Defying Common Sense? Bravery? Stupidity??

I should have been a Girl Scout because today I earned my shopping badge. Not only did I go with NO list, I also took all three kids, on the last Saturday before Christmas, ALONE, skipping lunch...oh ya! I declare myself officially SUPERMOM!

I will admit, my knees quivered as I sat in traffic, realizing that I could not see ANY free parking spaces, at any of the malls...traffic was crawling, stores were bursting at the seams...but I was determined because #1 I needed kitty litter...no getting around that one:( And love my kitty but he is a feline garberator and will eat anything and to put it politely he is aromatic...so we need to good stuff from Walmart! and #2...I (cough)..never got Josh a present (never claimed to be wife of the year).

So, with three kids, who are STARVING (cause it had been 2 hours since they had emptied the pantry) we ventured to the malls...

We managed to cruise through stores and I think the salesmen either felt sorry for me or realized I was too distracted by my kids and would buy anything...and they carried parcels to the car for me.

Walmart resembled a ZOO...Holy Hannah!! I gave the kids a short lecture on getting lost, going with strangers...ugh! In our home town I don't need to have worries like that because the lovely thing about small towns is everyone knows who's kid is who's and the obvious factor that we never have a crowd like that...but Saint John Walmart?? I think the population of the shoppers could have been a small town. For the first time I was nervous about the boys getting separated. My fears were justified as the crowd was insane, people pushing through aisles...
God love my boys, because they held onto the sides of the cart and bulldozed through people! I am excusing them, asking them to move because people are glaring as we took up the ENTIRE aisle...Charlie on one side, my with the cart and Kathleen in the middle and Peter on the other side. People were trying to sneak past them but nothing was making them move and fear of loosening their grip!

We saved Michaels Craft Store for the end...the holiday stuff is now 70% off and we had a great time looking around, pointing at things, the boys love those little foam houses and they were THRILLED that the HUGE big one they coveted from September was now 70% off and affordable, they got the last one...and even though the side of the package was busted (that is normally a deal breaker for Peter) they were on cloud NINE! I expect excellent behaviour tomorrow morning and till mid afternoon before we have a chance to make it...$7.00 of bribery =excellent day for Mom.

As we were checking out of there, some crazy older lady came over and tried to buckle the seat belt strap over Kathleen...I didn't buckle it because it was WAY to tight and small...the lady was making high pitch sounds and commented, 'Mommy needs to learn to keep you safe!' Before I could explain Kathleen gave one of her famous high pitch screams...I cannot promise that no glass vases did not shatter down back, it was a good one that made everyone in line wince. I just smiled and said, 'The seat belt is too tight and cannot be strapped, don't touch her, she doesn't like strangers touching her.' Ugh!

I lost count of the 'Mom of Many' comments..'You have your hands full', 'Wow, you are busy!', 'Three, huh? You are done now?', 'Are they all yours?'...

Come on folks! I only have three kids, just wait till I add 2 or 3 more...then I guess it would be comment worthy.

All in all we only upset two small displays, 3 tantrums, 1 bribe of M&M's from my purse, and one compromise that we will eat out...I survived victoriously (if you count someone screaming 35 minutes straight on the way home)!

Presents are all wrapped and under the tree, kids helped...so some are not what I would call 'neatly wrapped'.

I am praying the kids can keep the secret of what we bought Josh...