story mall with an amusement park (Camp Snoopy) in the middle. The top level consists of several bars and a movie theatre. There are four food courts as well as various restaurants scattered throughout the mall, filling the air with aroma�s that make you mouth water and your stomach rumble. The stores themselves are diverse, anything you want or need can be found.
We did a little shopping, though not much due to the astronomical prices. I just can�t see spending a hundred dollars on a pair of jeans when I could get several outfits for that amount elsewhere.
I let my daughter rids a few rides in Camp Snoopy. I enjoyed watching her face light up with each turn of the train. I enjoyed the sound of children�s laughter and for a moment wished things could be that simple again. I was briefly saddened by the thought of my baby growing up. At that moment she came up and hugged me, the sadness was instantly replaced with joy.
Before we knew it, it was time to leave. As I reached to open the doors, I braced myself against the inevitable blast of hat. Much to my surprise, we stepped out to find the temperature had dropped drastically. I glanced up at the sky and noticed that it was more green than blue. Having lived in Oklahoma, I knew what that meant. Tornado weather!
I rushed home and turned on the television. Sure enough, we were on a tornado warning and the county to our west was under a watch. The news reported that several tornado�s had been spotted with two confirmed touchdowns.
I started pulling boxes and other items out of our downstairs closet. Once it was empty, I started putting sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows in to form a bed.
My daughter came to see what I was doing and asked why I was making a bed in the closet. I hesitated before my answer, pondering how to explain a tornado without scaring her. Since The Wizard of Oz was her favorite movie, I decided to use that as a reference for my answer.
When I had finished explaining, she ran to the sliding glass door. I was a little puzzled, so I asked what she was doing. She turned to me with an innocent look on her face and said, �I am watching for the witch to fly by of course.�
I guess I didn�t explain it as well as I had thought.
