Our Grocery Trip

I forgot to blog about this earlier this week. I don’t know how this one almost slipped my mind.

On Monday Tyler’s preschool was cancelled due to the snow & ice. Frankly, I thought they were being a little wimpy. I tried to reason with his teacher when she called, but she insisted there was NO SCHOOL. Tyler was thrilled with his first “snow day”.

Mondays are my grocery shopping days. I usually perform this dreaded task while Tyler is in school. Danielle typically rides in the little truck in the front of the cart and entertains herself. I’ve given up trying to buy a full cart of groceries with BOTH kids, so this Monday I went to the grocery store with the play area. Usually the kids really enjoy this, they behave themselves well (for them), and my shopping is therefore upgraded to bearable.

This Monday I dropped the kids off, got my little wristband that coordinates with the number on the kids’ name tags, and hurried off to get started. I was making great progress when I heard an overhead page: “Attention shoppers, this is an Eagle’s Nest page for the caregiver with wristband #4. Please return to the Eagle’s Nest.” I cringed and checked my wristband, #6. Whew! I continued on. 30 seconds later the page was repeated: “Attention shoppers, this is an Eagle’s Nest page for the caregiver with wristband #4 AND the caregiver with wristband #6. Please return to the Eagle’s Nest.” Usually this means Danielle has to use the restroom. For some reason I didn’t think that was it this time. Sometimes moms just know.

I got to the play area after the caregiver with wristband #4 and waited my turn. The play area lady busied herself with #4 mom and avoided eye contact with me. (I know this sounds paranoid, but it’s true.) Meanwhile, Danielle peered around the counter and yelled out, “Tyler bit me on the butt! He bit me on the butt.” I mouthed, “Ok. Be quiet,” but it didn’t really matter. She said it a couple more times then returned to watching Cars.

When mom #4 and daughter left to use the potty, the play area lady turned to me. “I was reading a book to Tyler and Danielle when another family needed checked in. I left to check them in. Then I heard Danielle crying. Apparently Tyler didn’t think she was sharing enough so he bit her on the butt. I thought I misheard her, but I didn’t. It was the butt. He bit her on the butt. I’m sorry to bother you, but I can’t look to be sure she’s ok. It was hard enough that she was crying, and I wanted to be sure she was ok.”

Here are the thoughts that crossed my head, in order:
1. Great, a witness (the other family)
2. Of course, it’s Tyler
3. Biting? Is he 2?
4. The butt. Always the butt. WHY the butt?!
5. She’s dramatic. No need to look.
6. Act like I’m concerned about her butt anyway
7. I’m going to kill him.

I apologized for his misbehavior and removed him from the play area. He didn’t have much to say in his defense. She wasn’t sharing. He bit her. Why the butt? Just because. Danielle stayed to play. I resumed my shopping, purposefully walking fast enough that Tyler had to hustle to keep up. I rushed through the rest of my shopping, checked out, and picked up Danielle.

The play area lady told Tyler she hoped he would be allowed to come back next time and gave me a kind smile. At this point I was feeling a bit depressed. Seems like I’m always correcting behavior that shouldn’t need to be corrected. (Really! Biting at his age! We won't even discuss the location!) At least I made someone else’s day. That other mom probably went home and told her husband, “At least our kid’s not as bad as that butt biter at the grocery store!”