I took the girls to a small market, off of the highway yesterday. I didn't want to load the double stroller just to grab milk and eggs, or leave them in the car, while I grabbed a shopping cart. Hindsight, the car would be cool enough, seeing as the A.C. had blown us into an arctic freeze during the drive to the store.
So, what happened? Well, genius Jessica decides to take Avery out first, and actually thought she'd stand beside me, while I quickly got Rowan into the baby becco carrier, and then we would walk to the carts together. Rowan's half way in, and I needed to do up the three buckles, and Avery takes off fast! So I chase her down, try grabbing her arm, while holding Rowan into my chest by only her head. Avery gets loose, I fall on my ass, she takes off toward the loading ramp, behind the grocery store. If she'd fallen down, from the pavement onto pavement, well you can imagine. So I'm freaking out seeing this happening in my head, and I scramble to grab her. I catch her about four feet away, by the arm, and she throws herself onto the pavement, and tries rolling under some random car.
While I'm down beside Avery, I get Row safely done up, and carry Avery to the carts. Rowan's screaming, and Avery's doing her "Arch and Slide" as I call it. Basic toddler move- lifts her arms straight up, so you can't pick her up, and arches her back, so she slides down onto the ground. A lady passerby helped me get the monster into the cart, where she proceeded to scream through the store.
At that point, I considered leaving the situation, but decided no way, I'd get the goods and get out of there quickly. I didn't like everyone staring at me, and felt my red faced embarrassment, and normally I could brush Avery off, and laugh at the situation, but with both Rowan freaking from the drama, in her sling, well, it took everything in me not to cry, too! Total melt down for all!
I got out of the store, with my goods, and loaded them into the car. Avery first, and Rowan second, then left the cart there. I felt very guilty about that; I always return my cart, but in that situation, I figured it was okay. I didn't speak to Avery the whole drive home, and told myself that if I stayed mad at her, she wouldn't understand when we got home. And so the day went on and I pulled my composure back together.
Painting the happy face is hard sometimes, but I just want to be good to the girls. Life is always learning lessons, not mistakes, and I sure learned a lesson about Avery yesterday, she is too busy to stand still yet. Maybe she doesn't know what it means.
On the bright side, I got an awesome photo of them both, before we left, and they're wearing matching outfits:
2 comments:
The terrible 2's start waaaay before they turn 2! Damn them for wanting to think for themselves and have opinions about what they actually want to be doing (not at all what YOU WANT them to be doing)! Toddlers are hard work, harder than babies and they're pretty tough unto themselves. Toddlers and babies together has got to be the hardest combination in the world! I think you got it right when you said that she is just too busy to stay still and probably doesn't understand. It's hard on those days to really see clearly and come to logical conclusions and stay calm, but you did - yay you! And for the record, if it's easier to drive, easier to leave the cart etc...then just do it - your sanity is the most important thing!
P.S. I can't believe she was trying to crawl under some random car like that - smart really, but thank god you caught her before she went right under!
Thankyou!! I can only imagine if she got burned from the bottom of the car, or some horrible thing.
Props to you having three. I think it must get easier, but I don't know if I could leave my house with them all! Ha ha, you must have the hang of it.
xx Jess
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