Toddler on the Loose

In preparation for the first Cowboys game of the season, Shannon bought Adam a Tony Romo jersey (I personally would have preferred a Demarcos Ware jersey, but apparently you can only get the quarterback at this age).

While shopping for the toddler Cowboys jersey, we were lucky that Buy Buy Baby was practically empty, for while Adam was entertaining, he wasn't exactly... ummmm... quiet? In purchasing this "well" priced item (let's just say that they are proud of them), we wanted to make sure that he could wear it this year and next. So we pulled off his little polo in the middle of the store and tried on the 3T, and he laughed and took off running. It looked so cute on him that I think that's what sealed the deal for Shannon. We reined him back in, pulled off the 3T and Shannon went to go find a 4T.

When Shannon walked off, Adam took advantage of my split second need to relocate my purse, and took off running (I forgot to mention that since I couldn't find his shoes before we left, he was wearing socks only). There went this little blonde 16 month old, with no shirt on, a pair of shorts, and socks, standing/stomping/squealing in the middle of the main aisle at Buy Buy Baby. He ran right in front of Shannon on his way there, and Shannon never saw him (what's the word for that? Oh yeah, conditioning. Adam has conditioned us). I captured him, wrestled him back into the clothing section and we tried on the 4T (which was the winner), and we left...

It's hard to get mad a child who is not doing anything "wrong" and has no concept of the idea that people might be disturbed by a loud toddler running rampant through the aisles. He's not quite at that age yet. And since he wasn't pulling boxes off of shelves or clothes off of hangers . . . well, I chased him down and reeled him in, but I laughed while doing it. Maybe that makes me one of those obnoxious parents, I don't know. Maybe I don't care anymore.

Earlier that day I had taken him to Target where he was content to yell "YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH!!!" at the top of his very healthy lungs. Eventually, when I had had enough, I put my hand over his mouth and said quietly, "You need to whisper. WHISPER." He grinned, kicked his legs and said "yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!" as quietly and as excitedly as he could. When he's grinning, it's really hard to get mad at him... especially when he tries to behave.

After Buy Buy Baby, we went to Sprouts to pick up some meat for grilling on Sunday, and Adam refused to sit backwards in the child seat, so I dumped him in the cart. He liked the "ride," except that he thought it might be improved if he were allowed to stand up. When that didn't fly, he was satisfied (briefly) with taking the "balls" from me (tomato and avocados) and putting them in the basket. When that got old, he looked for a new plan. Just as an older couple was cruising by with their basket, Adam stood up, yelled, and threw an avocado on the floor (not in their general direction, just directly beneath him). They looked shocked, perhaps appalled... (oh, come on, you've been surprised by a kid before?) and looked at me like they either thought I had told him to do it or like they were glad he wasn't their kid. Little do they know, I'm the luckiest mom alive. Like you would ever want a kid who wasn't energetic or imaginative. So sometimes you get avocados thrown near you. Get over it.

Shannon stopped him before the tomato was launched out of the cart next, and I decided he would just be carried the rest of the way. We were almost done anyway, and it had been a long shopping day for him.

I believe we may have reached a stage where we need to pause the Adam/Mom only grocery store trips for a while... it's actually quite difficult to pick out the best zucchini when your toddler is standing up in the child seat of the cart (he wiggles his way out of the straps and leg holes) and is smiling at you with a devious look that says, "And for my next trick..."