The Weekend That Would Not End (a belated posting)

So.  This is a post I wrote about 3 weeks ago but didn't post because I thought about something else I wanted to write about more than this awful trip to the store.  So I didn't want to check for spelling errors and I didn't want to even think about it anymore.  Till I wanted to link to it in another post and realized that, oops, I hadn't gone back ever.  So here it is.
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This felt like the weekend that would not end.  For real.  Not completely in a bad way, it just felt long.  Like time had been suspended.  That's not usually the case.

On Saturday I took the kids to Walmart (we had a gift card and needed milk and bread.  I waved sadly at Target as we drove by).  I know.  Both kids.  To the store.  By myself.

But I figured that since Katie is usually so easy to take anywhere, I could handle Jake if he got fussy.  Hmph.

And things worked great for about the first 10 minutes... mostly because I bought an 8 pack of miniature Hershey's bars and shared with the kids as we we rushed through the aisles to get our necessities before their enjoyment of my distraction ran out wandered the aisles, looking for the things we needed.

Things were great until Katie got out of the cart to try on some sandals and cute white shoes.  She was having so much fun "on the outside" that Jake started to fuss because he wanted down.  And by then, my distraction wasn't as exciting as the possibility of freedom.

So I held him while Katie finished up (while he pretended that his head had gotten so heavy he was unable to support it on his tiny baby neck and he flopped over to the side.  Luckily he's pulled this before.  Luckily-er I've been working out so my arms have gotten strong enough to take this in stride.  He kinda leans at a funny angle till I can get him upright but at least he didn't go crashing to the floor.)  I finally got him to sit in the basket while we walked to the front of the store.  We turned to the right to go to the home stuff and clearance when Katie decided she wanted to hold on to the outside of the cart and ride on the bottom rail.

Now, normally I let her do this.  We haven't had any accidents since the time when she stepped off of the cart at Kohls and got run over... resulting in some pretty serious laughing (me) and alot of irritation and stomping of feet (Katie) when someone (me) just couldn't stop laughing.  But it was sooooo funny that I just couldn't help myself.  Anyway, after that we instituted the "tell me before you need to get down... you ride at your own risk" rule.  No problem since then.   And if she looks like she's getting uncomfortable, I just remind her about "that time she got run over" and she holds tight until I can bring the "ride" to a complete stop.

Well, this wasn't a normal time.  Jake was in the basket and he looked like he was about to get a little rambunctious so I really had to keep an eye, and possibly a hand, on him so I could catch him if I needed to (I really need one of those child leashes) and I had to say no because I didn't think I would be able to watch her well enough to see if she needed the "carts hurt when they run you over" reminder.  So I said no.

And it happened.

My sweet girl.  The sweet, precious, well-behaved girl I know and love... well, she actually screeched at me! A loud, high pitched scream.  And then she started to tell me LOUDLY that she wants to ride on the cart and that I'm a mean mommy.

Well.

I figured out pretty quickly that our trip was at an end so (after I picked her up, still steaming and crying, and put her in the cart with Jake) we headed to the checkout where she cried and cried some more.  Jake did not like having her in the basket with him so I had to hold him while he had another heavy head moment.

So to recap:  I was listening to Katie crying, trying to balance Jake in my arms, digging for my gift card, waiting for the register lady to call the key master because the gift card didn't process correctly the first 6 times she tried it, and finally we escaped.  Not fun.

I expected to listen to this all the way home but once we got outside it was like the clouds parted and my children turned back into their usual sunshine-and-candy sprinkle selves.  We loaded up and on the way home had a very interesting conversation...

Katie:  Mommy, you know why I was so crabby at the store?
Mommy: Not really.  Why were you so crabby?
Katie:  I was very tired and it makes me cranky.
Mommy:  Well, that's good to know because if you're tired and cranky, you can go to bed right away when we get home.
Katie:  Well, there were four reasons I was so crabby mommy.
Mommy: Oh, really.  What were they?
Katie:  I not tired now mommy.  I wanted to leave and go home.
Mommy:  Oh.  *sigh*

Then Jake started to cry.  And Katie complained that Jake was crying.  Then I turned the radio up and she complained that it was too loud because she was trying to sleep.

At this point I decided to give myself a mommy time out.  This only means that I don't have to respond to the whining... I do still have to listen to it.

Katie did end up going to bed early on Saturday night... but not early enough for mommy.

Sunday we went to a Norwex party.  She was a gem.  Her usual self.

Sunday night?  Same wonderful kid.  I mean, she and Jake were reading together by themselves!

I guess she can't be sweet without some of the sassy.  Kinda like that commercial with the sweet and sour candy.

But if she cuts my hair while I sleep... she's going to time out.  And it made me realize how lucky we are that she's mostly sweet and only a little sour.