The Most Exasperating Mall Trip of My Life. .

Hey, blogging friends. I feel so crummy. . I've gotten out of my blogging habit with all the summer travels. . maybe I'm back in the game. . .I totally need so blog-therapy (blogapy???) though, so here I am, and here's my story.

OK, so I sometimes like to think that I'm super-mom--can do it all--with grace and patience--but I was just about brought low with my mall experience yesterday. First of all, Madison's sweet friend was spending the day with us--which is absolutely fabulous because she's just precious and we love her. I think, hey, I can go to the mall with 4 children. . .I only have 2 returns to make, one stop at Payless for Madison shoes and then we'll eat lunch and play at the kiddie play area. . .super-easy. Well, I knew pretty quickly that things weren't going to go my way. In the parking lot Jackson started the "I've gotta go potty" song and dance, so I quickly gathered up the children ("quickly" being a relative term of course), we went in straight to the bathroom, but he hadn't completely been able to wait so we start our shopping with damp shorts. I pull off the wet underwear. . and we're off. I stop at the list of mall stores (it's a new mall to me) and realize they don't have a Children's Place (return #1--oh, well). We head next to Bath and Body where I want to make my second return--exchange, actually. As I'm looking on the shelf for the eye make-up remover I want, Jackson starts saying "Mommy, I've gotta go potty." I say--"We JUST went. You can hold it a few minutes." Well, he couldn't. We went teetee right there on the floor. Seriously. A puddle. On the floor. Luckily no one else is in the store, and Maddie and her friend dart off as if they're not with us. I apologize to the lady (who is very sweet and understanding), clean it up, get a credit voucher--because they do not have what I need!, and we head across the way to Gap kids to buy something for Jackson to wear. OK, so now I get him some jeans, but they're buy one get the 2nd 50% off, so I go ahead and get Madison some too. $35 bucks later, Jackson is dry and we head to the food court. As we're standing in line at Wendy's, Jackson starts the song and dance AGAIN!!! (Mommy, I gotta go potty!) So.. I order and then take all 4 children back to the restroom (Now, don't forget that I'm pushing the huge stroller and keeping track of all 4 children!). He goes-again-and we go eat our lunch. Next, we head to payless where I get Madison 2 pairs of shoes--but no Sunday shoes (oh, well-AGAIN). Well, by now it turns out that we're not going to have time to play, so I offer the kids a cookie instead. The girls are fine, but Jack-Jack is disappointed, but we do avoid a tantrum. Finally, we make it out to the car. . I'm hot and exhausted. . but thankfully, the kids are not grumping. . and as I cool down (literally and figuratively). . . I realize again that life with 3 (or 4) children is never boring!

So there it is--the Most Exasperating Mall Trip of My Life. Feel free to top it if you, too, have a "funny" mall story! Let's hear it! :)