GAIL WHITE On special shopping trip, all we spent was time

I think some of the most trying moments of parenthood occur on Friday and Saturday evenings in the winter.
The "go outside and play" line doesn't work as well as it does in the summer.
Our boys don't seem to have any trouble coming up with fun things to do.
The trouble is, fun to them is more like an investment to us.
Just taking everyone out to dinner can cost half a week's grocery money. Add entertainment and we're eating peanut butter and jelly.
As a young couple with small children, we would often visit with other young couples on weekend nights.
As the children got older and more numerous, we visited less. Our arrival became more like an invasion than a visit.
I have told many a friend and relative after a fall visit, "We'll see you in the spring!"
Fast and easy: We moved our weekend outings to local eating establishments with inside playgrounds. Buy them a hamburger, fries and a Coke and turn them lose for an hour or two to climb through tubes and zoom down slides.
This idea was highly successful. The children were busy and happy and when it was time to go, they were very tired (albeit quite sweaty).
Now, they have grown too old for the tubes and slides.
Having a friend over can be a quick and easy fix -- sometimes.
Other nights, adding another body into the fold seems overwhelming.
We have spent innumerable evenings playing every board and card game known to man.
We have conquered bowling (with bumpers, that is) and have conceded that none of us will ever conquer roller or ice skating.
We have rented every Arnold Schwarzenegger movie and every Disney flick (except the "girl" ones).
A few Fridays ago, we had planned on spending the evening at the high school football game.
The boys enjoy spending four quarters running around behind the stands. (I think there should be a special discount for those who have no intention of watching one play of the game.)
It was cold and rainy. Unless my bloodline is on the field, I do not sit in the cold and rain for football.
Pizza was my solution.
An hour later, with $20 in pizza gone, boredom had set in. (We used to have leftovers having only spent $10!)
What's left? Unable to watch one more Schwarzenegger flick or play one more board game, shopping came to my mind.
While I piled the boys into the van, I tried to justify the trip.
"What do we need?" I asked myself. "Nothing" kept ringing in my ears as I thought of the $10 left in my pocket.
By the time we arrived at the store, I had devised a plan.
"We are pretend-shopping," I told the boys.
On the count of three, we held out fingers.
"The two with the closest numbers must 'buy' for each other," I told them. "Remember, we're pretending so you can 'buy' anything."
We traveled the store, looking at all the merchandise.
My 8-year-old son Andrew was "buying" for me.
I subtly tried to steer him toward the jewelry counter.
He chose a black and white striped zebra pillow instead. (With Christmas around the corner, this was a good exercise to prepare me for what lies ahead.)
I "bought" him a cool television with a blue frame.
Radical Robert "bought" Phillip colored foam to write on the car.
Practical Phil bought Robert a watch.
We topped off our purchases by choosing cards for one another.
Mine had some kind of reptile on it. One of them received a "You're a Big Boy Now" card.
We laughed until we cried.
As we walked out of the store, eating M & amp;M's that we had actually purchased, we all agreed we had never had this much fun shopping for real.
gwhite@vindy.com