9/17/2008

And the Mom of the Year award

should not go to me. I took the kids to Target yesterday, and it was just one of those shopping experiences that make you wonder why you bother to take your kids to the store with you. Madelyn has this thing about having to go potty every time we enter a new place. So, I decided to have a conversation with her before we left the house, explaining that we were going to use the bathroom before we left the house and that we were going to avoid going to the bathroom at the store. Well, as soon as we entered Target she exclaims that she needs to pee. I proceed to shop and she exclaims it a second time but in a much more urgent sounding voice. I took her to the bathroom, and she indeed had to go.

We continued shopping and Pierce figured out how to climb out of his seat--yes he was strapped in. At this point, I decided it would be better to hold him. Then, he began grabbing everything within his reach and throwing it to the floor. I was really struggling to stay calm. So, there was a mess in the floor, and Madelyn was yelling that she had to pee again. I put Pierce down on the floor to start picking up his mess, but you can probably guess how that went. He pulled more things down faster than I could pick up his first mess. So, in my infinite wisdom, I placed him in the big part of the shopping cart, told him to sit, and quickly picked up the mess he had made. I know that nothing was placed in the proper area. I just wanted to clean up, get out of that aisle, and get Madelyn to the potty again. I stood up and turned around in just enough time to see Pierce standing on the edge of the shopping cart, trying to get onto a shelf. It was one of those things that seems to happen in slow motion but you seem to freeze and are unable to react. Anyway, he shifted his weight and his foot pushed the shopping cart out from under him, and he landed on his belly on the floor. The smack was so loud that I was sure he had to be hurt. He was screaming, of course, and Madelyn looked terrified. I scooped him up, but thankfully, there was no lasting damage. He just cried and cried and cried for about 10 minutes.

Once Madelyn recovered, she told me again that she needed to use the bathroom. I should have taken her to the bathroom and then given up on my shopping trip. I didn't, though, and I'll spare you the rest of the details of my 50 minute Target experience, but I left the store so frazzled that it took me another 5 mintues once I was in the parking lot to find my keys. Go figure. They were where I put them 90% of the time--clipped to my belt loop .

6 comments:

Mel said...

you poor thing?! what a day! hang in there! no one can take care of your kids better than you, even though it might not seem like it some days...

Masker # 7 said...

Yikes! I have felt the exact same way about a zillion times! I'm so sorry that you had to experience the trauma of a shopping trip gone bad...but you can add that badge to your Mommy Uniform! :) So can I just say a big 'hallelujah' for your refreshing honesty!?! LOVE it--and NEED it to keep myself sane as I endure my own battles! Thank you! :)

Beth said...

oh my gosh Carey! How stressful (and scary)!! Thanks for sharing...I, too, appreciate your honesty!

Naturally Caffeinated Family said...

Oh my gosh, you poor thing! It sounds like you handled everything really well, what a day!!!

Emily said...

Oh, I so wish I could say I had no idea what you are talking about and that I'd never been there. I pretty much shop alone after the kids are in bed these days :)

April said...

yep...Anna Kate's landed headfirst on the cement outside Target when I accidentally rammed a low lightpost and she was standing in the big basket part of the cart (but J.R. was in the seatbelt section so there was nowhere to buckle her in), but thankfully everyone was fine and we haven't had any blood while shopping yet.