From Fish And Fountains To Conniptions And Cupcakes

When I picked up the toddler after Bible study today, he was so excited to see me that it just melted my heart in a big ol' puddle on the floor. "YEEESSS!" he screamed, jumping up and down, "MOMMY'S HERE!!!!"

His teacher said, "He was hilarious today. He kept watching the other kids and saying, 'This is crazy!'" Yep, that's my child. :)

So after church, the toddler announced that he wanted to go to the park. Hello, read a momma's mind why dontcha'!? So we picked up a kid's meal from Chick-fil-A and headed to our favorite park!

And go right ahead and shake your head, click your tongue, and report me to the Bad Parents Association, because yes, I let my child have a soft drink for the first time ever today. I got him a Sprite, and I really didn't feel like ruining the gorgeous weather and sweet time with my angel with a fight over 8 ounces of a sugary drink. So there.

His first reaction? Well, his first reaction was to make a funny face. :)

Hehe! :) After a second sip, he said, "It's cold!" And then he decided it was the greatest thing ever.

The reason this is my favorite park is because it's completely shaded. The reason it's the toddler's favorite park is because of one thing: the fish. A tiny stream runs along the side of the park, and so naturally we go fishing every single time we're at the park. Of course, this involves standing on the bridge with nine inch twigs in our hands while my son screams at the fish.

"COME HERE, FISH!!"

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE FISH!?"



And finally, "Fish are takin' a nap." Okay, good enough for me. According to my two-year-old, the only reason we did not catch any fish today was because it just happened to be their nap time.

The entire time we were at the park, I was chilly. It was heavenly! But it did get me thinking that it was definitely time to ditch the summer sandals and get the toddler some good shoes for autumn/winter. So, we headed over to my favorite place to get the little one his shoes: The Toggery! Of course, I was able to bribe the toddler with the promise of a fountain that he could throw money into.

So, off we went in search of the fountain! The toddler ran around throwing pennies in and getting soaking wet. I asked him if he was ready to go into the store, to which he shockingly replied, "Okay."

As soon as we walked into The Toggery, he darted to the section full of trucks and tractors. And did I find the perfect pair of fall shoes for my angel baby? Oh, yes I did!

Paulo Brown Suede shoes by Livie & Luca! How cute are they? And now that I'm having another boy, I don't have to feel guilty when I spend more on my child's shoes than on my own! Bonus! :)

One little problem. They didn't have them at this Toggery. . .but they could hold them for me at The Toggery in the Heights. Okay, not a problem. They were cute enough, and I was willing.

One big problem. While I was sorting all this out with the sales woman, my child had found a Mater truck. Of course, we already have a Mater truck. But this was no ordinary Mater truck, this was a Mater truck from The Toggery--AKA, the most expensive Mater truck you could find.

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I knelt down and said, "Buddy, we're not going to get this little Mater truck, because you have a really big Mater truck at home. This little truck is for babies. Now, if you can be a big boy and put it down, we can go get (um, thinking frantically here) . . . a cupcake. Do you want a cupcake?"

"Oh, sure!" he replied.

"Great! Then let's go put up this little Mater truck, okay?" I asked.

Tantrum of the century. He was actually sprawled out on his back at the entrance to The Toggery screaming bloody murder, "LITTLE MATER TRUCK! I WANT A LITTLE MATER TRUCK!" I finally managed to drag my child outside and onto a bench, where he proceeded to scream for everyone to hear. I just sat there, glared back at the people glaring at us, and dreamed of my cupcake I was no longer going to get.

Because a momma has to stick to her word, right? She has to be believable, right? If she says a cupcake for good behavior, then that is what she'd better stick to, right?

Unless you're 29 weeks pregnant. And suddenly the only thing in the world that can satisfy you is a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese icing from Cupcakes on the Ridge.

Oh, yes I did. After my child stopped screaming, I dragged his little behind into the cupcake store and promptly bought BOTH of us cupcakes. (Call the Bad Parents Association, I know.)

But, what can I say? Sometimes parenting is less than glamorous, and you're not as perfect as you dreamed you'd be when you could feel those tiny kicks and jabs and you got nine hours of sleep a night, dreaming of what your angel would be like. A holy terror who screams for Mater trucks and makes you bend promises? Yep. A best buddy who plays with you at the park and teaches you how to scream at fish and laugh your head off and make your life better than you'd ever imagined? Yep.