thelma and louise.

We met our friends Camilla and Kennedy at Hobby Lobby yesterday.

Hobby Lobby is not necessarily a toddler friendly store.

Carly made her way through it, ripping things off shelves.

I try to pick up after her, I really do.

I do my best, and figure some disgruntled employee will get paid to do the rest.

But her destruction caught the eye of a couple of store managers.

As we checked out at the counter, they both stood at the sliding doors trying to look casual.

 One asked casually, Is that stroller for her? Pointing to Camilla's travel system that held 3-week-old Kennedy, and gesturing to Carly.

No, we reply, there is another baby in there.

I wanted to say "Yeah, I carry my 18-month-old around in a travel system."

In hindsight, I'm wondering if they thought we brought it in to stash some merchandise.

Anyway, we head to the doors and I need to stop to put Carly's coat on.

Carly hates her coat.

The managers stop us, and say something that meant:

Carly was so crazy and ripping so many things off the shelves, we have to search your bags and stroller to see if she/you stole anything.

I didn't have a bag, so they searched poor Camilla's purse and diaper bag.

I was in the middle of putting Carly's coat on, so she fell to the ground and started kicking her legs and screaming in protest.

Can you just see how we looked, Camilla getting searched while I wrestled my out-of-control screaming toddler on the ground?

I mean classy.

Camilla and I are pretty much Thelma and Louise

~

~

We are buddies, Carly and I.

But she has been a little challenging as of late.

A lot of tantrums.

We are trying to learn how to discipline her, as she is in a hard phase where she understands some, but not all, in terms of obeying what we say.

The other day I was so exasperated I was reduced to tears.

A little later I texted my mom something like:

"We're buddies. When we're not making each other cry."

Then I have a day like today.

And I put her to bed thinking she is straight from heaven.

Because she is.

And she is totally my buddy.

~

[planting her booty in Target, where we were NOT searched on the way out]