Strawberry Pretzel Salad... and the dignity that went with it.

It all started so innocently: I needed to make a quick trip to the grocery store.

It was Monday, Bible study night, and yours truly was in charge of the dessert portion of the festivities. After deciding what to make it was determined that I needed a few things from the Pig. Seeing that Strawberry Pretzel salad contains Jello and needs time to "jell", there was no way  I could wait for JB to get home from work. I had to make a hasty decision and throw caution to the wind to make the quick trip ALONE with 2 little boys to the Grocery Store. (Note: this is not the first time I have done this...by the way. But other times have gone MUCH more smoothly. MUCH MUCH more smoothly).

They were excited about going to the store... a little TOO excited. I'll now clue you in why: JB will usually go to the store and take 1 boy (I repeat.. 1 boy) with him and let him push the little buggy. I saw this coming.. really I did, so when we pulled into the parking lot, I made it very clear that Mommy was in a hurry and that they were just going to sit in the big buggy. So far.. so good.

We enter the store. I grab Jayton and put him in the big buggy, and before I could scoop up Jonah... it happened. He saw the little buggy and was heading for it like it was the last cookie in the jar. Did he not remember our little discussion in the car? Of course not. Seeing Jonah with the little buggy (or "baby-one" as they call it), caused Jayton have the fit of all fits. "My push baby one... my push baby one" he screamed. Being the adaptable mother that I am, (And also disregarding my previous conversation with them in the car) I briefly thought "OK, there is only one little buggy, but maybe we can make this work if they will BOTH push the buggy and they will stop screaming and everyone will stop looking and I can get my shopping trip done without someone calling DHR". Alas.... this extremely complicated idea did NOT work, much to my avail. Jonah, did NOT want to share his little buggy and Jayton did not want to share it with Jonah.

Again, being the adaptable mother that I am, I totally abandoned the grocery store all together. Seriously.... I just left. Gone. Out the door. I scooped both boys up and headed for the hills car where we had another little chat, (which, I'm sad to say had about as much effect as the first little chat) about how we do NOT EVER EVER EVER do things like that in the store. I would have gone home, but like I said, I HAD to go back in there to buy groceries and reclaim my dignity. Face my fears. Show the world that I am, indeed, SuperMom!

Upon entering the store again one of the cashiers, obviously noting that I was indeed NOT SuperMom and that I was having trouble controlling my children, said "We have 2 little buggies now, if you want them". But.. I had firmly planted my feet down and wasn't moving on the issue. I declined her kind offer and stated that I would tote my groceries around in my purse before I let them have one of those buggies right now. (Now... I didn't really say that... but that's what I was thinking. I couldn't come up with a clever comeback at the moment since I was trying to remain invisible with 2 screaming toddlers, so I saved the really good ones for the Blog.)

I finished my shopping trip with 2 boys in a big buggy both screaming at the top of their lungs the whole time "My push baby one... wahhh(fake cry).. wahh... My push baby one...wahh...wahhh". Needless to say, it was the most embarrassing trip to the Pig I have ever been a part of, to date. I paid for my items, grabbed them both by the hand and dragged the back out to the car. By the time we went the 2 blocks home, we were all crying. I told them to take off their shoes and get to bed...now. Sensing my anger dissatisfaction of the trip, they decided it was time to obey Mommy, and they shed their shoes and crawled in bed.

When they woke up from their nap, they both apologized for their behavior in the store and promised never to do it again (stay tuned for future store-melt-down blogs that will make me regret writing this!!). Then I got some good snuggle time with my boys and finally made my Strawberry-pretzel salad... which was a hit, by the way! After the day that I'd had, though, I wouldn't have been surprised if it had tasted like poop.

One day, I'm sure I'll look back on this and laugh. I love my boys too much not to!

P.S: No employees of the Pig, or customers were harmed in the making of this melt-down. To all those present at 11:30am, 10-17-11, have my sincerest apologies and I'm glad we all made it out alive.