Shopping

I'm not a big fan of shopping and not just because I have small children. I've never really been a shopper. I'm a 'get in, get it and get out' kind of shopper. Having children, however, has changed my shopping into a 'only go if I can't avoid it' kind of shopping.

Yesterday, I had four billion errands to run, two to three children to tote along, and a giant, protruding belly, which is starting to attract way too much attention. The first few places we went, I only had the little girls. Unfortunately for me, Odessa was NOT in the mood to go shopping. At all. Zilcho. She threw her first of many tantrums at the bookstore. Lovely. So I'm waiting for Lillie's scriptures to be engraved, and Odessa is screaming bloody murder because she wants to leave. In a bookstore. Bookstores are as bad as a library. I sat with her and pretended to ignore the fact that she was screaming and that people were staring at me. But I was THRILLED that they were quick. They probably just wanted the noise to stop. I know I did. I got her in the car and she proceeded to scream most of the way home. This, of course, set Katherine to crying, covering her ears and hollering "Mom, make her stop!" Boy howdy kid, I would if I could!!!

We made it home, and I fed the beast, which seemed to help, and then it was back out for more errands, this time with three kiddos. We actually survived round two with surprisingly little trauma, other than Miss I'm-gonna-do-it-myself thinking that she needs to cross the street without holding my hand. That's fun. And thankfully it was naptime when we got home. Hallelujah for naptime.

Round three came after the kids got home from school. I managed to only take Odessa and Lillie, and I was actually looking forward to shopping with my oldest daughter. However, Odessa was not. She was fine wandering through the mall, running and looking around. As soon as we entered the dress store, it's like there was a monster that escaped. She immediately started to cry, fuss and attempt escape. Luckily, it didn't take us too long and Lillie made her selection. Of course, this was in the midst of Odessa taking off, dumping out all the puzzles kindly provided by the establishment, and being a little stink. Lillie took her out into the hall whilst I paid, and she was a perfectly happy, lovely little thing. So I decided to go to a couple of stores on our way out. Well, she would have NONE of it. As soon as we stepped into a store, the most unholy sound would begin to escape her, she would go limp on the floor, and kick her legs.

Picture this: Large pregnant lady attempting to bend over to pick up screaming toddler. Toddler so limp, large bellied woman can't get a hold of her and it takes several attempts. Many people staring as large bellied woman carries potato sack style, said toddler screaming from mall.

Yeah, I was ready to sell her. And we still had to go to Walmart. I nearly sold her in the Walmart parking lot! And believe me, it will be a good long while before I take her shopping again.

Ok, so we have to go on Friday, but that's a couple of days away, right? I should recover by then!