Party Time

Here’s the deal.  When you go into a store with Brynna you are on a time crunch similar to that of a bomb squad. There’s a lot of pressure to get in, get the necessary items accomplished and get out before the timer expires and there is an explosion.  Before we entered Target we had a conversation similar to the one we have anytime we pull into a retail parking lot.  It goes something like this:

Brynna: What’s wrong, Mommy?  (…because Brynna equates the car being in park to when she stops – that must mean something is wrong.  Otherwise, we’d be moving.)
Me:  Nothing’s wrong, baby.  We are at the store.

Brynna: The mall?!

Me: No, we are at Target.

Brynna: Oh (slightly dejected as it registers that this means there is no playground)

Me: Look at Mommy and listen, please.

Brynna:  Ok (looking out the window)

Me.:  Brynna, look at Mommy.

Brynna:  Ok (playing with her shoes)

Me:  Brynna, look at my eyes.

Brynna:  Hi, Mommy (glancing at me with a big smile before returning to her shoes)

Me:  Brynna

Brynna: Huh?  (Finally looks up)

Me:  We are going in to the store.  You are going to ride in the cart.  You are not going to push the cart.  Do you understand?

Brynna: Yes

Me:  You are going to ride in the seat, not underneath the cart.  Do you understand?

Brynna: Yes

Me:  You are going to sit down.  You are not going to stand, throw things out of the cart or grab aimlessly at things on shelves.  Do you understand?

Brynna: Yes

Me:  If you can be a really big girl and listen to Mommy, you can have a surprise after we leave the store, ok?

Brynna:  A surprise?  Like a Cars movie?

Me:  It depends on if you’re a big girl.  Can you be a big girl in the store?

Brynna:  Mommy!  I did it!  I buckled my shoe!

Me.  (pause for silent prayer)  Good job, baby.  Are you going to listen and obey Mommy in the store?

Brynna: Yes.  And I push cart.

Me:  (another prayer) No, you are going to ride.  Do you understand?

Brynna: Yes

Me;  (one more prayer)

At this point, we’d been sitting in an idle car for 10 minutes so ready or not, we headed in to the store.  After 20 minutes inside and already a trip to the potty, I went to grab some things in the toddler clothing section.  Brynna added her opinions and I made decisions as quickly as possible.  I soon realized she was a little more calm and quiet than usual.  I hesitated to look, preferring to ride out my good fortune but decided it better to investigate.  What was my child doing to stay occupied?  She was removing the stickers off all the clothing.  I turned to find her face covered in long strips that say 2T.  One was precariously placed across her mouth, so I decided not to rock the boat.  I accepted that as a blessing and answer to those prayers and kept plowing through the shopping list.  After a stop to decide between Disney Princess, Minnie Mouse or Dora panties, we moved on, Minnie Mouse panties in tow.

And this is where it got interesting.

In her defense, Brynna was doing exactly as I asked.  She was in the cart, sitting down.  In order to stay occupied, though, she had moved from removing stickers and tags to removing the panties from the package.  She started giggling and I turned to see her spinning a pair of Minnie panties over her head like a helicopter.  I laughed and said, “What are you doing, silly girl?”  The response?  “Look, Mommy!  It’s a party.  A panty party!”

About that time, we passed a little girl with her mom who said, “Mom, that baby took the stuff out of the package.  You’re not supposed to do that.”  To which Brynna replied, “It’s panties!  A panty party!”