Stay calm

It's amazing to me how people can be.  All people, really, but especially E and I.  I've had some on-hand experience with this the last few weeks in relation to staying calm or, essentially, being patient.

E hates shopping.  I mean, totally loathes it.  He's the type of person that buys a gift just to "get it over with."  We just bought a gift for his mom that I thought was rather pricey for what it was.  He say to me, "well, it may be bad to think this way, but that's another $20 off what we have to spend on her."  (Obviously, his love language isn't gift giving, folks.  How lucky for me that mine is.)

So, E hates shopping.  Sunday afternoon, we dropped the big kids off to help my MIL put up her tree, and we talk the littles to Target to go shopping.  Target normally isn't the worst place on E's list (that's saved for special little "hells" like Hobby Lobby or Old Time Pottery in his opinion.) but Target on the weekends, in DECEMBER, are pretty crowded.  I had a few things to look at and price.  After the first one, E was getting antsy.  I asked "which color do you think looks better?" he replies: "the first one" with out even glancing over at what I'm holding.  

It only went down hill from there.  We went to the toys, and he is just standing there, staring (maybe going to his happy place?  Lowes or Costco possibly) while Isaac is climbing out of the cart and drinking out of his coffee cup.  The only thing he says "can we get out of here now?" over and over. 

what's my Achilles heel when it comes to patience?  Screaming/crying/whiny children.  Isaac has a sinus infection and he has been very prone to crying jags (well, that sinus infection and he's almost 2).  He cried so much yesterday, I can't even begin to explain how shot my nerves were.  It wasn't just sad, I don't feel good, cries.  It was screaming really.

I'm making dinner rather late in the evening,  (Our original plan was to go out to a local pizza place for kids eat free Monday night, but we decided against it because of Isaac.) and Isaac is throwing a fit about every.single.thing.  He wants the cheese I'm shredding.  He wants the tortilla I'm frying.  He wants the tortilla chips I'm setting out.  I give him a small bite of each, but he's screaming because he wants more.  He's hanging on the fridge because he wants an apple.  All.while.screaming. 

Then there's the bigger kids.  Asking for markers, fighting over who has the best green.  "Mine's dried out!  MoMEEEE!  Mine's dried out!"  "Can you get me some glue?"  "Mommy, I need the crayons!"  "He took my idea!  Look, mommy!  He stole it!"  "She's looking at my paper!"

E's over on the chair, peacefully rocking Eliza.  Completely unaware, or unaffected, by the commotion in the kitchen. 

That's when it hits me.  This is MY Target-on-a-Sunday-in-December.   Let's pay for our stuff and GET ME OUT OF HERE!

Because I can hardly stand to post an entry with out a picture... pictures!