Random Bits from Last Weekend

The girls really wanted to go to the hardware store with daddy (he's building book shelves for their room... pictures when it's done), and I wasn't sure I want to go to Costco on my own with three yelling "I need to go potty!", so we did a family trip to take care of both.

Emma about threw a fit when we got to Lowe's and we didn't get a shopping cart.  I had to buy her off with the little pull carts that they have now.  They're perfect for the toddler size.

We went out to dinner that night, and the girls essentially had corn bread, mac and cheese, and sweet potato for dinner.

Of course, it wasn't without drama...  Julie was carrying a styrafoam cup of lemonade back to the table when she essentially walked into a wall, fell, busted the cup, and was then screaming, wet, and sticky. 

Awesome.

And then you know what I did?  I forced Becca to use the potty in the restaurant.  She's got this terrible fear (that I later finally heard her say was a fear of "falling in") of potties other than the one at one or the portable one in the car.  First I just convinced her to come in the stall with me, and by "convinced," I mean that I carried her in.  

And then, it was all about the bribes.  We had some coupons for free doughnuts that we were going to use, and I told her the only way to get a doughnut was to use the potty.  If anyone else had been in the bathroom, I don't know that I would have wrestled with her.  But once I got her on the toilet and held on to her, she was fine.  And then she was all, "That wasn't so bad!"  "I told you I could do it!"  A small victory.

And of course Krispy Kreme was packed.  We waited in line for probably half an hour.  At that point, we couldn't leave without Becca's reward doughnut.

No sprinkle (or chocolate frosting) left behind!

Mommy Learns an Important Lesson

Sigh.

So, Greg wasn't feeling well this morning and I wanted to let him sleep. I've been working up the courage to take all three of them out with me and I thought this would be a good opportunity to try it out.

So we went for a quick trip to Target. We got the triple cart (it was already out in the parking lot) and the girls were so amused by the novelty of it that they were perfectly behaved. So far so good.

We get to the grocery store, and I'm feeling confident. So, to get the 3 of them into the car when there's just one adult, I put all 3 of them in on the passenger side of the car, then lift someone (Emma) over the folded-down captain's chair behind the front passenger seat (it kind of acts like a barricade). Get the two in the back buckled in, shut the passenger door, and then go over to the driver's side door to get the last one buckled in behind the driver. So, unloading is basically the same in reverse.

So we get to the store. I throw my purse back over by the sliding door on the passenger's side, since that's where I'll be when I actually get the 3 of them out of the car. Throw my keys back there, too.

Get out, open the driver's side sliding door, unbuckle Emma.

Shut driver's side door. Walk around the van to the passenger's side sliding door. But before I get there, what do I hear?

Click.

Click. Beep.

Click. Beep.

Yup.

Emma picked up my keys, went straight for the fob for the van, and locked all of the doors. Locked herself and her sisters inside. Locked me out.

I started laughing.

She continues: Click. Beep. Click. Beep. Clearly, the beeping is amusing her.

By this time, I've walked back around to the driver's side because if she does happen to accidentally unlock it, the driver's door will be the first to open. With one hand on the driver's door, I start begging her to unlock it.

First, I was trying to get her to pull up the the lock from the inside. I was getting no where.

She smiles at me. But doesn't have the keys.

"Emma, where are my keys?"

She picks them up out of her car seat.

"Good girl. Can you push the button?"

Click. Beep. Click. Beep.

By this point, Becca and Julie are starting to get worked up.

"Emma, can you push the OTHER button?"

Click. Beep.

"The OTHER button."

And finally, she unlocks it.

That child is going to cause me so many gray hairs. But I'll have to say, I'm really proud of her for listening to me and following directions.

I guess the back story here is that the girls have been amused by my keys lately (and anything in my purse). A few weeks ago, Julie was running around with them in the kitchen, and I didn't think too much about it until I could hear the van start beeping. That darn lock button that makes the car beep. It's better than candy.

The girls did fine in the grocery store, and walked through the parking lot holding hands. But I sure learned my lesson about kids and keys.