I try not to shop with our children. It just isn’t worth the bleeding. 😉
Last month, there was a Saturday where we spent roughly two hours at Lowes. We were trying to pick out what we wanted to do for the kitchen. We weren’t planning on being there that long, but time just slipped away from us. It was before lunch time, too. You see the problem now don’t you?
We got one of those cool racecarts for the kids, and well, that kept them occupied for a short period of time. Once they realized that they couldn’t actually make them go wilst we were standing in one spot pondering color samples or faucets or countertops, it became a bit frustrating for the little roadsters. Then they would try to get more elbow room in the miniscule cart by, of course elbowing the other child located next to them.
This produced screams, and whines, and other annoyances we tried to tune out, while occassionaly admonishing the little sprites with “Be nice to your brother/sister!”, “Stop it!” and our personal favorite, “If you don’t behave you will lose the computer/cartoons/toys/taggie blankie!!”.
When we were stopped at the countertops talking to the countertop dude, we got the kids out so they could stretch their legs. They proceeded to hop on the back of the cart. I caught the front before it toppled over onto them and smiled weakly at the guy as I tried to ignore the children and listen to what he was telling me. This proved challenging over the increasingly loud din coming from our offspring. It became louder once Anya bumped her mouth on the cart, and we gave them the, “Well, we told you not to!” speech. Brian took over as I comforted the wailing child, whose wails turned forced shortly afterwards in that, “I’m not really hurt that bad, but I want you to feel sorry for me so I will continue on with this” cry.
We headed over to look at the tile for a backsplash and attempted to keep one child in the cart and one on the floor. Separation of the fighters, if you will. Of course, the one in the cart wasn’t happy about the situation. We had one child running up and down the corridor, which we happily allowed until other people came down the lane. I’m all for them getting their little active juice out as long as they don’t run into other people or break things we have to buy later. Since they weren’t allowed to run anymore, they decided to help us pick out tile and clunked and clanked them together. Luckily nothing broke, but my patience had a pretty severe crack in it.
Finally we headed over to the moulding, checked the prices and headed out of the store to a restaurant to get that blood sugar level back on an even keel. I think the kids actually thought we were going to give them sugar. Bwahahahahhhaaaa! We try not to torture ourselves unless we have no other alternatives. 😉
Thank goodness for restaurants with coloring crayons!
LOL Stacy!!! This is exactly what a day of shopping is with my kids, but throw in a poopy diaper and stopping to nurse the baby! LOL
“This produced screams, and whines, and other annoyances we tried to tune out, while occassionaly admonishing the little sprites with “Be nice to your brother/sister!”, “Stop it!” and our personal favorite, “If you don’t behave you will lose the computer/cartoons/toys/taggie blankie!!”.”
CLASSIC!! lol
Oof. It’s amazing how much blood sugar levels affect us, is it not?
Speaking of which, I think I need to step away from the computer and get some breakfast before someone gets hurt.
I’ve been there! I try everything not to take both kids to the store. One day I had to take both to the grocery store and Francesco insisted on playing with the raw eggs. I could not get him to put them down without a huge scene. So I caved and let him play with them. Luckily none got broke.
Ooooh…. you’ve already read my shopping horror stories, so I won’t bore you with them except to say, there’s a special reward for us in Heaven 🙂
And to think I used to *enjoy* shopping?!?!
Unfortunately, the crayons do nothing for our kiddo… we pretty much have to scramble to clear the table of projectiles (salt shakers, silverware, glasses) before he reaches them and launches them to another table. He really is well behaved otherwise, would you believe??? Is it something about being in PUBLIC that does this to kids? 🙂
I can usually manage with one kid, but I only venture to the store with both if it’s an absolute emergency!
What brave parents you are….when our daughter was little (around 5) she would ask in great detail which stores we were going to and if Home Depot came up it was all over. She hated that store…
Luckily now she is a joy to shop with…it will come!
🙂
Such a refreshing post, LOL As misery loves company I now see that you are twice as blessed as we…ROFL (with you not at you) I so needed this, that we are not the only ones with children that challenge ones patients. I have seriously been considering investing in a straight jacket, and muzzle.
That last post was from me Rach logged in on my puter and didn’t tell me.
Sorry!!
Ha! I too used to *enjoy* shopping…and then kids happened. Tonight I did the fastest Target shop EVER with two hungry kids in tow…I think we were in and out in 8 minutes. About 2 minutes shy of the total meltdown mark…
I’m glad you guys had a good Easter! I think the Bunny marking the eggs is brilliant! I think our Bunny may have to do that too!
LOL… I see Mr. Daddy forgot to change the login… I was reading the other “Rachel” and thinking it sounded an awful lot like my hubs. Too funny!
Yes, I can totally empathize with you… I am really hoping this is just a phase!
It would help if we could go to a restaurant and he’d actually be interested in food. But noooooo… we have one of those toddlers who “forgets” to be hungry. *sigh* We’re such BAD parents when we actually force him to eat.
Thanks for linking up! Always love when you share your kiddo stories!
I feel your pain! It’s like herding cats with my two if one is not in the cart. We’ve tried getting the cart with the racecar, but then they fight over the steering wheel, then we got one with two steering wheels, then they fight over elbow space. It’s always something. Tonight I promised them a treat if they’d just sit in the cart and leave each other alone. It had been a long day.
Ahhh, the joys and tears of parenting!! I’ve got 3 boys, oldest 2 are 6 & 9 and then the baby who’s 7 mos and still pretty innocent. The older two…aye yi yi, there’s days and days where they get along sooooo good and are super best friends. And then there’s the times where I wanna put them on the long boat to Africa, or a trip to the moon, or some place else where they can run and play and fight and snipe to their wicked little hearts content. And then they do something nice and I forgive them. Moms are such suckers like that. 😉
Just have to keep repeating….”This too shall pass. This too shall pass”
And my 6 yr old doesn’t like Lowes either, starts whining when we have to go there that ‘it’ll take FOOOORRRREEEEVVVVEEEERRRR’ Cuz, ya know, his schedule is jam-packed and we’re keeping him from his all-too-important itinerary apparently. 😉
It is with a happy sigh that I remember those days (although I only had one child, our ‘baby group’ often took it turns to give each other a break) and know that they are behind me 😀 Now I only have to deal with ‘Mum, you’re so emBARRassing……’
Yikes!! I thought it was supposed to get easier??? We are at a good place right now for shopping, though – as long as there are two of us – Caden loves to explore the store and Cole just sits back and enjoys the ride or the music in the store! I do miss shopping with no kids, though – it has been a while!!