Jen, Willow, and I went to a couple of grocery stores today because one is just not enough. Willow insisted on bringing her life-sized Elmo doll into both of them, and then making me carry it. At the first store, as I was in line to pay, Willow decided that she wanted to go outside, so Jen took her, leaving me in line with Elmo. One becomes more than normally conscious of public scrutiny at times like this. I tried to see myself through the eyes of a stranger - a grown man clutching a dirty, three foot tall Elmo doll as he waits in line with a bottle of mushroom juice and a homeopathic earache remedy. I thought for a moment that I should play it up a bit by pretending to talk to Elmo, maybe even pretending to hear Elmo, but the responsible adult side of me overruled the impulsive kid side.

At the other store, Willow giggled as I pretended to have Elmo push the cart. Later, freed from the cart, Willow repeatedly tackled Elmo, knocking him to the floor and inviting comments like, "now we know who to call if we ever need to get rid of any muppets," from store employees.

I think more people should carry around large puppets in public. It would make life more interesting.