Quinn also drew two pages of coins and asked for my help to cut them out. As we were cutting, I explained how currency is different around the world, how U.S. dollars are the same color, but some countries have various colored paper money and sometimes different colors for different amounts. We looked at coins and talked about how some larger coins are worth less than smaller coins. I found some money from other countries for us to look at, some U.S. dollars and coins, coins from Canada, Austria, Germany, and Czech Republic, and some coins and CFA francs from West Africa. I explained how Austria and Germany no longer use those coins, and they now share Euros with several other countries like several countries in West Africa share francs.
While I was searching for the money from West Africa, I came across this VHS tape:
It's still in it's shrink wrap. I wonder how many people actually learned to use and take care of a washing machine by watching a 30 minute video.
Quinn asked if we could put away the Halloween decorations and put out the Christmas decorations today. I said sure. It's earlier than we usually put them out, but why not?
She also asked if we could light a fire in our fireplace. I explained that our fireplace doesn't work. Our house is very old, and the fireplace was meant for coal burning. It's too small for wood burning without having the windows open to help create draft for ventilation, and the chimney isn't clean and safe for burning. At least that's what we were told by the house inspector. I'd like to get it retrofitted one day. There's a company in town that puts in small gas fireplaces while keeping most of the old surrounds.
Quinn told me that she saw a show where kids got pieces of coal in their stockings, but it was mixed up and the naughty kids got toys while the good kids got coal. Somehow it was all fixed in the end.
We decided to do some clothes shopping and to get Quinn's eyeglasses repaired. On the drive there, we saw a train. Quinn pointed out how it was very long, and I pointed out that it was full of coal, probably headed to a power plant. I explained how coal is burned to make electricity.
We also saw a small flock of birds swirling around a bit. I told her that some friends had shared a video on Facebook of thousands of starlings flying around, that it was called a murmuration, and that it was a sign that winter is coming.
When we walked into the children's consignment store, Quinn immediately approached someone behind the counter and asked if they had a pink long sleeved shirt and a purple long sleeved shirt in her size. The woman showed us where to look, and we found everything Quinn wanted: a black jacket to wear with her Hatsune Miku outfit, a pink long sleeved shirt and pink pants to wear with her pink dress to be like Seraphina, and purple long sleeved shirt, purple dress, and purple leggings to be like another Fijit Friend named Willa. One of the shirts had a stain on it, so I helped her find one that was in good condition. The pink pants fit at the waist, but are too short. She really wanted them though, so she'll figure out if they are too cold for her for winter or not. We can always get another pair if needed. She also picked out pink and purple winter hats with ear flaps and a Penguin picture game where you get a clue then have to find that in a card of pictures, sort of like I Spy.
Buying most of our clothes used helps us live well on one income, plus I like the recycling and reusing aspect. I didn't explain that to Quinn though. I'm not sure she even notices the difference between buying new or used and the different stores, and there's no need for her to worry about our finances.
Those might be the only clothes we buy for Quinn this winter. She tends to wear outfits based on characters and pretty much stick with that one character at a time. I have bought multiples of the same outfit to make sure we have a clean one for her to wear each day, but lately she's talking about wearing four different outfits this winter "all different colors."
While I was paying for our items, Quinn showed her doll to the cashier and to girl and her mother who were admiring it. She showed it's features, told them what colors it comes in, and told the mom where she could buy it. She said that she is planning to get another one in purple. She also told them that she wants other things for Christmas, so she is going to get the purple doll later for her birthday.
Our next stop was the mall where we got a missing nose pad on Quinn's eyeglasses replaced. She was patient while waiting for a woman to get her glasses, but she showed the women her robot doll when they asked about it and gave a demonstration.
We only go to this mall a few times a year probably, and we usually go to the candy store there. Yes, Halloween is not long past, but these are not the kinds of candies you get trick-or-treating and they are a special once in a while treat. Quinn picked out vanilla jelly beans, strawberry jelly beans, banana shapes like Runts, gumballs, and some pastel mints. She told the cashier that she was "3 + 3."
Quinn likes to walk around the mall a bit, so we got some drinks and walked. It takes her a while to step on to escalators as she is nervous. She practiced riding them a few times today anyway. We also took the elevator a few times and also used stairs. Once I asked if she wanted to take the elevator or escalator, and she said she wanted to walk farther to the stairs "because they are good exercise." She made up a game of the winner being the slowest person to walk down. We both walked slowly with her right behind me.
We paused near a giant fireplace. Quinn asked if it was real. The fire was real, but the wood was not.
We sat on a bench for a while. The mall was already decorated for the holidays. I told Quinn it was unusual to experience the mall with all of the decorations and without crowds of holiday shoppers. It seemed almost quiet. She said it seemed like there weren't that many people, but she could feel that there were a lot of people in that big building. We talked a bit about intuition and gut feelings. Quinn has been talking about guts a lot lately, like "my guts hurt" when she is hungry.
On the way out of the mall, we stopped to use the restroom in a department store. Another mom and daughter were in there, and Quinn complimented the girl on her dress and matching red eyeglass frames. She told them that her glasses are blue and match her doll's eyes. She gave them a demonstration of the robot doll. The mom asked Quinn how old she was (Quinn gets asked that a LOT) and said that her daughter was six years old too.
Once we were in the car, I realized/remembered that the mom was changing the girl into new clothes in a department store restroom and thought that was curious and perhaps suspicious. I didn't share those thoughts with Quinn. No reason to sour a pleasant interaction.
In the mall, we had seen a Tesla motors showroom. They are expensive, high performance electric cars. We didn't actually go into the showroom, but Quinn commented that the red one without a top looked cool. While driving, she told me that she like my red car (a Jetta) better, and that my car drives really fast. We were going 65 mph on the highway at the time, so that was fast.
To be continued, as it is very late and my laptop battery is dying...
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