Kid Time

Last week, I sent Adam to the Larsen girls "day camp." I was amazed at how fast I was able to complete my errands without Adam. I got completely spoiled. I finished in half a day what would have easily taken me two with both kids. Today, I went to the mall looking for new church pants for Adam & check out their clearance sales in the kid's department. I planned on going to one store and spending about 10 minutes as I was going for specific items. No one needed to try anything on so I was sure we could be in and out. Here's how our day went down:

- Parked car, got out the big stroller from back of the car. Got Adam out after asking him to stop licking a half eaten pack of BBQ sauce. Got Hadley out & strapped into stroller. Crammed diaper bag into tiny stroller basket.
- Kid free customers open heavy entrance doors in time to let shut in our face. Wrangle a stroller in one hand, while barely holding the door open with the other.
- Repeat with second set of doors in the breezeway.
- 5 seconds inside the store, Adam declares, "I need to go potty."
- Find out that restrooms are located on the 1st & 3rd floors. We are on the 2nd.
- Find elevators at the opposite corner from where we are located. Barely miss getting to travel to first level as Adam was glad to "help" by pressing the button closest to his level.
- Make potty stop.
- Notice that the only route from the restrooms to the children's section is through expensive china and fragile stemware. Contemplate the genius of the store layout.
- Arrive at children's section to have Adam immediately announce, "I have to go potty."
- Get repeatedly greeted by Sally, the over enthusiastic cashier that wants to offer me "outstanding service." Seriously, she followed us all through the store.
- On route to navy blue pants, Hadley decides that she has to have a bottle right now -- even though she ate right before we left. Steer one handed while holding a bottle with the other hand. Have no hand available for the red head that is knocking down all the hanging shirts on the carousel racks.
- Have discussion on why $18.99 is too much for a simple yellow t-shirt, even if it does have "all the superheroes" on it.
- Remove red head from climbing through naked mannequins.
- Pay for purchases. Listen to screams from red head because he stuck his hot wheels car into the gumball machine by the register.
- Again, listen to Sally remind me she was glad to offer me "outstanding service."
- Make a 2nd trip to the restroom. This time Adam takes 10 minutes to do his business. Once he's done is given the secret nick-name "Mr. Poopy fingers." I know, I know disgusting!

Total trip 1 hour, 15 minutes. How does it take so long with kids in tow? I don't get it, I knew what I was going for. I love my kids, they just aren't easy to shop with at this age.