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!)