Mall crawl

With temperatures well above 95 on Saturday, we ventured to Tyson's Corner for an air-conditioned shop fest. Greta bought her second ever pair of sneakers from Stride Rite. The clerk who helped her try them on kept calling her "he."

Greta decided the price was right -- $48!! -- and was very pleased to wear the shoes out of the store and carry the bag with her old shoes in it, just like Daddy remembers doing every summer after shopping for school sneakers.

Lincoln needed a nip after the shoe shopping, so he and Mommy set off for Macy's, where Carey had heard the women in the fitting lounge were particularly kind to nursing mothers.

Daddy and Greta headed to the LEGO store, where Daddy was shocked to see a Star Wars Millennium Falcon heavily advertised to arrive this fall -- and it could be yours for just $499.99. (Click here to purchase, I dare you.) I swear I built one myself in 1977 with Elmer's glue, pipe cleaners (remember those magical things?) straws and cardboard. Greta had a blast at the play table. She built a tower with 18 small pieces in it. I counted.

We topped off the day with a romp at the playland conveniently located near the food court. We last went there about five months ago and it was amazing to see how bold and confident our little girl has become. Sorry, no good pictures. But trust me -- she climbed and slid and mock-jumped (still refuses to leave the ground with both feet) for 30 minutes.

All in all, a lovely way to spend an otherwise too humid weekend in your nation's capital.