February
2007
Embarrassing Moments
I took the boys to the mall today, to get out of the house and to look for a book for the book club I’m in. It went reasonably smoothly. The boys got to look at fish in the aquariums next to Tim Hortons. They got a kick out of the lionfish. Then we saw flamingoes and sealions. After stopping at the bookstore and getting a Caramel Apple Cider the boys got to steer some ships wheels, the kind you pay money to steer a boat around the water. We didn’t pay any money, they couldn’t see over the glass into the water anyway! So, we were having a good morning. Then we stopped for lunch. Drew LOVES cucumber rolls (a type of sushi made with cucumbers wrapped in rice with seaweed on the outside), so I got those and a teriyaki chicken bowl with rice and carrots and cucumber. Drew sat in his high chair and ate really well. Unfortunately Bran didn’t do so well. He refused to sit in the high chair so I put him back in the stroller. I tried twice more and eventually gave in and held him on my lap which is what he wanted, I didn’t want to give in but didn’t think everyone else appreciated eating next to a crying child! The whole time he was sitting on my lap he kept flailiing around and acting like there was something wrong with him (to another’s person’s eyes, to mine he was just being bad). Toward the end of this exciting meal, Drew decided to keep climbing out of his seat (the belt didn’t fit) and then dump the rest of his food all over the table and then push it onto the floor. I got Bran back into his stroller seat with a great deal of trouble and crying and then went for Drew. While I was cleaning our mess off of the table and putting it back onto the tray and packing away bibs, Drew decided to start screaming (a very bad habit of his that I’m at a loss as to how to correct–any ideas? Please let me know). I finally got us all out of the eating area, whew! (usually we make it through a meal pretty well so this was unusual). Then as I’m pushing them back toward our entrance they start yelling “go” over and over “go” “go” “go”. Which I can actually deal with, that is until we stroll up behind a more elderly woman who, rather than noticing the frazzled mamma behind the wheel, takes this as an affront that she is walking too slowly! As she huffs away to the side, I just want to melt into the stroller. I quickly duck into Please Mum where it’s okay for kids to be a little bit loud, it is a clothing store for kids after all. An outfit each for the boys and I’m feeling much better. There’s just something about spending money…
I bribe the boys with a video (one of those times I thank God for a van with a DVD player) to get their coats on and we’re out the door. We get home, quick diaper change, and they’re happily sleeping upstairs. If I only had another Caramel Apple Cider…
