more ducks

This afternoon, we hit the mall. Daryl got some new pants, and while he was paying, Mia ran into a mannequin that didn't have a head. Mia kept looking it up and down, touched its hand a couple of times, but was mystified as to where his head had gone. We stifled the urge to tell her that's what happens to kids when they don't listen to their parents. We mentioned the play area, instead, and she made a bee line out of the store. While at the mall, Daryl and I decided to take Mia over to the duck pond. Telling her about it was bait enough to get her out of the play area and to the car. Once we were close to home, we realized how tired we were and started to head to the house. That was until Mia said 'pond' in a very happy anticipatory tone. Off to the duck pond. We had some Cheerios left over from a snack and the crusts of a grilled cheese sandwich. FOOD! Mia threw her offerings out, and the ducks came and ate, but she really could not understand just why those ducks didn't want to play with her. She walked up to them and squatted down to their level, but they just wouldn't play. She tried to walk right into the pond, but her swift Dada headed her off at the pass, but not before she got her cute boots a little muddy. She put her hand out with some food in hopes that a brave duck would come on over. Nope. Then she tried throwing the food, but it didn't go very far, so she went after it....she ended up playing fetch with herself.

Duck pond: