I've posted a lot in the last year about the changes in my home life as my children are growing up. It's strange how quickly and suddenly you can find yourself worrying more about your children's Internet habits than their toilet habits.
So as I get ready to embark on an empty household in September, I have found myself feeling older and wiser--one of those moms with sage advice for women still dealing with preschoolers and potty-training. I'm feeling more calm and patient every day.
And then I took the kids back to school shopping.
By myself.
All 4 of them.
At the same time.
I guess it's been a while since I went anywhere by myself with all of my offspring because I was caught completely by surprise when after 14 minutes of shopping I was ready to abandon every last one of them. Seriously. I looked in my purse to see if I had any paper with which to make "child for sale" signs. I could only come up with a crayon and a gum-wrapper. Dang.
Now just the day before I watched some poor lady at the grocery store wrestling 3 little boys...one was crying, one was fighting, and one was attempting to set the deli on fire. I chuckled to myself about boy how glad I am those days are behind me. Then I patted the 1 child who was with me and told them since they were being so good, the could pick out a candy bar.
I guess some people can humble themselves; I, on the other hand, much prefer being compelled to be humble.
So after 5 hours, 4 stores, 2 potty breaks (I guess you never really get a break from their toilet habits after all), and $450 we are nearly done. No one got a candy bar, although I did hear Zachary at one point telling his siblings to "act like little angels" in the next store in hopes of a reward. Alas, they misinterpreted his well-intentioned speech and behaved exactly like little angels of darkness.
So much for all my smug thoughts that I was really learning to be a more patient, careful, soft-spoken, and compassionate mother. I wonder if there were any moms of older children watching my spontaneously combustible family and chuckling to themselves about how they remember those days. If so, they better watch out. Karma is not a patient lady either.
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5 comments:
wahahahahaha! I love it!
So true! Don't feel like a slacker...it's called not having a job and only 1 kid! My interview is at UNR so keep me in your prayers and I'm going to Battle Mountain to meet his parents and daughter so, again, keep me in your prayers :) I'll keep you posted. Love you!
LOL. I know exactly what you mean. Whenever I sigh and think my kids are past that, Wham! I get a smack down.
Thanks for the reminder- I will make sure that I go clothes shopping with my husband there (or maybe split the kidlets up into groups of two and make 3 trips).
Sad to know that it doesn't get any better as they get older :). Thanks for making me laugh though.
So funny! I haven't quite put my kids up for sale, just told them that if they kept acting that way, they'd have to go find a new mother 'cause I can't take it anymore!
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