The Dreaded Errands

Yesterday, the boys and I went shopping at the mall for clothes for them.  I'm not sure how it has happened, but both are seriously lacking in anything that fits.  Grayson, has gone from wearing his newborn stuff forever to almost skipping over 3 month stuff.  He can fit into some of his 0-3 stuff, but it is getting tight I think those outfits are on their last leg.  The strange thing is the boy isn't even that big.  He looks bigger in pictures, and his chunky cheeks don't help his cause.  He is low on all of his percentiles on the growth chart.  


Anyway, I took both boys shopping and it wasn't fun at all.  Poor Jack he gets excited when you say the mall because he thinks they have play stuff like the big mall back home, but this one does not.  So it is just me dragging him to store after store. I was also not very happy to be dropping such a large amount of coin on clothes, and pretty unexpectedly too. What can I say though I guess that's what happens when you feed them they grow, and you have to replenish their wardrobe.  


Is it just me or does the quality of clothes seem to be getting cheaper and cheaper, but the price keeps going higher and higher?  I know these are just kids clothes, but I look at the stitching, and I think to myself that it isn't even going to last five washes.  I have so much trouble picking things to purchase because I feel like I am paying so much more than what these clothes are worth.   


It is so interesting taking them both out to run errands.  They are a blast if we are doing something like going to the park for a few hours, but when it comes to errands the task turns ugly.  Grayson hates his carseat and the car so he's usually screaming even if it is only a 15 minute trip across town.  I try to plan things when he might be napping.  He can't hate his seat if he's sleeping.  Jack is just so weird when we are out.  I keep thinking it is a phase that he will grow out of, but I think it is just his personality. 


 I spent our entire trip to the mall talking through gritted teeth saying things like, "Get over here, stand right here, and DON'T MOVE." I can't stop and look at something for 10 seconds without Jack wandering off somewhere.  He's not a super wild and crazy kid, but he's not exactly calm and in control either.  He feels compelled to touch EVERYTHING, or run and jump, or just be out of my line of vision.  It drives Zach and I crazy.  We have tried a hundred things to try to change his behavior, but we can't figure it out.  We've prepped him with the rules before we go in, I've yelled, I've made him hold my hand/stroller, we have lectured.  We tried to scare him telling him that a stranger could take him.  None of it phases him.  We have to put him in the cart still at most stores because he'll be two aisles away while I'm trying to pick out tomatoes. 


When I was little my worst fear was losing my mom in a store so I stuck to her like glue.  This must be my husband's gene I have no idea.  So I spent our mall trip trying to wrangle Jack, holding Grayson in one arm, pushing the stroller with the other, and trying to scrounge for the best deal I could find on clothes.  It was exhausting. The boys have a few new clothes, and at least I won't be having to do that for a few more months until we have to go school clothes shopping for Jack.  I think I am either bringing reinforcements or leaving them with their Dad.