I took Thing 3 to the post office this weekend, to mail prizes to the winners of the recent DVD giveaway. (New Daddy and Rachel, they will be arriving soon).
There were about 8 people in line when we got there.? Not too bad, I figured, with 3 clerks it should move along.? Thinking it would be a quick stop, I also didn’t bring the “goody bag” I normally have with me, full of snacks, drinks, diapers, toys, and other necessities.
Thing 3 had a Snackwells cookie in hand when we got there.? He loves Snackwells, and usually slowly nibbles and licks his way to a crumbly mess, keeping him occupied for a good ten minutes.? Usually.? For some reason, as soon as we got into the post office, he decided to shove the entire cookie into his mouth, and immediately started crying for a new one.
I should have gone back out to the car and retrieved the goody bag, which was loaded with Snackwells.? But there was a steady stream of people entering the post office and I didn’t want the line to get any bigger.? So we went over to get mailers for the DVD’s.? Winners, if you wonder why you receive the prize in a Mickey Mouse bubble mailer, it’s because I needed something, anything, to distract Thing 3 while we waited in line.
We got to the counter, only to learn I didn’t pre-fill out the labels.? I was told to get out of line, fill out the labels, then come back.? Are you kidding?? Don’t you see this squirming, screaming kid I’m holding?
To fill out address labels, I had to put Thing 3 down, which was what he wanted all along.? He immediately ran through the post office, to the nicely stacked large cardboard envelopes, so he could unstack them all over the floor.? And step all over them.
One thing I’ve learned in situations like this, you just keep doing what you are doing (address labels) and don’t try to clean stuff up until you’re done.? Other people in line may not have agreed with my approach.
But I couldn’t tell you if they were smiling or glaring at me, because of something else I’ve learned about situations like this: don’t make eye contact.? Yeah, I know my kid is trashing the place.? What do you suggest I do about it?? How about you let me cut in front of you in line?
By the time we got back up to the counter, Thing 3 was playing with the car remote on my key chain.? I could hear the horn going off as he pressed the “panic” button.? And the doors were probably sliding open and shut, a nifty feature of minivans, but people in the parking lot probably thought the car was possessed.
Sorry the post office was so crazy, I understand. But we did get the movie today, perfect timing since Ethan’s birthday was yesterday! Thanks so much, and the Mickey Mouse bubble mailer made me laugh!
Sounds like a page out of Lil’bug’s play book. I’m always afraid to give her the remote to the van. She never fails to hit the red button first… something the neighbors don’t appreciate. I love the automatic doors, though not so much when she gets her hands on my keys and I don’t have a visual on it.
I also never make eye contact when my kids are in a meltdown or doing something else equally as charming.