Little Miss Shopper

Miss L was off gallivanting with friends again today! It was one of her school friend's birthdays and she'd invited Miss L and another girl to the cinema in Milton Keynes and lunch at Frankie and Benny's after.
Miss E came with me and after we'd dropped Miss L off with her friends (and her friend's brave mum!) we started to head over to the shopping centre so Miss E could spend her Christmas Next voucher which I had forgotten all about.
As we passed KFC Miss E's friends Miss A and Miss M appeared through the door and asked if we wanted to join them. Miss E has never had KFC so was quite keen to sample their delights. I joined Mrs A in the queue only to find out they had no chips when we got to the counter.
Writing this five days after the event I realise that the lack of chips was the precursor for something much worse for KFC!
So we went to McDonalds instead. They had chips!!
I hadn't got any change more change for the parking as I'd only expected to be there for a short time to drop Miss L off. So I texted Mr K a picture of the meter and asked him to pay for an extra half an hour while Miss E ate her lunch (and I drank tea thinking uncharitable thoughts!!)
And then I texted him to ask him to extend it.
Then we drove to John Lewis car park and I sent him a text showing that meter and asking for an hour.
Which we then extended again.
I don't know how he puts up with me sometimes!!!!
Miss E and I had a lovely time. First of all in Next where she declared their Spring collection very unsatisfactory and only managed to find one thing she liked - a t-shirt with Awesome written on it. 
I then got a bit grumpy - because I was feeling hungry and didn't feel like traipsing round the shops which, inexplicably, is one of Miss E's favourite things to do. 
What felt like hours in The Works tipped me over the edge and I said we were going home. She got cross, I got cross....... Story of our lives!
She pointed out that I said we'd have all day together so why did we have to  go home?
I had a crayfish and avocado salad in Pret (which they weirdly call a breadless sandwich but which I prefer to call a salad!) and a cup of tea and I felt much better.
We browsed a bit more - in TKMaxx and Tiger (a wondrous new discovery as far as Miss E was concerned) and then headed out to the market. 
I don't think I've been out there since I was Miss E's age and couldn't really understand her excitement but she was giddy to show me all the amazing things out there she'd seen with Daddy: The smells, the food, all the different people speaking different languages, the interesting things, the exotic fruits and vegetables.
She LOVED it!! It was brilliant.
It made me want to take her to all the markets around the world.
She was particularly struck by the fruit and veg stalls and asked could we buy everything we needed there rather than going to Tescos later. 
So we went to get cash and then went back.
We filled a basket with apples of many different varieties, fennel and radishes (which Miss E said we should get so I could make my fennel and radish salad which I hadn't made for ages and I should remind myself how much I like it!) coriander, nectarines, rocket, carrots, potatoes and satsumas.
Miss E was so giddy about the whole experience saying she didn't know why but it gave her "a special feeling" to buy things like this - all natural as it should be with leaves, dirt and, most importantly, no plastic.
Who'd have thought a trip to the market would be so wonderful!
We headed home and, because I'd lost track of time, there was just time to drop Miss E off, pick up the cup of tea which Mr K had made me and then head off again to Brackley to pick up Miss L from her friend's house. Her face fell when she saw me and she said I should go away again so she could have more fun with her friends.
Failing that I should talk to Mrs J for a bit and let them play. I did as I was told and chatted to Mrs J for about half an hour. They're relatively new at the school and we hadn't met before. She's lovely! She said it had been so nice to see Miss A having such a lovely time with her friends on her birthday.
And it makes me so happy to see Miss L happy with her  friends.