Chernobyl

Wandering through Babies R Us last week, I realized BRU designs their stores much like casinos. Been to Vegas? Ever notice that to get to a restaurant, shop, the bathroom, or anything else, that you have to walk through the entire casino? BRU is the same.

Should the notion strike you to go there for diapers or formula- the only two truly critical items that store carries- be prepared to pass more types of pacifiers than you thought existed followed by sleep positioners, swaddling blankets, teething rings, rattles, swings, slings, and, my personal favorite, wipe warmers (both with and without a light on the side of the case).

Wipe warmers? Really? So, you're going to get your baby accustomed to the nice, toasty wipes when you change their diaper at home. Wish I could be there the first time you find yourself in a public bathroom without a wipe warmer and that baby has a complete fit.

Speaking of tantrums: please raise your hand if your baby is gently lulled into dreamland every time you put him/her in the car... looks like all of you.

As creative as I am, this is not one of the times I want to be "original." And yet, here we are. Every time I put Punkin in the car, he screams from the garage to the destination, then screams some more inside the destination until removed from his car seat. No, there's nothing wrong with the car seat, other than the fact that he hates it.

This morning's nuclear meltdown happened when we took Peach to school. He screamed like a banshee until we got there, then screamed through the parking lot, into the school, through her classroom, down the hall, and into the bathroom where I changed his diaper. The tantrum continued in the echo filled bathroom, disturbing all of the classrooms surrounding us, and then grew even louder on our way out.

I had no other option than stopping in the lobby to give him a bottle so I settled uncomfortably in a chair and smiled apologetically at the woman behind the front desk who was trying to talk on the phone.

Punkin immediately stopped crying, but looked up from the bottle at me with a cross expression on his face before drifting into a light doze.

Two seconds later a mother walked through the lobby and said, "oh, he's so peaceful. What an angel he must be!"

Mm hmm...