Two almost 2 year olds

I can totally tell that the boys are going to be 2 VERY soon (as in next week). After getting most of our homeschool work done by 9:30am this morning, (thank you Providence teachers for lightening the workload just a bit during the last 2 weeks of school!) I loaded everyone up to run some errands in Fayetteville. We had 3 stops to make, all of which were things to be done for the boys birthday party.

1. Rick's Bakery. I ordered their Elmo cake 2 weeks ago, but had to pay for it before picking it up. I wasn't prepared to pay for it the day I ordered it, so we went back to pay for it.



2. Personally Yours. My awesome and amazing friend Bridget made Elmo shirts for the boys to wear at their party. All I had to do was take them in to get their names embroidered.



3. Party City. Needed to buy all the Elmo party supplies.

The first 2 stops were quick, easy and uneventful. Our final stop was Party City. And this is where the fun began. I purposefully saved this one for last. My thinking was that the boys would be so excited to "see" and hold Elmo stuff that the excitement was best saved for last. We walked into the store and the boys immediately started yelling "MAH-OON" (balloon). We walked back to the aisle where the Elmo stuff was and they then started yelling "ELMO." This was all fine and good. The yelling doesn't bother me at all. We got what we needed and then walked to the front of the store to pick out some balloons and then pay. I had assigned Eli to hold one boy's hand and Emma Kate hold the other boy's hand. As I was paying, I heard Emma Kate say in a not-so-thrilled tone of voice, "Zander get up." I turn around to find Zander sprawled out on the floor. He was mad. He wanted one of the already inflated "mah-oons" to take home and Emma Kate said no. So, being that he's almost 2, he just threw himself down on the floor in protest. As the cashier is looking at what's going on in the floor, I know what he's thinking. "Good grief, lady. Can't you control your kids? If not, you should just leave them at home." So, I get the items all paid for, scoop Zander up off the floor and we walk out to the car. Now mind you that Zander is still screaming/crying all the way to the car, so I'm feeling a bit frazzled at this point. I open the car door and put Zander in. Turn around to get Zane and find him on all 4's in the parking lot. Zane is a frag-ile sort of child, can go from 0-90, laughing to crying, in 0.2 seconds. (and that has nothing to do with being almost 2. That's just Zane.) Apparently something "triggered" him right as we got to the car. Have no idea what it was, but his "I'm almost 2 years old" reaction was to throw himself down on all 4's in the parking lot. Lovely.

**I can't help but wonder if the cashier was looking out the window to see yet another on of my heathens children throwing a fit?!?