Sometimes it is difficult to have a 4 year old, a 3 year old and an almost 2 year old. There is a lot of dressing and undressing, buckling and unbuckling, nose wiping, diaper changing, pottying, bath giving, hair washing, and hand washing. It can be a major ordeal just to take them all on a target run by myself. But, it must be done.
Today I decided we would in fact go to Target, for one thing, I had a gift card to spend (thank you honey and Seacoast!) needed stuff to make Christmas treats for my teachers and students in Little Ark, and I still need way to many Christmas presents! Plus it is one of the kids most favorite places to go...so...we all got dressed ie: I got myself and the boys dressed, picked out Annalee's clothes and then brushed everybody's hair, made sure there were diapers AND wipes in the bag (made that mistake last week...) and loaded everyone in, buckled them in and headed out! Wheew...that was half the battle right??
Get to Target, get a cart and load the boys in and walk with one hand on the cart (have you ever tried to push a cart loaded with 60 lbs of boy with just 1 hand?) and the other holding fast to Annalee's hand and make our way into the store. Wheewww...we are in safely.
Proceed to walk around trying to get everything I came for (I remembered the list!), still manage to have to walk back and forth across the store way to many times, with Annalee stopping every 2 feet to play with something, and Ezra trying to pull every possible breakable thing off the shelves, and Jude trying to open everything I throw into the back of the cart with him (so I put everything underneath), or aggravating Ezra, or trying to climb out of the cart.
Finally after about an hour, I am done (managed to get 2 Christmas gifts, not as successful as I had hoped to be) and start to head to the register when I realize I have left the gift card in the car despite repeating to myself over and over "Don't forget to get the card!" So at this point I am sooooo done, I am over it. I have already spoken to all the kids through gritted teeth and squeezed Annalee's hand at least twice to make sure she understands me, and now I have to go back to the car for the stupid card!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH! I am ready to scream. I can't just run out there with 3 kids and I can't push a cart full of merchandise out there either, lest I be thrown in jail...so I have to put all my stuff back on the shelf (to the cries of children who think they will not after all be getting marshmallows as a treat this afternoon) and push them all back to the parking lot, retrieve said card and push them all back in (see above on how to get into and out of store with 3 kids 4 an under) go back to where I left everything and hope some very competent employee has not put it all away before I can retrieve it...and wheewww...it's all there, the kids are very thankful, they apparently thought all of that was pinishment for their terrible behavior and are thanking me over and over again for getting the marshmallows.
Finally we pay and head out (once again) get loaded in, and I think to myself...that was difficult. I look back at each of them snuggled into their seats, waiting expectantly and I know it is all worth it. Difficult yes. But always always always worth it.
Yes my hands are very very full, but way better full than empty.
