Girls Day Out at the Mall

So Grace and I are really not "mall type" people.  Well, maybe I was at some point in my past, but since having Grace I could count on my fingers how many times I've been able to get to a big mall.  Grace is just too busy touching everything within her reach, will not tolerate browsing through stores and well, if you've ever been at the check-out behind us, you'll know just how that goes.  So, for the past two and half years, we just didn't go shopping, period.  Not even Walmart, the grocery store, anywhere.  I miss it for sure. 
Fast forward to Saturday, March 14.  Grace had a quick nap after lunch and by 2:30 she was up and eager to get going.  She had already had a good play outside in the morning, Grandpa and Grandma weren't home, too late in the day for a big outing, and we had been home all day.  Maybe we would go to the mall to pick up our latest photos from Sears, I think.  Do a little shopping I think.  Maybe I'll even find a new spring outfit, I think.   
So, we get going quickly since it's now 3:30 and the mall is 40 minutes away.  About half way there I realize I haven't brought a stroller, I only have a couple of snacks and no toys for Grace.  She's getting too big for a stroller so I had never really thought about it.  How was this going to work???  There is no way we were going to survive a trip to the mall this unprepared!! 
Should I go back home?  Rent one of those big buggies I see kids in at the mall?  I kept driving, thinking I would just run into Sears, get the pictures and head home. 
Once in the mall, Grace did her usual, touched every fridge and stove in the appliance dept that is right inside the door we enter, ride the escalator up and back down.  But, once we got to the portrait studio, she stayed relatively within the cash area, strayed once into the photo room but came out when I asked her to.  Could it be that she was ready to go to a mall?  I asked her if she wanted to go out into the mall part, maybe go to the play area.  She did.  Ok, then mommy is going to look in some stores first and then we will go to the play area.
Well, that isn't quite how it worked out.  We did go into a store.  The book store to buy a Paw Patrol book, something I had been promising her for a long time.  We passed by a few places and I longingly looked in as Grace sped ahead of me.  Sigh. 
We got to the play area and Grace took one look at the equipment and she was so excited she could hardly get her shoes off!!!  We've been to the play area before a few times but I guess she didn't remember it, it's been quite a while.  In the past, every time we've been there, Grace has needed me to be with her, following her around from one station to the next.  Today, she walked in there like she owned the place!!  That girl has gained so much confidence in the last year it still amazes me!!!  she played and played and played, checking in with me every few minutes by running over to explain what she was doing, then running off to do it some more.  I was finally able to get her to consider leaving when she came to tell me that she was hungry and I suggested we go to eat at the restaurant (food court!).
So we ended our outing to the mall sharing fries and a salad at the food court.  Grace stayed on her seat eating her fries while I ordered my meal, and minus one incident where she thought she could help herself to the next table's box of timbits, she did amazing, demonstrating more self regulation and calmness than she ever has in such a big space. 
So I didn't come home with a new outfit.  Baby steps I tell myself, baby steps.  One day I hope to get to the point of being able to actually shop for pleasure again.  Instead I came home with something that feels even better, the knowledge that my girl has once again shown me that she is going to be just fine out in the world.