Sometimes When It's Really Hot Outside...

... and there's no school, girls just need to go to the mall and find some entertainment.  Today was one of those days.  We browsed in the bookstore and looked at all of the Halloween stuff that is already all over the shelves in the gift shops.  Sophie and Emma squashed any doubts that they are true girly girls by squealing with delight at all of the autumn-themed-fragranced lotions in Bath and Body Works.  They also had their first ever Dairy Queen Blizzard and had their picture drawn in one of those automated photo booths...

Pretty cute, actually.

I feel like such an American spending the afternoon at the mall.  It is funny to see the kinds of things my kids are excited about since they have been USA-deprived for the last five years.  Sophie, for example, is dying to go to Taco Bell since she has never been there.  Both girls are totally impressed with the fact that one can buy a ready-made pie crust in an American grocery store (which I did today).  Crazy, right?  Hopefully we will get out to the blueberry and apple farms later this week and put those pie crusts to good use.

Happy last week of summer vacation... it's the last week for us anyway.  We are savoring our last week without early morning wake-up calls and school obligations.

Eek...right now Emma and Sophie are taking turns holding Lili's hand and helping her walk around the office.  Ugh!  Say it ain't so!