AP Parenting goes on the road!

Today the kids and I decided that since we have pet rats, we might as well use their smarts to teach them some neat and fun tricks! Since we DON'T have as many smarts as they do, this was met with limited success but I did manage to make a "click" trainer for them, using the top from a jar of apple sauce!! Later in the afternoon I made the mistake of taking the kids out to the store. You'd think I'd have learned from the library van debacle, but to be honest the weather was sooo horrendous this morning I would have been criminal to take them out then. So and therefore we could be found once more chasing Jack up and down the aisles of Petco and wrangling him and wrestling his solid little body at the checkout trying to prevent him from a) leaving the store or b) ripping open any packages he may find. I do believe he is getting worse and I am at a total and utter loss as to how to deal with him. My stress is going down thanks to the hormones, but honestly I'm still stuck. HOW do I deal with this!?!?! It's impossible and incredibly humiliating. So, whilst standing at the checkout I noticed a click trainer! It was MUCH louder than my jar lid and only a buck. I picked it up and added it to my pile thinking I'd use it on JACK. We went on to Target ( I know, I know, I wouldn't have gone anywhere but Home if I had an option. I adore Target but knew that Jack was going to be a nightmare. ) We walked in and the first thing I did was buy a bag of popcorn. I told Jack that as long as he was good he could have a piece. I told him he had to walk with Mama and each time I said "Walk with Mama" and he did, I clicked the clicker and gave him a piece of Popcorn!!! LOL!!!! He was walking along with one hand on the cart and his mouth open...!!! LOL!!! I felt like an idiot and also like some vile parent who treats her child like a dog!!! The clicker was SOOO loud!! It seemed to work for a while until he lost it, I grew hot and tired and we basically just battled our way around and out the store.


GAH.


Onto Happier News!! We are going to Minnesota in the morning!! What do you mean "Where's the Happier News!!!???" LOL!! Yeah. We're taking the coldest weekend of the season thus far... and we're going somewhere colder yet. For one night. To Swim. !!! If it wasn't that I was going to see one of my dearest friends and someone who can give me some ideas on Jackster and his weirdo behaviour, believe me, I'd be staying home in front of the fire. But no, we're off on a wee road trip! :D

Wish us luck. And please keep me in your thoughts as this particular hotel is laid out in a square and there's nothing Jack loves more than running around and around it hell for leather with one or two adults tearing, panting behind him. * sigh *