The flip side

I was leaving the Dollar Tree today when a "NO KROG!!" battle-cry sounded from the carseat in the back.

"Sorry, buddy-we need to go to Kroger to get groceries for dinner. Da is at work. We don't have a choice."

"NO...KROG! Go HOME!"

My gut sinks. I know this is going to be bad. I check my face for scratch marks. Who the hell knew that a bribe balloon could be used as a weapon? I fielded several stares in the store as I frantically picked up the items we needed while my 2 year old beat the shit out of my face with a balloon.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" proclaims the Mickey Mylar. Cooper's birthday was in June.

I thought I would be clever in Kroger and use a threatening tactic once reasoning, ignoring the bad behaviors, and praising the good behaviors didn't work.

"Hey Coop?" I asked as I got him out of the car. "You have to behave in Kroger, or else Mickey balloon will fly away."

Of course the threat didn't work. He made it well known that he was not happy to be grocery shopping. We walked out of Kroger. Cooper clutched a vial of sprinkles (which I didn't plan on buying) victoriously in his little fist, and grabbed his Mickey balloon (which didn't fly away after all) as soon as we got in the car.

As I was climbing into the car I saw a frazzled looking mom of a kid roughly the same age as Cooper trying to reason with her daughter who clearly held the same feelings on Kroger. At least I wasn't alone.

Greg got home from work, looked at the balloon and asked "Happy Birthday?" I nodded solemnly and said "yes, please wish our son's tantrum a very happy birthday."

There are days when I lose several of the toddler battle-of-wills. This was one of them. I think what's ultimately important is still finding the humor in it. Plus, these sprinkles are damn delicious.