First Time Mom Moment

I cleared it with my boss to leave a little early that day. I was excited to pick up my little guy and go to my favorite store. We needed to get a birthday present as well as a few other things. Perhaps I also needed a caffeinated beverage from the in-store Starbucks…

Happy as always to see my baby boy at the end of a work day, I gleefully loaded him into his crumb-covered car seat. While I drove he talked in the background and flipped through one of his favorite books, his feet occasionally kicking the back of my seat.

We pulled into the parking lot and I eyed a red cart right next to my car. We got out and I set him in the front and as I secured him I heard the familiar “click” of the nylon strap.

He smiled his cute little-boy smile at me as I pushed our way through the electronic doors and the cool air blew my hair back and refreshed me from the sweltering heat outside. I was thrilled to have a little shopping time.

I ended up in the “dollar spot” even though I’d told myself I wouldn’t. But few can resist cute socks and magnetic notepads for a $1.

After putting $5 worth of things I probably didn’t need in my cart, I pushed on to the toy section. I needed a gift for our soon-to-be-two Godson and I was sure that Ben would be excited to help me pick something out.

But I was wrong.

Instead he was completely distracted by the huge bin of plastic bouncy balls and kept saying, “BALL! BALL! BALL!!” over and over again.

I told him “No ball today” as I turned down an aisle with toddler-sized tool benches and mega blocks.

He did not care. By the time I stopped at the other end of the aisle there were enormous tears streaming down his scarlet face and I was sure the entire store could hear him hollering “BAAAAALLL!!!”.

I was determined to stand my ground.

For about 1.2 minutes.

And then I got him out of the cart and let him pick which color he wanted because my ears hurt so badly and I was thoroughly embarrassed.

That day I promised myself never to take a toddler by the huge ball container at Target ever again.

Lesson learned.

This week the prompt was: Write a post that either starts or ends with the words “Lesson learned.” Word limit: 400 words  My count is 401. 🙂