The List

Today I took E grocery shopping. For us, this is a half day event at three different stores. Usually we go in the morning when he's at his best, and he can nap afterwards. Today I gambled and we went during nap time. We started off so well, and then... a bump in the road...

We were in the cleaning section of Target, looking for laundry soap, but across the aisle there is the alluring TOY section. I was trying to breeze by it, but little E immediately caught sight of some tempting fun-looking stuff and went just a couple of feet away, and spied a CHITEN! (That's how he says it, I know its not really how you write "chicken." Just for the record.) "Mom, yook at dat CHITEN!! On dat BARN!" Oh that looks like fun, I said, only half looking at what he was pointing out. Then the question, the one that the older two have learned not to ask, but the one that he so innocently blurts out. "Can we get it?" I finally gave him my full attention. No, I'm sorry, its not on the list for things to buy today. And then the kicker. My sweet as sugar, smartest boy I've ever known says to me, "But you can write it." It takes me a moment to understand what he has just said. "You can write it." He's telling me to add it to the list, then we'll be able to buy it.

I kneel down in front of him and tell him I'm sorry, and tell him we can't buy it, and I can't add it to the list. There are tears. There is bribery. Hugs and kisses and a promise of a cheeseburger if we can do our very best and get through this store. After a couple of minutes we move on, we make it out of the store without much more fuss and he holds me to my promise. A cheeseburger from Burger King, with pickles. His current obsession is to always be sure that it has pickles. And when he says Burger King, he really means McDonald's. He sees the golden arches and announces every time, "Burder Ting!"

Success, we get through the next two stores with no more major meltdowns. And the bribery only cost $4.93, a shared value meal. Score for me!