On Friday, I decided to do the impossible...shop with all 3 of my little girls on Tax Free Weekend! I know, you think I'm crazy. However, there was no other option considering how the week had gone. We had things to do and they all had to be done Friday. So with a little anxiety, I headed for the car with my girls and our list in hand.
First, we stopped by Office Depot to drop off some school cards to be laminated for Meliya. While there, I looked around trying to find the rings we would need to bind them together when they were finished. Let's just say, I forgot how narrow Office Depot makes their aisles. The sit-n-stand stroller could barely make it through with all the school supply displays. Of course, Caillyn and Meliya took advantage of my limited mobility to run all over the store, climb on the office furniture and touch every supply they could find! ...And no, we did not even find the rings. I just gave up and left.
So, next stop here we come! Ulta it is. I'm trying to look on the positive as I think, "OK, here is a character training opportunity! Let's work on keeping our hands and bodies under control." So, we dived into the perfume section as I was looking to replace my old, discontinued perfume. After going down one aisle and smelling a LOT of really SMELLY perfumes, we were doing OK. There was a lot of instruction going on reminding Caillyn to stay with the stroller and for both the older girls to not touch but ask me to hold the bottle so they could smell. And then it happened. I smelt one of the most repulsive perfume odors ever! As I'm trying to maintain my composure, I reach up for the coffee bean container to help "cleanse" my smeller. Yes, it happened...coffee beans EVERYWHERE! The little plastic cup decided to collapse under my grasp. The lid popped off and a shower of coffee beans exploded out of the cup like smoothie out of a topless blender. And the best part...we were right next to the hard working women who were arranging the price tags for the entire perfume section. They had witnessed our every character building move and then got to see me, the mom, make the huge mess! As I stood there, dumbfounded, I decided not to shrink away but power through this seemingly sad turn of events. The girls started helping me pick up coffee beans and I apologized a lot for my oops.
After the disaster was cleaned up, we kept going to find the elusive perfume. After going down the last aisle, ready to tie Caillyn to the stroller because of her insatiable need to run around and pick up every bottle she saw, a girl who worked there finally approached me for help. In 3 minutes flat, she directed me to 2 different perfumes for which I was looking. Helping me choose the one I would purchase and be done. I wish she had come up earlier! So, off to pick out lipstick and checkout!
As we were standing at the lipstick counter (another 3 minute time frame), Caillyn says those words that make every mom cringe, "I've got to go potty!" So, off to the potty we run. We get inside the restroom were I send both girls into each stall to go quickly as I struggle to get the stroller through the door. Caillyn proceeds to play with the lock on the stall because it was hard to work. As I tell her not to worry about it but get on the potty and go, it happens. She tee-tees. Then, as I'm turned around making sure Bryleigh's feet don't get caught in the door and wipe the lipstick samples off my hand she manages to kick her shoes off and walk around in the HUGE puddle of pee on the floor. I turn to see what happened and told her to get on the potty (of course not realizing that it was too late). She then gets on the potty, crying LOUDLY, Bryleigh's screaming because Caillyn scared her and Meliya is talking my ear off over it all. Yes, this was a low point for me. All I could think about was how the women in the salon area that watched us go in were hearing everything going on and thinking that CPS should be called! As I gather the shoes to rinse them off in the sink, I find that Caillyn had dropped part of her dress in the toilet when she climbed on it. As I'm helping her get off, my 2 pens from my purse decide to leap into the toilet as well. "Seriously?" I thought.
Now here was a quandary. I don't have any spare panties or outfit for Caillyn. I'm more than 15 minutes away from home and haven't finished the errands that HAD to get done that day that were only 5 minutes away...now what?
Yes, yes...Caillyn went commando with a partially wet dress, wet shoes that had been rinsed in the sink and all of us in a bad mood straight to check-out. We got in the car and headed for our next stop, Target. Thankfully, the God of the Universe knew that I would need to go to a place where not only could I buy panties but also a clean dress for her to wear!
Target proved to be redeeming. So up comes the teeter totter as Caillyn is confined in the basket with Bryleigh and we try our best to knock off the things on the list quickly! We manage, thanks be to God, to find panties and a sundress (ON SALE) and head for check-out. At the car, I strip Caillyn down to redress her and get everyone in to go eat. By this time, Meliya has put her negotiating skills into high gear. As she promises that everyone will behave from now on if we go to Jason's Deli, I point the car in that direction with a prayer uttering from deep within my soul, "Lord, help...please!"
Now here is where God is so good! We went to Jason's Deli, got a great parking spot despite the crowd. Managed to find a good table. And ...wait for it...we ALL ate without any bad attitudes or fussing!!!! Even Bryleigh managed to behave herself! After we finished eating, we all went to the bathroom too. And no, there was no potty drama! Each girl did what they were supposed to do without any unnecessary messes!!! They were so good, they got to enjoy ice cream cones when we left!
Our last stop of the day, Old Navy. By this time, it was stifling outside. So sweaty and tired we head in praying that God will bless this visit so that we can end on a good note. Thankfully, God is good! We were able to find everything we needed without too much trouble, although Caillyn was relegated to riding in the stroller with Bryleigh most of the time. After a long wait at checkout, we managed to get in the car and head home! Home to naps and rest! Thank you, Jesus, sweet rest!
So have you had a teeter-totter day lately? Hopefully no matter how low it seems to get, God has been able to bring you back up with His wonderful (even if it's small) blessings! Thank you God for small blessings that keep us sane!
too funny!!! I think we all can relate!!!
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