Stella, if you ask me for ONE MORE THING I swear to God we are going back to the car, RIGHT.NOW.
Last Monday I went to the town 30 miles away with both kids in order to do a dreaded Target/GroceryStore/CarWash/OilChange/Bank/etc big time errands day. In some ways this has become much easier as Stella has gotten older, but in so many other ways, she has suddenly become that smart, bargaining 3 year old that makes me want to tear my hair out and never walk into a Target or a grocery store again! Here are a few examples of our exchanges that morning.
*****
Stella: Mama, I want this. I really, really want this [anything the color purple or pertaining to Frozen]
Me: No, Stella. We can’t have that today. Keep up with me please.
…. repeat this exchange 1,389,583 more times in the 45 minutes we are in Target. Finally I break.
Me: Stella, I am really tired of you asking me for everything in the store.
Stella: Mommy, I am really tired of you telling me no.
[silence by me, because I can’t decide whether to laugh in admiration or cry in frustration]
******
Stella: Mama, LOOK! It’s BEAUTIFUL! I really really really want it! And so is this one! And I want this, too!
Me: Stella, you cannot have everything in this store. Please quit asking for everything.
Stella: Mama! (exasperated) I’m not asking for everything. THIS is everything. [She holds up 10 fingers] I’m only asking for TWO things.
*****
Stella: Mommy, we should wash the car. It’s really dirty.
Me: Yeah, you’re right. We’ll go there next.
Stella: Okay, we should go to the one that does it all by itself!
Me: No, I like doing it myself.
Stella: Well, Nana goes to the other one. We should go to that one. It’s better.
Me: Whatever kid. We’ll go to that one when you’re paying the bills.
*****
Stella: Mommy, I’m huuuungry! Harvey is hungry tooooo! [we are at the grocery store]
Me: Okay, here is the shredded turkey from the deli. Share with your brother, please.
[2 minutes of fairly content, eating children]
Stella: Mommy, I want something else! I want something to drink!
Me: Me too, kid. Me too…
*****
[We just spent 90 minutes in the grocery store picking out an obscene amount of groceries. I’ve just walked across the huge parking lot with that horridly huge cart with the car on it, unloaded $300 of groceries into the trunk, buckled both kids in, and breathed a huge sigh of relief that we can finally get back on the road home.]
Stella: Uh oh Mommy, I really need to pee.
#Headdesk
(These pics are from 6 months ago – they’ve both grown so much since then!)
HA!!! The drink comment made me laugh out loud. I hear ya. Sofia knows that there are a number of presents for her in my suitcase from my trip. She WILL NOT STOP pestering me. But she’s always so clever about HOW she pesters that I just end up laughing. Sneaky girls.
These are such great posts. I need to be better about documenting daily life.
Ha! I’m reading this thinking this is going to be me in a year…yikes.
OY. I hear you, lady. I love these posts! Our trick at Target is to march immediately to the toy aisle, grab one of the electronic keyboard-ish toys that he loves, and thrust it at him for the duration of our trip there. We then put it back before we check out. I abolish all guilt by reminding myself about how much money we spend there on a monthly basis.
I am definitely going to try this 🙂
Oh boy!!!! What a day! I am sure the beer tasted fabulous that night!
I was going to ask if you let her walk on her own in the store and then saw the cart. I don’t let Chloe walk unless it’s just the two of us so that helps with the begging. Currently she’s in a good phase to go shopping with – Drake on the other hand, is not. I actually have a post in the works on that. Kudos to you for attacking all of those errands alone with two kids!!
She actually walks on her own usually now (only because she refuses to ride). It definitely makes it harder, but sometimes you have to choose your battles. The Target carts only hold 1 kid tho, and it’s more impt to keep Harvey contained!
Oh these kids!
Yesterday Amazon announced it would be starting testing for drone deliveries. I’ll be thinking of you as they pilot the program. Especially as you’ve given me a glimpse into my future and it’s already making me want to drink too.
I laughed at a lot of these 🙂 The first one is my favorite. Gracie and Lyla always tell me that my MIL takes different ways to get places and tell me that I’m going the wrong way. She hates the freeway so her way is always the slower way. No way in hell I’m spending MORE time in the car with them than need be! So the car wash one made me cringe 🙂
Thank you for the laughter this morning. Mine our 6 1/2 and 4 and man I can relate.
It has gotten to the point now that they are both old enough to wear me out that before we even leave the garage to head to the store they get the lecture “we are NOT buying anything other than what’s on my list, we are not buying toys, candy, soda, etc, we are NOT even looking. If you so much as ask, we will leave the store do you understand?” This gets repeated in question form in the store parking lot.
And now whenever possible, I managed to work in a two hour lunch break 2x a month and go to the store sans kids and husband for my sanity. Our house is located between the store we use and my job so I bag all cold stuff together, all freezer stuff together and run in and throw those bags in respective spots. I leave the non-perishable stuff in car until after work. This is hectic but makes me a happy camper that doesn’t need a drink.
They’re precious! My 3 year old does the same and asks what everything is- what’s this? what’s that? I don’t mind all that but last week at Target she threw a fit, screaming and crying for a barbie… yup that’s not fun and no one wants to be ‘that parent’.
As a guy the bathroom with her is… I don’t know, I hate taking her to the men’s restroom and of course I can’t take her in to the ladies and I wouldn’t want to do that… so when it’s daddy / daughter day it gets interesting, I try to make sure she goes at home or I have asked her to hold it.
HS
We say “yes, you can add it to your Christmas list. Until then, we only buy what is on the shopping list.” It works 20-30% of the time. A friend used to buy her kids one loud toy every trip and then return it the next day when they’d abandoned it, which is a nice idea if you live near the store.
oh how I feel you on all of this. I love/hate running errands with Luke. IF he’s well rested he’s so fun and takes the noes okay, if he’s tired, we’re bound for tantrum territory as I say no to something he wants, then I ask him. We’ll add it to your bday list, okay? which works sometimes and sometimes he just dissolves into tears. AHH! these kids. so smart. such stinkers 🙂
Had to check on you! What a beautiful family!