2nd Day in Indiana. 1st Proper Day as Family Again.

Today it was the 4 of us together for a whole day. First time in ages we spent a whole day together. As we don't yet have a car we have to walk everywhere. Ben had gone on a few trips round the area to get his bearings and get to the shops before we arrived so he can show us around. We decide that we need to go to the store as I need a hair dryer. My hair does not look good after it dries naturally. It sticks out all over the place. Not a good look. I also need shampoo as kids shampoo is not proving that effective on my hair either. I look like I have been dragged through a hedge, backwards, several times!

So off we go. We decide to go to Walmart. Now Ben has been there before but he went a route that is not really child friendly. Actually it is not even people friendly as he crossed about 12 lanes of traffic to get there! Not my idea of a pleasant walk with kids even if it is the quicker route. I would rather take longer getting there that risk life and limb! Part of the route to the store is along part of the Monon Trail. It is used by people on bikes, runners and people who just fancy a stroll. When we eventually come off the Monon and are walking by the road, I get the feeling we are being looked at by people in cars and that they are thinking 'What the hell are they doing?!'. Walking is not something that many people do here as everything is so far away. A car really is the best way to go. Another problem walkers encounter is that cars can turn right on a red light so if you are at a crossing and you have the little white man showing you it is ok to cross, a car can still come round the corner and the last thing drivers seem to be expecting is seeing a pedestrian!

After about 40 minutes, and lots of 'I want you to carry me' from K, we arrive at Walmart. It truly is an experience that store. Even though we only were going to buy a couple of things, we ended up with a shopping cart full of stuff. Including a new DVD player so the kids could watch Monsters V Aliens.

We buy all our stuff and head out of the store, still with shopping cart. We go to Subway to have some lunch and work out how we are going to get home. Hadn't really thought it all through had we? Ben had brought his handy ipod touch with him and decided to see if he could get onto a wireless connection outside the T-Mobile store that was a few doors down to look for a taxi company. One result comes up and he calls it. Turns out to be a taxi company for pets. Try another number and it goes to answering machine. Well that is not going to get much business is it? As we stand there we must have looked quite a sight. The 4 of us stood there with about 6 bags full of stuff. After a few minutes this woman appeared and asked us if we needed a ride anywhere. Turns out she had been in the restaurant we were stood next to having lunch with her husband and they thought we were either waiting for someone or had been forgotten by someone and they couldn't just leave us there. So they gave us a lift home. I know it could have been a bit scary. Who accepts a lift from a total stranger? Stranger danger! They were lovely people and the woman gave us her business card. She runs a beauty salon and her husband values homes. They are semi retired and very chatty. If they hadn't offered us a lift then we were going to have a very long walk back home as neither Ben or I would have been able to carry either Z or K on our shoulders. I think next time I go to Walmart I am going to go in a car!

As it is Halloween we take the kids out tick or treating. Z goes as Scooby Doo (minus the tail which seems to  have gotten lost) and K goes as a nurse. We go round the apartments near us and knock on doors of people that have Halloween stuff outside on their porch or stuck to their doors. I have never really been a fan of trick or treating as it seems like begging. The kids enjoy it though and they get quite a bit of stuff in their little pumpkin buckets. We actually had no one come to our door. Ben had bought a big bag of candy and it is all still in the Halloween bowl he got. I have no idea what we are going to do with it. I am not sure if I want to eat it though. Smells very sweet. Now that Halloween is over with the kids are now saying that Christmas is next. I need to explain that next we will have Thanksgiving then Christmas!