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Saturday, April 9, 2011

Public Apology

I'd like to make a public apology to anyone who was at my Target this afternoon from about 12:00 to 1:00.

Yes, that was my kid you heard screaming.

It was my kid you saw banging his head on the shelves.

It was my kid you saw lying on the cold, dirty, white tile floor screaming.

All we wanted to do was go to Target and see our friends Anabelle and Jaxon and enjoy a celebratory "Welcome Back to Tucson" starbucks and shopping trip. Today was a reminder how unpredictable kids can be. Their moods are ever changing and constantly perplexing.

We all had lunch (some of us had a liquid starbucks lunch) and everything was hunky dory. Great moods, happy kids.

Life. Is. Good. :)

Until we left the food area.

I honestly can't even begin to figure out what set Ethan off, but boy would it be nice to know. He did the limp, noodle body thing for me while he began what would become the worst tantrum I've seen him have in 2 years.

Well, luckily along with Anabelle, my mom and sister were also along for the "fun" so they were able to watch Colton and Hunter while I attended to the tantrum. Let me just tell you, I tried every freaking trick in the book to get him to calm down. (Except bribe him with toys or candy. I'm SO not gonna start that habit! :) Although Jaxon was kind enough to share one or two nutter butter cookies with him. And still- he screamed and cried the entire time we were shopping. THE. ENTIRE. TIME. He alternated between a very sad cry and a very ticked off scream.

I dragged him by one arm while he flailed all about dragging his weight across the floor. I carried him. I put him in a cart. I held his hand while we walked. I hugged him tight, I ignored him completely. I spoke calmly, I spoke sternly. I sat and rocked him in the patio furniture section while onlookers passed us by, giving me the "we've been there too" look. (Which I appreciate SO much more than the "can you please control your crazy kid" look.) I might as well have been invisible to him.

He was happy being unhappy.

Normally I'm so okay with their tantrums, but something about the longevity of this one really threw me off. Honest to God, I was sweating from a combination of his warm, ticked off body latching onto mine and the sheer stress of picking him up, dragging him, putting him in and out of carts, etc. I could not focus. I could not even recall the things I'd gone there for in the first place. And even if I HAD remembered them, there was no way I was going to be able to actually shop for them. So I got 4 items and that was it.

And wouldn't you know it. The tantrum miraculously subsided THE MOMENT we approached the check out lanes. You've got to be kidding me.

So to all you Target shoppers whose peaceful Saturday shopping trip was ruined, I apologize. :)

To add insult to injury, all was well until the moment we got home.

Wouldn't you know, as we attempted to make our way inside the house, from the garage into the laundry room, the three of them pushing one another in the doorway, it happened. In one of those slow motion moments where you can't stop the inevitable from happening, Ethan stumbled backwards, trying to catch his balance, but not before planting his little hiney smack in the center of the giant dog water bowl.

And I thought the crying at Target was bad.
Needless to say, naptime today has been glorious. (In our cribs, of course)

7 comments:

Mary said...

It also didn't help that Aunt Mary and Gramma are suckers and let the other two out of the carts which made more even more chaos! Pushing carts, climbing carts, running after Jaxon, grabbing pillows, etc. Sorry Ami and Anabelle! It also didn't help that Target is all turned upside down...

butterflymama said...

He really wasn't that bad, from the few minutes I saw you guys! But I know how stressful that can be! Hang in there girlie! We HAVE all been there!!

Valerie said...

I'm sorry, but I just have to laugh. One of my two decided to throw a similar tantrum in Target this past week. She screamed the second I put her into the cart and continued screaming through the entire store. She was in a fun cart and wasn't even in the basket or the regular seat part. We got plenty of looks and people were stopping to see what was going on. The second we finished shopping and I tried to take her out, she started clutching on the cart and continued screaming because she did not want out of the cart.
I figure that most of the people in Target during the middle of the day either need to see this as birth control or have already been through this with their own kids.

cara said...

Been there, except on a plane...so the option of just taking her out of the store was not there. But my husband and I were both sweating profusely!

Nicole said...

Check...I can comment:)
And all I can say is.... I feel for ya. I know how fun that is:)

Anabelle said...

You'd think 3 teachers would know what to do in that situation!
And Mary, I wonder if you will be still be a sucker when your baby is old enough to walk through Target? I was having a slight panic attack when Jaxon, Colton & Hunter were running around the aisles.

Tim and Darcy said...

Oh don't you just LOVE nap time???!!! Well, I don't anymore....I MISS nap time!!! WE rarely get one around here these days! Enjoy them while they last!!!

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