The Mall, The Dentist, and The Self Flushing Toilet

That sounds like the beginning of a bad joke.

We did some shopping at the outlet mall near where I live, and I had a dentist appointment near there. So my mom came along to help with the kids.

Did I mention she broke her arm the day before???

Ok, fractured it. But still. She had been out walking the dogs and fell, while running, and fractured her arm! So here is my wonderful mom, with her arm in a sling, and she still wants to come help watch my kids while I am at the dentist. Love? I think so.

Thankfully for me, the dentist appointment was only 5 minutes. Sadly for my son, the appointment only lasted 5 minutes. You see they have a play room with toys, and he loves going in there. So they had just settled in for a good long play session...and oh look, here's mommy! All finished! And what? We have to go BACK to the mall?

We had arrived at the Outlets 2 hours early, and then headed to the dentist, and then back to the outlets! Every 3 year old boys dream....NOT.

So we are back at the mall...My Dear Son is exhausted, having skipped his nap. He is getting emotional...Finally when we are in Gap, he starts crying, wailing " I WANT TO GO TO THE DEEEENNNTIIIISSTTTT!". I am sure that anyone who heard him must have thought they heard wrong. This child is sobbing that he wants to go to the dentist? He must not get out much. What they didn't know is that he was robbed of his playtime in the most excellent play room at the dentist.

Later when we got in the car he starts sobbing "I WANT TO GO TO THE MALLLLL!" What?? We just left the mall!! My mom asked him why, and we were able to piece together through his sobs that he wanted to go back to the coin operated toy cars and such.

I digress. Back to my mom and her fractured arm. She is having trouble getting her clothes on because she can't move her left arm. So we came to a speedy conclusion that this calls for NEW CLOTHES! Of course! When you break (fracture...) your arm you definitely need a new wardrobe! It is a call to shop! But really, she needed some nice casual lounge pants with an elastic waist, because she will be a partial invalid for a good 2 weeks at least. And let me tell you, we had GREAT success!

I shopped for clothes for my kids, those little stinkers just keep growing! I tell them not to, but they just don't listen. I found GREAT deals. Let me break it down for you.

• 24 items purchased, for an average of $6.75 each.
• 2 Starbucks beverages consumed.
• 1 mini-van's gas tank filled up for $26- WOW!!!
• 4 toddler meltdowns
• 2 infant naps
• 1 dentist visit
• 1 fractured arm
• 6 hours of shopping (Oh my, was it really that much??)

I'm pooped! Oh yeah, and speaking of....

I HATE those self flushing toilets! Once upon a time, I heard a mother and child in a stall next to me at the mall. The toilet kept flushing while the little kid was on it, and in my pre-mom state, I found it amusing. IT IS AMUSING NO LONGER. My poor son had to go. I mean it. He. had. to. go. So I get him all settled on the toilet, and it starts flushing while he is sitting there. He starts crying. Sobbing. I-don't-want-to-go-Mommy-I-can't-go! I had to talk him down from that cliff and we headed over to the Starbucks bathroom, where you flush the toilet yourself. Good grief. And speaking of scary bathrooms, the hand dryers in the bathroom were so high powered and loud they had them both crying! Now I am grateful for the higher power (ha!) because it means my hands will actually get dry when I use the hand dryer, rather than walk out with still damp hands. But my kids, not so much.

We really had a good time though, and arrived home unscathed from our numerous adventures. We are now having a RESTFUL day at home. That is until swimming lessons this evening. That could be interesting.

Enjoying a peaceful day at home with toilets you flush yourself,
Megan