The Whole Story

Went to Walmart to buy a pj pattern and a bunch of inexpensive pj type fabric. It's funny how they outgrow everything all at once...so we are searching and sorting and widdling our choices down. You know, 3 1/2yr olds want every princess, tinker bell, hannah montana fabric out there and they are pricier cause of their name...so we pick a dora on sale, and a cheeta girl on sale, some nice stretch knit pink with whales on it, hot pink with polka dots, and pink camo...these are cute and more affordable. right when we are finally ready to do the cutting, M has to go to the bathroom...clear across the store. No surprise.

Needless to say, I had of course asked her not long before that if she needed to go and she had said no. we left the fabric on the table and told the cutting lady we'd be back to have them cut. then we had to dump the bottled water and pattern at the check out line so we could wheel the cart in the bathroom as it had W in it as well. I send M to potty by herself as W and I wait just outside the stall. M isn't going potty. so I go in there to help. Meanwhile 2 or 3 other women come in. M is all nervous that the potty will "flush under my bottom!" Well the sign clearly said that you would have to push the button to flush it. I tried to assure her of this but she wasn't buying it. I tell her she doesn't have a choice, if she has to go, then she has to go on this potty. Well...she stiffens up and starts a temper tantrum! I tell her I'll help her and start to lift her onto the potty and she arches her back just about falling half dressed on a public restroom floor!

At this point my blood pressure is going up so I tell her that if she doesn't go on the potty I guess she'll just have to tee tee on the floor (thinking of course that this sounds awful and repulsive, so the other choice would be a better one). Apparently, she thought the floor in this case was much better cause as I walk out of the stall and give her a minute to think about it, I notice she's stopped crying and it's quiet. So I peek back in the stall and see her squatting down on the floor peeing!!!

I call out her name and she stops--obviously! i jerk up her pants and tell her we are going home! I tell her that she knows better than that...and of course she just screams the whole way out and to the car and half the way home. I lecture her despite in my mind I'm telling myself that lecturing is not the best way to go in this case. I suppose I'm doing it more for my benefit than hers. I make her go straight in to the potty, change close (cause I don't know how she could have avoiding getting t-t on herself) and off to nap. No playing.

Of course I didn't get the fabric, the pattern, or the other groceries that I needed. I do suppose that I'll have to plan something else for sup since i needed some things from the store to complete my original menu. ahhhhhhhhhh well. j says i'll laugh about it in 20 yrs and I suppose he's right.