For the love of gum

I've started doing my blog again at codyandutahna.blogspot.com if you want to catch a glimpse of our daily blessings. We tackled Wal-mart today, all four kids and myself, six days before
Christmas. Yes, I am insane. It started pleasantly enough. Corban ran in to
twist all the gumball machine levers and, to his delight, and for the first time
ever, actually got a free gumball! Had I only known the trouble that gumball
would soon cause. We wound in and out of the isles hitting everything on my list
in what seemed like molasses fashion, amidst all the other shoppers and the kids
wanting to show me every other toy we passed by. All too soon Abigail was
fussing to get out of the cart, as well as Corban, who had been riding in the
back, and was getting crowded among the canned goods. So now, single handedly,
my family is congesting the isles. I'm trying to get the kids to stay with me,
to not get in front of the cart, to not grab items from shelves, to not jump out
in front of other people, to not run, to not climb on the shelves... and I've
realized we've moved from molasses fashion somehow to a frozen molasses stage,
culminating with Annali counting out all her pennies to make a purchase of her
own as we check out. Finally we are headed out the automatic glass exit doors,
(which at this point look almost as good as the pearly gates congratulating me
for enduring to the end) when I realize Corban is trailing a bit behind, off to
check the gumball machines again. This time he comes up empty handed, and that
is all too unacceptable, since he knows those gumball machines can now put out
for nothing. He refuses to leave them. Abigail has reached her boiling point in
my arms, and while I pull the cart with one hand, I send Annali and Chandler
back to get Corban. They had to drag the screaming child behind me all the way
to the car. He's 100% ballistic by now, which is not normal for my sweet little
guy. But it is what it is. As they get in and I'm buckling Abigail, Corban
shoots out of the car to make a run down the parking lot for the gumballs again.
Luckily he wasn't hit by a car. I put him back in the car. He tries about 20
more times to open the door and escape while I loaded the groceries. Finally
Chandler got him to calm down by sharing some of his candy with him. And I'm
thinking, "Never again!" But through all of this I was actually able to keep my
cool. I didn't yell. I didn't strangle. I could see the moment for what it was
while I was in it, and so I was able to stay in control. This is a BIG
improvement for me :) I feel like I'm slowly becoming more the mother I'm
supposed to be, and I really feel that it is homeschooling my kids is the road
that is taking me there. And I do have wonderful kids helping me all along the
way. Really, they are, even my sweet little gum-loving Corban. We are so
blessed.