Many many times over I have introduced my boys as God's most wonderful, beautiful, amazing, adorable torture devices. I remember as Joel and Kaeden both aged into the second year of torture thinking how this surely couldn't get worse as the third year comes like everyone seemed to say.
If today is any inclination of how the future year is going to be, I think I'm in trouble.
Let me premise this to say, Joel barely slept last night (which is why I believe today was so much worse than normal). Let me also say--I know one day I'll possibly laugh about this (and that others who have heard the story have laughed today) but so far--I'm not thinking "funny" (yet).
I took the boys to see Finding Nemo. They've been watching it on their dvd players in the car for a week or two now and LOVE it. Sharks, fishes, dolphins, birds... it's all amazing stuff!! So, of course as Finding Nemo came out in 3-D (aka in the theater) it was an obvious decision to take them. We didn't have too much going on today so we opted to go this afternoon. I was grateful that the theater we were in was completely empty except for us--even though my boys (chest pumping out, eyes full of tearful pride) managed to sit through the majority of the movie quietly chomping on their popcorn, fruit snacks, and "emmy emm's". They really did better than I'd ever have pictured!! Beyond one potty break and the last five minutes wandering up and down the aisle we sat in--they were PERFECT!
And then the movie ended... and the reality of "transitional problems" hit me. Joel refused to leave. I tried picking him up--and no, no way was he willingly going to leave. Knowing I had two children, garbage, a diaper bag, two sippy cups, and two booster seats... carrying Joel was NOT an option. So, I did something that I felt was safe (though I wouldn't in a crowded theater) and walked down the stairs and out the first door to throw away the garbage and put the seats away with Kaeden. Joel followed soon thereafter saying "mommy? mommy? bye-bye?" and I responded to him that yes, indeed we were going bye bye. He began having a fit, screaming "NO BYE BYE!!" over and over, throwing himself onto the floor. I picked him up once to be yelled at "Let go NOW!" and with that, he bolted from me, through the hallway, down to the lobby, and towards the doors to leave. ...running after him was completely an option--but that would have left Kaeden on his own as well and in those moments you have to choose what is best to keep each child safe. I ran to Joel, tried to pick him up so I could run back to get Kaeden and all the while Joel was screaming "No bye bye!! let go!! help me!!!"
So, it really was no shock that I was questioned about who I was appearing to kidnap, right? I knew a while back it was a good idea to keep custody papers with me--in the aspect that I just might one day need them. And after an experience where Joel was having a fit at the mall--I thought "you may want to always keep a birth certificate with you as well". ...glad I had that thought. My son's birth certificate, shot record, and adoption decree saved me from any possible kidnapping charges. ...remind me to do something that dangerous, scary and embarrassing to Joel when he's a teenager and to reference it back to his toddler days on the run.
