Taking the Scenic Route

The trip to Target tonight was a disaster lesson in patience.  Zane takes a bit to settle when we go into stores, so there is the standard 2-3 times to remind him not to wander off before he settles enough to remember.  He got away from me before he settled, which is usually not a big deal, but my neck/shoulder hurt so bad that it was tough to run after him.  Zach was occupied with Zora, who was being her own independent self and keeping him busy (I was hurting and he was carrying her for me).  So, after running almost the length of the store after him (big Super Target  ) I finally caught up to him and he, naturally, went ‘boneless’ (love that term, got it from the Knuffle Bunny book) when I tried to get him to return back to the front of the store where Zach and Zora were.  No amount of patient, low key “on your feet” was helping.  No amount of a more stern “on your feet” was helping.  He would not budge.  I had to lift him up and carry him with my bad shoulder, trying not to cry as I got ‘the look’ from every person I passed as Zane tried to kick out of my arms.  Thankfully, Zach saw me as I came around the corner and we switched kids so he could help him into the cart.  Zane went even more ballistic when he realized he wasn’t going to get to walk. 

We hurried through our shopping list (thank goodness we had a list because I could barely think from the stress and noise) and near the back of the back of the store he all of a sudden became frantic and desperate to walk.  I went up next to the basket while Zach got the milk and Zane almost leapt on to me to get down.  *ouch*  I pulled him aside and told him that if he walked, he had to stay with us.  I should have known he wasn’t really listening from his body language…he was still wayyy too hyped up.  As soon as I let go he tried to take off again.  I caught him and asked (where are you going) “what do you want”.  He said “I want green *mumble* please.  After repeating it a few times, I still couldn’t catch what it was. I thought it was maybe ‘green juice’, but he cried when I tried to show him we had that.  The best I could get was ‘green two’, which made no sense.  I wracked my brain thinking of anything that comes in pairs that is green.  From yes/no we discovered it wasn’t food, it wasn’t toy, and it wasn’t clothes.  No clue.  After a huge struggle, get him back into the basket.  He is wailing at the top of his lungs now. 

This is where I have to say that Target won our loyalty as customers.  An employee happened by, not even a regular sales person. but somebody who obviously works in the back, and asked if he could help with anything.  Trying to talk through the piercing screams, I told him we needed to find a kid’s night light and had no idea where to look.  He dropped what he was doing and said he wasn’t 100% sure where they were, but he knew they were this way.  On the way, he got the attention of another employee who did know and we were able to find them pretty easy.  The guy was really nice, and not only wasn’t a jerk about him crying like that, but commented that ‘at least he isn’t throwing things out of the cart like my daughter’, which was really kind under the circumstances.

Zane did stop crying for a bit when we presented him with the choices for night lights.  (took a bit and us basically putting every single one in the cart with him and then systematically giving him a choice between two of them until we were down to one remaining)  When we left he was calm for a while, the meltdown forgotten, until we turned to leave and it started back up again.  I stopped the cart and asked again what he was wanting, because it was clear there was a specific thing he was wanting and not able to communicate it.  Again, the best I got was “green two”.  “green” was clear, so I started guessing what “two” might be because it was mumbly sounding.  tool? no. toy? no. juice? still no. tube?  hesitation, then ‘yes!’  Ok, now I am even more confused.  like a straw? no.  Then, like a ton of bricks it hits me.  Your chewy tube?  YES! *oh thank goodness* 

Now, we have to figure out where we lost the thing.  Remembering the breakdown and dogged determination in the dairy isle at the back of the store, we headed there.  Then we went down the entire section back to the front looking for it.  no dice.  However, he was calmer now that he knew we understood.  We went all through the store, retracing our steps (which was pretty much the entire perimeter of the store) looking for it.  Several employees asked if they could help again, I told them we lost something.  They told me to check with guest services.  Eventually, we knew we had retraced every inch, and go to check out.  I take Zora because Zane was quite upset knowing we were getting ready to leave and he didn’t have his chewy tube.  The gal at the counter started looking and I continue describing it.  She couldn’t find it, but then said that she ‘knows it is around her someplace”.  I about start crying tears of joy as she digs it out and hands it to me.  I get back to the guys as they are pulling away from the checkout counter, Zane is just sobbing.  I hand him the tube and he just lights up.  Crisis ended.

*sigh*  Knuffle Bunny kind of day indeed. If only my version were more concise…and cuter.  lol.  That book is the top of the stack for bedtime stories tonight so Zach can help talk to Zane about how frustrating it was for him when we couldn’t understand him.

In a sad irony, we tested the nightlight and it got so hot that Zach isn’t comfortable having it within reach of the kids, so we still don’t have a night light.