Wrangling a Toddler for Mommy Time

Ready to leave for Mommy Time

Earlier this week, I decided that Thursday morning (today) would be a great time for a Mommy and Ginny date. We had one a couple of weeks ago and felt we were due for a new one.

What I didn't count on was how tired I would be this morning. I woke up early because the baby was fussing and hungry. If I had my way, I would have been single and childless just for a couple of hours this morning so I could snuggle in bed and not move. Then again, had I been single and childless, I wouldn't have felt the need to do that because I would have had a decent night sleep. Last night, Grace, my seven-month-old, woke up around 9 p.m. and didn't want to go back to sleep. In fact, she did not get back to bed until sometime after 11. She then proceeded to wake me again at 12:30 a.m., 4 a.m., and 6:45 a.m. My lovely toddler, Ginny, wasn't feeling well and woke up crying around 9:30 last night and would intermittently wake and cry until close to 11. A long night.

Luckily, Ginny woke up in great spirits. She still has a cold, but is also full of smiles. For a good portion of the morning, I debated the merits of staying home and being a completely useless blob versus taking Ginny out for some Mommy time. When my husband asked me if I was still going out with Ginny, I relented, deciding that I might as well get out of the house for a little bit.

Ginny loves getting in the car and going for a drive. I told her that we were going to go shopping and then to the library. She kept exclaiming, "Going for a drive." Once in the car, she sat happily and all seemed well with my plans as we headed for the hub of shopping activity in my small town, the local Walgreens.

Ginny, once I wrestled her into the cart. 

After arriving at Walgreens, I was a mean ogre mommy who insisted that she hold my hand as we walked from the car to the store. Being two, my lovely daughter made sure to let me know what she thought of this by letting her legs turn to jelly. Eventually, we made it into the store at which point I dealt with a crying, screaming beast, who looks vaguely like Ginny, who didn't want to get in the little cart. Walking around wasn't an option since she already expressed her displeasure of holding my hand in the parking lot. I was able to wrestle her into the cart. It took quite a bit of effort, and the looks on some of the employees faces made it worth it. Once I had her in the cart, she calmed down and was happy to help me shop. We picked up what I needed and as we were going to the check out, we happened down the candy aisle. The first word out of my little munchkins mouth was "Chocolate?" Jokingly, I said, "Oh, do you want chocolate?" Ginny replied, "I want chocolate!" Because I opened my big mouth, with what sounded like an offer, I felt like I needed to get her some. I picked up a small bag of M & Ms for her, then paid for the Father's Day cards and hair color.

Riding a bike in the library.

From Walgreens, we headed over to our local library. The library is quite small, but it does have a good selection of childrens' books. My daughter, who loves to read, did not notice the books for a while. She was too enchanted with the toys they had there for her to play with. I let her play as I looked at the books and chose a few for us to bring home. Amazingly, I was able to drag her away from her fun so I could get a couple of books for myself. We then checked the books out and headed home.

She found a book, on her own!

Despite the difficult start of our time together, Ginny had a smile at the end. I guess that is what matters most. Maybe that and the fact that I have more books to read.