The winner has been chosen, and it is Kris! Thanks everyone for leaving a comment!!
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Prepare yourselves for something a little different. Today, I am taking over Jennifer Probst’s blog and she is taking over mine. Who is Jennifer Probst, you might ask? Well, I’ll tell you: Jennifer Probst is the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Marriage to a Billionaire series, which includes The Marriage Bargain, The Marriage Trap, and The Marraige Mistake. She is also a Mets fan (something that Mr. B is super happy about), a mom of two, and all-around funny lady. For our swap, we decided to tell tales of motherhood and do a giveaway! Without further ado, please let me present: the Blog Swap!
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Holiday Breakdown by Jennifer Probst
Ah, motherhood.
Aint’ it grand? Most of the time. There are special times around the holidays that I savor and make me feel incredibly lucky to be a mom. My two young boys adore the festive season of Thanksgiving through Christmas. They love feasting on turkey and spending time with their cousins. Look forward to putting up the tree, scrambling through boxes and re-discovering their handmade ornaments and favorite decorations. Adore marking up the huge Toys R Us catalogue with their lists for Santa. Long lists. Really, really long lists.
But let’s be honest. The holidays are also a time for major breakdowns. Can’t even blame the poor kids – there’s too much going on and their poor little brains misfire. Sparkling lights, endless commercials toting the latest gadgets, desserts cramming space in their bellies. The result?
Meltdown.
The other day, I had to drag my kids into the store – which I try not to do around this time of year – and sure enough my older son caught sight of a large box with a glittery sign screaming Slushie Magic.
Oh. My. God.
“Slushie Magic!” he screamed at the top of his lungs. He hugged the box and lifted his beautiful face to mine. I looked into the melty brown eyes. “Mommy, please! I NEED to have this.”
“OK, I’ll get it for you.” He shook like in a convulsion. “For Christmas,” I said firmly.
NOT the right answer.
He dragged in a tearful breath. “No! I can’t wait for Christmas – that’s years away!”
I wheeled the cart past the box and tried to jolly him along. “Let’s go, sweetie. Christmas is only a few weeks away and I promise you will have it under the tree.”
He didn’t budge. Pulled himself to full height. And said: “I want it NOW.”
My head scissored like the Exorcist. My kids know one thing about me. I am a huge pushover and get them way too much stuff. But the moment they act like a spoiled brat, I lose it. “Enough,” I snapped. “I told you before – no gifts till Christmas. Now stop acting badly or Santa won’t come at all.”
Thank goodness for threats of the big guy. But this time it didn’t work. My poor son just lost it.
He burst into tears and started screaming: “I want Slushie Magic! I want Slushie Magic.”
And so it began. I ended up dragging him down the aisle, while he cried with snot dripping from his nose. My little one stuck up for him and began crying too. I pushed the frikkin cart back down the aisle to the checkout, ignoring him completely while other moms shook their head in judgment AND sympathy. Let’s be honest, there’s nothing like a bratty kid that’s not ours to make us feel like a hell of a better mother. The cashier eyeballed us in horror, and I did the walk of shame to the parking lot while my usually sweet boy demanded his damn slushy.
So, let me pose the question to you my dear fellow mothers. What is YOUR breakdown story this holiday season? Hell, if you don’t have one for this year, I’ll let you comment on a previous one to be fair.
I’m giving away a free ebook of my holiday short romance, The Holiday Hoax.
Enjoy your season of presents, family, and tantrums!
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Jennifer, it has been awesome having you here! Thanks for joining me!
Oh, the joy of shopping with children. Or in my case DRAMA QUEENS.
On non-holiday season trips to the store, I always have the crying about not getting something, I think its magnified by 20 when I got during the holidays. I have not one, not two, but THREE daughters.
My latest mommy walk of shame holiday shopping experience was the week of Thanksgiving. I had to brave Walmart with all 3 girls by myself because my I had to buy ingredients for my Thanksgiving day dishes to take to my mom’s AND also needed diapers for the “I refuse to use the potty” toddler of mine, so two birds and all that I decided ONE store.
Worst decision ever.
Of course walking in the front doors, what’s right off to the side TOYS, What does Middle daughter see, of course its the toy she wants. When I say “Not right now”, she responds with “But you never ever let me get anything. And its not fair. and Wah wah wah”
Moving right along while she’s still hissy fitting in the main part of the buggy
So we turn by the clothes to head to the food section for baking goods, The youngest spies some candy something on an end cap — and horror of all horrors, she’s now dying because I won’t let her have it.
So we have the drama queen in the back of the buggy crying and whining about how I am so mean and never let her have anything and the toddler up front crying and screaming “Chockit chockit, mine chockit” while we push on.
By the time we gather all the stuff we need, and make it the check out the oldest asks to “show me something in the toy department”, to which I decline, because We have enough whining going on, we are so not chancing a trip to the toy section, which prompts her to go on about how wrong I am and blah blah blah. So I have all 3 in various states of distress and I’m trying not to knock myself out on the buggy handle while we wait in line.
Next time — I’ll pay 4x times the price of diapers to avoid any store with a TOY section or Christmas candy in their direct line of sight.
Three in various states of distress is the worst because you don’t know who to address first. I end up triaging and always wonder if I’m dealing with things in the right order. I used to default to the littlest one, but I’ve begun to realize that’s not always the right philosophy.
Exactly. Usually with me, the proper route starts with the middle one. Because getting her happy takes the longest….
Thanks for sharing. Don’t have any breakdown stories to share.
OMG, I don’t mean it by I almost cried I laughed so hard. I feel your pain – I have the two boys, but girls are BAD! I have three nieces and the dramatics are intense – my poor brother – but it’s all good and I think of it as Mommy Training! Hope you enjoy your holiday and thanks for sharing!
My middle daughter gives some award winning dramatics when she wants too. Thanks!
oh god, I think we all know the mother shame walk with people staring. But having grandparents in tow too makes it even worse – I don´t think it´s necessary to only point out one situation to tell how fast kids learn that when mommy won´t give her what she point at, there is always grandmom. I really hate, when my super mommy power is set aside because grandma is shopping with us today – I really hate arguing first with my mom that I the one in charge, gets a whine and a pout from her, and then telling my little daughter that grandma is not buying her the doll, and then gets the whine and pout from her too. It´s a damn tough job to be a mom – especially when none of them gives up *sigh
Thanks for sharing. I don’t have any kids yet but I can only imagine. I always try to be sympathetic instead of judgmental when it comes to that. You did the right thing not caving!