A shopping day to remember

I normally do not like to take Carson with me when I go shopping (hhhmmm - wonder why?!?!), but sometimes I have no other choice. In the past, I could get away with using my double stroller and force Carson to be restrained, but now that I have given him some freedom, the double stroller is a thing of the past. He wants to walk and refuses to be restrained whether it be in a stroller or a shopping cart. This has started to become a problem.

So I had some shopping to do yesterday and we started off late in the day - there's the first mistake. Carson feel asleep in the van on the way to the store. At that point I really should have turned around and gone home, but I really wanted and needed to get a few things. So I pull into Menards and get Luke strapped into the shopping cart and pick up a completely sound asleep (snoring and drooling!!) 35 pound boy. Once we get into the store Carson wakes up and instantly says, "Can we go play with the toys?" Luckily we did not see any toys, but while I was looking in another section Carson would not stop playing in the display of doors. He continued to open and try and close himself in them. I told him to stop or he was going to get his fingers chopped off. So, after numerous times of telling him to stop playing in the doors I finally had to physically go over to him, pick him up, and place him in the cart. All the while he is yelling and kicking and screaming, "Shut up Mom! You shut up!" I am sure I was getting all kinds of looks from other shoppers, but hey what are you going to do? My child was crabby and couldn't control himself and it really was probably my fault for expecting him to be good. So I find what I need very quickly after that and proceed to the check out while Carson is still yelling and crying about who knows what. The nice clerk at the check out line was playing on Carson's sadness and asked him what was the matter. Carson replied, "I chopped my fingers off in the doors." The look that lady gave me was priceless! I had to clarify for her and explain what I told Carson would happen if he hadn't stopped playing in the doors. I was so happy to get out of that store.

Later that night I took both Luke and Carson to Kohl's to find some new pictures to hang in our home. I found 4 of them and had to awkwardly carry the pictures while pushing Luke in the stroller and trying to keep Carson by me. Carson announces he has to go potty. Great timing! So we manage to get to the customer service area where the bathrooms are. I ask the lady if I can leave the pictures with her while we use the bathroom. No sooner do I start to set the pictures down, Carson runs off and enters the Men's bathroom! Oh my gosh - what in the world was I going to do? Luckily, a man and his son were heading into the bathroom so I asked him if he could get my son for me. He peeks in and says no one is in there so what do I do? I go and retrieve my son from the men's bathroom. I was more than embarrassed! Thankfully no one was in there! It could have been a lot worse. So after the potty experience we finish up in the store and we're heading out to the van. Carson is refusing to hold my hand so I pick him up by the waist and proceed to the van. This must have really ticked him off because he started up again yelling, "Damn it, Damn it, Damn it!!!" I swear he must have said it 10 - 20 times. I could not get him to stop! I was completely mortified. I have never heard him say that word before in my life! There was an elderly couple walking past us as this was happening and I can just imagine what a great parent they thought I was.

So that was our shopping day to remember. Hopefully our future outings will be more pleasant for all of us! Or I'll get smart and find a sitter!