I go to a nearby store for bulk purchases of beans and legumes, some healthy snacks and some very unhealthy snacks too. It's closeby so it's a quick in and out. In theory. I asked little miss Haana on our way back from school pickup several times, but every time she insisted she is too tired and has too many things to do yet when she gets back. So one afternoon, after I picked up Bobby from school, and little miss Haana's pickup was not until much later, I drove us towards the store.
First, the Boy immediately knew we are not going home. NOO! He was vigorously disappointed. Play time beckons and awaits him as I force him into this entrapment. I attempted to pacify him by saying it will be a super quick stop. He was not convinced. The drive to the store was unpleasant. As i parked, i finally relented. I can get him a candy at the store. A candy, as in singular. But no toys will be purchased. He said fine, and we finally walked in, hand in hand.
We had just gotten inside the doors when he asked me if we could get some muffins. I decided i must not reward such frivolous asks with a response, so kept walking.
A store full of healthy snacks, legumes and beans and spices, is like a candy store for me! Bobby was helping me get what I needed, weigh it and note the bin number etc. Then Bobby saw a bin full of gummies. We negotiated how many was ok, and I helped him grab some in a bag for us to take home. It seemed like we had turned the tide.
I had to get one last thing which was in an aisle on the far side of the store. Bobby said he wants to explore another aisle by himself. I said OK and went to grab the last item. When I returned I didn't immediately find the boy. After frantically weaving in and out of different aisles, I saw Bobby boy walking around with a giant log-truck in his arms, holding it like a baby that needed love! I reminded him of our agreement that we will not get any toys, and that we already have a log truck but that just made him upset. Noo mumma, we have to! He was fixing to throw a fit too. I told him we have to keep the toy back to where it was. And i paced up and down to figure out which shelf it came from. Meanwhile Bobby boy is super upset already. And I still couldn't find the right shelf. Finally I put the log truck where I could fit it on a shelf, and started walking towards the self check out. By now Bobby boy was wrapped around one of my feet and with every step i took, i was mopping the floor with him. I told the next person in the self checkout line to go on ahead because I can't hardly move. I finally got to the check out, paid and we somehow got out of the store. Back in the car, the drama continued. I didn't have to pick up little miss Haana right away. I buckled the boy in his seat, sat in the driver's, looked back at him and gave him a piece of my mind. The living room cabinets are full of toys. On the kitchen counter is the giant lego ship, only halfway built yet. If he's wanting to throw a fit, go right ahead. We will not move out of the parking lot before he's calmed down.
Remembering the half built lego ship that he'd been working on, pacified the boy. And soon he was calm, even conciliatory and itching to get home. To the legos.
Saved by the toy and that doesn't happen everyday. But I had now enough beans to last me couple months!!
