Temper Tantrums in Wal Mart

This morning I took John to school because he prefers to be a car rider and I like to indulge him once in a while. On the way home I needed to stop by our new Wal Mart which is very conveniently located right around the corner from our neighborhood for two things. Now, I had the girls with me and I thought for sure that this would be a painless event. I was wrong, very, very wrong. As I quickly grabbed what I needed, Abi saw the Bonne Bell lip gloss and asked if she could get some. I have been trying to teach our children the importance of work and earning privileges, so I told her that she could clean her room when we got home and then I would bring her back to choose a "make-up." This approach failed. Unfortunately she was determined to have the make-up during this visit to the store and was going to make my life miserable until I gave in. Thankfully for as strong-willed as she is, I am stubborn and stuck to my guns. Not giving in meant that I ended up carrying a kicking and screaming three-year-old to the checkout while pushing the cart with Emma in it smiling away and loving life. When we arrived at the checkout Abi refused to stand and threw herself on the floor kicking and screaming. When the ever-friendly greeter made an attempt to appease her with a smiley-face sticker, she almost took him out with a kick. We finally made it to the car where she continued her rantings. Did I mention that she did all this while having dressed herself and wearing red polka-dotted stretch pants, a lime-green swaeter, royal blue socks and black Sunday shoes?? It was quite a sight to see.

Now I am faced with the dillemma of dealing with these all too frequest tantrums. I am beginning to think that one of us needs therapy. I have decided that she will watch no TV this week in an effort to see if it is having a negative impact. Unfortunately this behavior is nothing new. I need to find a good book or get some better advice than I have had in the past.

Maintaining Integrity

Abi has just begun dance lessons and is absolutely adorable! For the most part she just stands around and observes everything that is going on around her which is frustrating to a parent who is paying good money for her outfits and the lessons themselves. However, it is worth it when she comes home and practices nonstop until her next lesson! On the first day of classes we found out that their spring recital is on a Sunday--ugh. Here we go starting the uphill battle of not attending functions on Sundays. This is not the first incident, nor do I predict it to be the last. When I approached her teacher to let her know that we could attend the practice, but not the recital because it was on a Sunday she immediately asked if it was a church "thing." When I told her "yes" she said that she had three other students who would also not be attending and asked if I know them. Happily I did and my heart filled with gratitude that these other members of the Church had chosen to do what was right. It is tough sometimes to make these decisions, and although I know that it is worth it, it helps to know that there are other people out there who are also willing to take a stand and remain true to our standards!