As a woman who really wanted to be a mother I used to stand on my high horse and look at the moments other parents were in duress and think I would never! Or even better my child would never! It only took me a moment to figure out once becoming a mother that many of my I would nevers were not all that realistic. Here is a list of a few of my I would nevers:
I would never give in to a child's screamingI would never shop with a screaming childI would never bargain or pleadI would never soothe with sugarEvery single one of those flew out the window on todays shopping escapade. Going shopping with Lily is at the least a little like entering battle. First I have to squish a writhing twisting turning body into the small seat of the shopping cart. Getting her feet into those holes is like pounding a square peg into a round hole and once my pegs are properly secured I must push down on her mid section so that I can fasten the belt. All the while having curious on lookers watch or glare as the case may be at my screaming child. Who is yelling no mommy no all done all done a bit like I am causing some serious damage. Usually once I have my writhing beast fastened I can give her snacks and whalla just like that mommy has won. Today however was the day in which the battle was not won with a bag of raspberries. Today the screaming twisting contorting of the body continued until she wriggled out of the belt and was standing like king of the mountain in the shopping cart. Face a little red from her exersion and yelling ALL DONE! At this point my nerves were frazzled do I do what I always said I would do and leave the store. Truth be told there is no other time to shop I start back to work tomorrow and must make lunches give baths clean house and shopping has to get done now or never. So she won! I put her down on the floor and let her roam the aisles. To make the story even better I decided to let her wear her pajamas today because they are her favorite so she is roaming the aisles in her pink dora jammies and matching slippers. Come to find out that slippers are not appropriate footwear for the grocery store and as I am picking out my hamburger meat I hear a thud and turn to see my pink jammie girl splayed on the floor next to the cart and the thud was her head hitting the wheel of the shopping cart. I scoop up the beast and can no longer be a bit angry as I sooth my little one in the meat aisle. She is doing that horrible scream where no sound comes out. After what seems an eternity she calms down some and we push on.
So I am now carrying her and pushing the cart. She is all snuggled against me and hanging on for dear life when my savior comes. A clerk says oh how cute is she tired. I told her that she had just given herself a black eye. She said she would get her a cookie. I knew she was also a mother because she spelled the word cookie. So off she went to the bakery to fetch the tantilizing treat. She brought her a star with red sugar on the top. By the time our shopping excursion was over Lily was a happy sticky mess with teeth stainded red and the eye was nearly forgotten.
Next week I assure you that the shopping will get done when Peter gets off of work. And I hereby swear to never think I would never again.