Sunday, February 21, 2010

Out of milk. Fresh out of sanity.

milk

You know what?  We are out of milk.  And you know why?  You know why I didn't pick up milk at Wal-Mart yesterday when I was running errands for five hours with the four oldest kids so Danny could have a well-deserved nap since he'd only have to take care of the babies

Wanna know WHY?  Because I am a mean old mommy who refused to buy the $1.00 box of Sour Patch Kids for Bun resulting in him screaming for 15 minutes.  FIFTEEN MINUTES.  Sure 15 minutes isn't a long time to peruse blogs or talk on the phone to your sister.  And FlyLady likes to say you can do anything for 15 minutes.  Well, she's right.  Bun apparently can SCREAM loud enough for people that are six aisles away to hear and poke their heads out and look for fifteen minutes. 

So what did I do?  I high-tailed it out of there.  I bought what was in my cart already:  a package of black t-shirts for Danny to wear under his flight suit, a few casual-ish shirts for me to wear to church and when dropping off kids at school so the other mommies don't think I'm a hobo, and the bag of pretzel sticks I picked out before entering the dreaded candy aisle. 

You know what other aisle I hate?  The cereal aisle.  There's always screaming in the cereal aisle.  And it's not always my children doing it.  I just nod knowingly to the other mean old mommies. 

Sometimes I think about telling my kids when they ask why they can't have something, "It's because I'm a mean old mommy.  I entered a pact with the other mommies when I became one that I would always say 'no' at the times you really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, want that box of [fill in the blank with sugar cereal or candy]."






P.S.  Danny thought I should add in Bun's defense, it was very late.  It was half an hour past his bedtime already.  But still . . .

10 comments:

Leslie said...

The mean old mommy club rocks! I know - because I'm the president, ha ha!

I've endured many a screaming rant from Em at Walmart and had to walk out empty handed. Fortunately, we haven't had long tantrums since around Christmas that have lasted more than a couple of minutes. But I remember the long ones all too well.

Hopefully you have powdered milk around and can whip that up. Only Christian comments on it when I resort to powdered milk. The girls don't even notice.

I just bought myself a year supply of powdered eggs so now I won't have to leave the house for eggs with kids either.

Momza said...

Oh...I have truly been there, done that.
It can be so unnerving!
I never never never went shopping past 5 oclock with my yahoos or I surely paid for it--too close to dinner and bedtime.
Hope u get some milk today! Good for you to hold your ground though!

Lisa said...

I worked in the foods department of the Wal-Mart up in the "Frozen North" for one summer. Now, granted, I kind of have a different point of view than most people, but the things that bugged me the most were the parents who gave into their kids at every turn; the kind who say things like "If you whine one more time we're going STRAIGHT to the car!" and then wander around the store with whiny kids and empty threats for an hour or two. Or the kind that when the kid asks for something saying "But mommy, I WANT it!" the parent says something like "Fine! you win! Just quit bugging me! I should have left you at home with your father!" Yeah. Those parents bug me. But I totally respect the parents who tell their kids no sometimes.

A. said...

Bummer! 15 minutes feels like eternity when you are in a public building for the screams to be trapped in and echoing through the aisles (or feel that way at least).

The only thing we get screams over is usually "chewies (those pure fruit fruit leathers), and cheesey popcorn. Thankfully those are at the end near the registers for when those days hit. Otherwise I'M the one screaming for them to stay near me or nto tip the cart as I shop. lol

Rach said...

Oh the brave woman you are. I do not, I repeat DO NOT shop with more than 2. and if I do, I avoid ALL THOSE isles at all costs. oh my goodness...I think I would have broke down & cried. But maybe that is why I leave the grocery shopping to Jase...I send him with a list.....and it saves me the shopping terrors...oh you brave brave woman.

Susan said...

Oh Nikki! I love your blog!! Hang in there, mean old mom...

I promise, they grow out of it!

Ms. Leigh said...

I took Mikey for a Walmart trip and didn't get him a cart to ride in and wouldn't carry him because it was going to be really quick. That boy screamed and tried to hang on to my leg (which I'd remove him from) during the entire trip to Walmart, but I didn't walk out until I got what I came for. I'm sure the people in Walmart loved me that day. :-)

Renee' said...

Good for you. I hate it when my youngest (5 yo boy) does that. I used to get so embarassed that I would give in to hush him, but realized that I wasn't doing him any favors. When we say NO SOUR PATCH KIDS, darn it, NO SOUR PATCH KIDS!!! I'm a card-carrying member of the mean mommies club myself. Happy to meet another.

Lisa said...

Sometimes (like when I read stories like this) I'm glad mine are out of this stage. Whew! But even at 9 and 12 the cereal aisle is risky business, lol!

Happy to follow you....looking forward to reading you.

Tara H. said...

oh man, the story of my life everyday. I feel your pain!
xoxox