Shopping Trip Disaster!!!

Today was just not my day when it came to our shopping trip.

First, we tried to go to Ulta to look for a new curling iron I wanted. It wasn't open yet so we decided to go into Bed, Bath & Beyond to look for a tie rack for Chip while we were waiting. Well, we did find that, and a few other items we needed so I guess that was a success; but upon getting back in the car I realized something horrible! My phone was missing! NOOOOOOOOOO! I wanted to scream. I had taken it out, texted a friend, and then set it on my bag in the cart. I figured one of the 2 boys in the cart got it and either dropped it into the cart, or dropped it on the ground in the store. I quickly, and I mean as FAST, got the boys unbuckled and ran back to the store check my cart and hopefully get it back.....but alas, my cart was gone, and so it wasn't just in the cart. We went inside, and my heart was racing, I was sweating I was so panicked (and due to the humidity outside too) and asked the front desk girl if anyone had turned it in. She said no, but she would try calling it. Here another problem came up - it was on silent! So even if it was somewhere in the vast area of the store - and yes, we had walked around the ENTIRE store of course, I would never hear it. I was hoping it would just be where I first had texted from, so we set off. But no! It wasn't there. After 3 times through the store and nothing turning up, I came up with the idea that maybe it was in the tie box that we had gotten because Cash had taken the rack out and so maybe it got put in there. So we set off back to the car - hurrying again as fast as I could possibly go with my 2 kids in toe, and yet - NOTHING! It wasn't in the bag, wasn't in the car, just GONE!!!

My heart sunk, my stomach hurt like I was going to be sick, I dreaded calling Chip and telling him yet another Iphone was gone under my care. I knew he wouldn't let me get another one and I just felt like it was deja vu and someone had taken it like they did in China and that it was going to be so awful. However, we headed back again to try one more time. Which turned into 5 more times around the store. Still nothing......and by now I was just plain mad! Why would someone take my phone, with my pictures of my kids, my contacts, and pretty much my life in it. Please just give it back. Well, I told Cash we needed to pray about it and he said he would and he said a little prayer for us. We went 2 more times around and nothing. Bother! So I left the front desk with my husbands phone number to call if it ever turned up, and we headed out, with a really heavy heart! As we were walking out the door a grandpa and his grandson were entering and I heard him say - "we need to go give that back now to the lady....you can't play with it anymore budddy!" I looked up immediately and saw in his hand a phone. I asked, "did you find that phone here?" To which he replied yes and I told him it was mine. He looked at me at first like he wasn't sure and I told him to turn it on and he would see a picture of my little son right on the front. So then he gave it to me and told me it was in his cart. He had let his grandson play with it as they walked around the store because it was keeping him busy and distracting him and he was just going to give it back now that they were done! Well, at first I didn't care what had happened I was just so relieved to get it back. I don't care who he had called, what he had dialed, if he had erased an ap, whatever! I was SO HAPPY it was back in my hands! Phew!

Upon getting in the car, however, I was a little bit annoyed - and then after a few moments REALLY annoyed when I realized that instead of turning it in when he first found it - 45 minutes previous, the guy just let his grandson play with it while I was frantically searching?! Hello - didn't you think someone might come asking for it?! Oh well - at least I got it back! I am glad I was in the US this time because in China that thing would have been stolen for sure!

Well, so the kids were good there, and what was going to be a 15 minute trip had turned into over an hour, so I should have known the next part wouldn't be so great. We then went to the mall to do some returns and look for more clothing for the kids for the wedding next week! They did great during the first store, and then it was downhill quickly!

Cash wanted icecream from Chic-Fil-e! I said of course after his kids meal, and so we set off. However, upon ordering he instantly had a breakdown and a HUGE tempertantrum, as in getting out of the stroller, stomping his feet, throwing his hands up, and screaming at me that he just wanted his icecream first and not his chicken nuggets. I was embarrassed because it was quite the scene, but finally calmed him down enough to sit him at a table. As soon as I had gotten the straws in the chocolate milk, the nuggets cooled and the sauce packet opened, and Cash taking one bite, of course another thing had to happen! Cash had to go to the bathroom - right then! Oh no! So we had to pack everything back up, which was a royal pain, and wasted some of the food, and head off to the bathroom. We entered a family one and he immediately freaked out and started to cry saying he didn't need to go. Well, as a mom and a great spotter of the potty dance I knew this wasn't true and lifted him up to sit on the toilet. This turned into another HUGE tantrum of him screaming and crying and saying he didn't want to go and just wanted to get off. I couldn't understand what the big problem was and so I was getting pretty mad. He got off and continued to cry while I grilled him on what his problem was and why he was acting so ridiculous. Finally it came out! He didn't want the potty to suck him in and flush on him (when we went and saw Alex he had gone to a public restroom where the toilets flushed automatically without pushing the button and it had done this while he was on the toilet and so he was terrified now of public restrooms now and that happening again to him apparently! Alex had told me about this before, but I didn't know what an impact it had made. Now it makes sense why he wouldn't go for Chip on Saturday in the public restroom and then peed his pants on the way home - I thought it seemed odd since he never has accidents!) Anyways, so finally we worked it out and he stood up and it was better and I told him it wouldn't flush and we got through that fiasco. We then preceded to go back out to get his icecream cone! We got it, and it seemed maybe things were going to get better! NOT!

All the tables were full so we found ourselves an empty one at the front of sbarros pizza. He was eating his icecream cone and then Griffin wanted some. I gave him a lick and Cash came unglued again! Screaming, not wanting to share, etc etc. He made such a scene it was all I could do to not just throw the thing in the trash right then and leave.....however, I did calmly get him to calm down and sit and eat it. We decided it was time to go home for naps - all the rest of the errands could be done later, and so we headed off. Well, in the parking lot yet another tantrum occurred as Cash stuck his finger through the bottom of the cone and then was upset because he was "freezing". I grabbed the cone, threw in under the car, strapped the 2 kids in, and told Cash not to speak the entire ride home because mommy was just too mad and I couldn't listen to anymore whining or crying! He did stop, and by the end he told me wouldn't do that and wouldn't cry at all if we went to Wal-Mart to look at the big Buzzy! I told him we weren't doing that at all after how he acted. At first he was upset, and started crying. But then he stopped. I looked up a few minutes later in the mirror thinking he had fallen asleep, but he was looking out the window (almost asleep mind you), and then he said "I'm sorry mom. I'm sorry I acted that way. It won't happen again!" Thank you Cash for realizing how awful it was....or probably not realizing it but at least saying sorry because how could I stay so mad now after this?!

I think part of it was Cash was so tired. Or at least I hope. And since we still have to get a few items I hope that when we go back we won't have to endure any more tantrums! Ah what a morning! Anyone want to come tend my kids while I go to the mall alone?