MUST. HAVE. STARBUCKS.

I can't believe I forgot to tell this story... it is a good one!! So I must admit that our kids recognize the Starbucks symbol. For them it is not a caffeine addiction, though, but chocolate milk. (it is yummy too, try the Horizon chocolate milk next time your in there) When we lived in Massachusetts, there wasn't a lot to do on cold winter days with small kids, so we would often drive to a Starbucks (most there had fireplaces) on Sunday afternoons and have milk and cookies and coffee. Anyway, there were only a handful of Starbucks near us there, so this was really a special treat for the week or so. Living where we are now, it is a different story... I think there are something like 40 stores within a five mile radius. So it is hard to avoid seeing one. We try still to make it a special treat, so we have a few stores that are our favorite. Once we get in the area, Max (who especially loves the chocolate milk) knows EXACTLY where to go. Which leads me to this story... My mom and dad were visiting for my birthday and wanted to take me shopping. So we headed to an outdoor mall area. I figured it would be fine for Papa to watch the kids without much of a problem because there is a big fountain by the stores we were going to and they love to run around and play by the fountain. I totally wasn't thinking about the Starbucks up on the second level, one that I sometimes take the kids to when I am buy myself and need a little break, and one that they are totally familiar with. So Mom and I head into the store and Papa is hanging out with Max and Zoey... They run around the fountain for a while and then it was like they planned it...
Zoey went off in one direction (the distraction) and Max took off for the escalator! My poor Dad was trying to get Zoey when he looks up and sees Little Max riding the escalator, by himself, totally on a mission, knowing exactly what he was doing!! You could just see his little head going up, up, up! So Zoey and Papa went up after him. By the time they made it to the top, Max had run to the Starbucks and was waiting for someone to open the door for him! Luckily everyone was okay, they opened the door, and Zoey and Max helped themselves to their chocolate milks!! And Mom and I were oblivious to it all, just inside the store. Thanks Dad, I should have warned you that would happen. :)