I am a self-confessed mall rat. I love strolling along, looking at things I'll never buy, sampling free tea and hand lotion. By the time I was twelve I was begging my mother to drive me and my friends to the mall every weekend. The nearest mall was 45 minutes away so it was a serious trek for a non-shopper like my Mom. Still, about once a month she gave in and gamely drove a carload of giggling girls to the Westfarms Mall in Farmington, CT.

My Mom typically sat in the car, listening to NPR and reading a book while we roamed the two levels of the mall with its exotic glass elevator. I think the big anchor stores were local chains Sage Allen and G Fox & Co. (both of which no longer exist). The "boutique" shops were places like 5-7-9 and Merry Go Round Clothing.

Every now and then my Mom and I would go to the mall alone. I loved those trips. She'd wander around with me, looking at costume jewelry and clothes. There was a Walden Books and an Orange Julius. Sometimes we'd have lunch at the Chinese restaurant in the strip mall across the street.

A day at the mall is a mother/daughter thing -  a bonding experience like no other. So, yesterday, on Amanda's last day home alone with me before she started summer school we went to the mall. It's the kind of thing moms with typical children take for granted, or, like my mother, even dread a bit.

Going shopping with Amanda isn't like going with a typical teen. I had to pack the wheelchair because it is too much walking for her. She is non-verbal so I keep a running one sided dialogue while we shop, even though it draws stares from other shoppers. Kevin has joked that I should get a blue tooth so people will just think I'm talking on the phone. When we stop for a snack it has to be a place that serves semi-soft food with no soy so we can manage her dietary restrictions. Still, we had a great morning together.

Amanda likes the same stores any pre-teen girl would, although possibly for different reasons. We go to Build A Bear because she likes to play on the computers. We go to the Disney Store so she can watch movies on the big screen at the back of the store. We shop at Justice for Girls because they have a TV with music videos playing at all times.  

Amanda played with my iPhone while I tried on dresses, rolled her eyes when I showed her clothes and chose pizza for lunch over healthier alternatives. All in all, very typical for her age.

Justice for Girls $38, Sbarro $13, a day at the mall with my daughter, priceless...