The Ladybug:
Or let’s just share with you what today’s adventures led to.
First of all, I want everyone in the blogosphere to know that I love my daughter with all of my heart, mind and soul. She is a very intelligent little person, and has a smile that can melt your heart. Unfortunately she has her moms strong will and determination complete with both of her parents intellect. Which leads to our day out and about.
Today, two of my college buddies (Hi Julie and Amanda) drove down from Madison, WI. to visit me and to catch up since we have all added to our families since leaving the fifth floor of South Bergstrom Hall. We met at Red Robin (YUM) and over burgers, fries and babies we sat and talked and looked at pictures from back in the day. We then decided to let our children go and play in the “fun area” of the mall. Let’s try and pinpoint when this day went wrong, shall we?
- The post stated that all children had to have their shoes off while running around. People walking around in public places with their shoes off skeeve me out. Except on the sidewalk – which should REALLY skeeve me out, but it doesn’t. Go figure.
- We decided to go to this madhouse during lunchtime.
- It eerily resembled Chuck E. Cheese on a weekend.
- The ladybug is a giant in a small package
- It was dangerously close to nap time.
Can you see where I went wrong? I’m sure that I can spot a COUPLE of places that I did. Let’s not forget that I was also handling the twizzlers along with her too. And before you get ready to beat my poor husband up over this obviously ill conceived idea that I had, he was home cleaning house. (LOVE YOU MR. NICHOLES!!!)
Anyway, after having to pry her screaming and fainting in the most dramatic fashion that she could from the play area, we decided to walk the mall. We went to Gymboree. God bless the Gymboree cashiers. I am sure that they have seen their share of fabulous mothers and I was proud of the fact that I wasn’t one of ‘those moms.’ You know who I’m talking about. The ones that come in frazzled looking with sweats on and just want to get in and get out before their child screams its head off and garner stares of death from the OTHER moms.
HMPH.
Sadly today, I became that mom. And I went through my initiation with gusto! How you ask? Because the ladybug escaped from the store…..while I was browsing for Sir Twizzler. Now. I can write about this because obviously I didn’t slit my wrists at the moment. All I know is that one cashier asked if a little girl with a pink dress and no shoes belonged to any of us. Ummmmmm, yes. I looked up. I thought that maybe she was flipping tables in the store because of not being able to run out the rest of her energy in the play area. Boy was I wrong. This little person decided to LEAVE. THE. STORE! I mean, who does that?! (don’t answer that, because I have been informed that when I was about her age, I did the same thing – so when your parents say that you reap what you sow, please believe them – it gets far too ugly if you don’t.) I dropped the clothes that I had in my hand and ran out of the store with Sir Twizzler snuggled in my neat-o Wrap N Wear and walked maniacally around the level of the mall that I was on. I’m sure I looked like Mr. Hyde. I swear I could feel my skin peeling back and turning grey. She wasn’t even half a block down the walkway, but she was far enough for me to literally consider walking out of the nearest door into oncoming traffic. This is the second time in less than a year that the ladybug has had me really question myself as a mom. I mean, I know that children are strong willed, but I seem to have one that was given an extra dose of will. And when she was reunited with me, she had the nerve to cross her arms and say that she wanted her dad. 😐 I stayed calm (it’s amazing that I’m able to, given that for a second time in less than a year, my heart did a bungee like drop from my chest to my feet, back to my chest) and we went back into the store where I promptly strapped her strait-jacket style into the front of the double stroller. She screamed, I smiled and all was right in my world.
I was ready for some heavy judgment to come about until other moms started sharing their stories. It almost felt like a therapy session of sorts. One kid getting lost in Disney World, the other in a department store. One mom even said that her child took joyrides in the hotel they were staying in, in the middle of the night, and the ONLY reason she found out is because the front desk worker noticed the lobby door ringing almost every two minutes in the middle of the night. So, I pose this question. Do you judge other moms? If you do, are you a mom yourself? Do you find that NOW that you are a mom, there are certain things that you just understand a little better? Or, do you feel that you have the most perfect child in the world? And if you do, can I punch you? No really, I’m kidding – maybe not.
I'll admit…I judge. but ONLY when I see that the Mom or Dad is being blatantly careless.
Like kids that are too big to be in the play area in the mall or Chic-fil-a….who don't remind their too big kids that there are little kids in the area and to be careful. Or Moms that sit and watch their child on the playground spit, hit and be disrespectful.
Or parents that are on the phone or texting and let their 1 year old child walk out into the street from the park and sit and watch them about to be hit, yet don't seem as concerned as the driver who almost hit them.
Or parents that don't make their kids mind their manners.
(This has all happened to me in the past 2 weeks)
I have not had my child get away from me in a public place (yet)…but if it happens, I'll know that I'm not alone.
Loved reading this post.
Thanks for the feedback and being honest enough to post what you did. It's hard being on the other side, I'll admit that, and I still felt as if I had everything under control, and still didn't. Now, I try to only take either the bug OR the twins with me on shopping excursions, otherwise, the cellist or Mr. Nicholes must be in the place with me, because that ladybug is one quick kid!