There was a time when I would turn my nose up at parents with screaming kids in the store.  However, pay- backs stink. More and more now, Little D is looking to use stores as his own personal play ground.  He loves the echos he hears in large warehouse stores.  He loves to imitate other children who are yelling or crying. THAT is a riot and ends up in hysterical laughter on his part. (confidentially, it makes me laugh, too. but i do that in my head and keep the stern "daniel, that is wrong" face firmly planted on said face)

Anywhere he goes, if he sees a ball-shaped thing, he has to have it...more than one if he can get away with it.  I am finding that he is more troublesome in the stores.  He wants everything he sees....NOW.  His tantrums are short lived and he can be distracted from it....for a while.  I am strict about behavior in public and he can't have everything he sees.  People passing by get to hear something like this: "baaaaalllllll" "yep, you are right. that IS a ball.  look at all the colors. don't they look nice all bunched together in that display case?  What do you think of this_______(rubbermaid container or whatever)" Danny sniffling, sees another ball...and the process begins again.  (why don't stores keep stuff like that in one place??  oh i know, it is to trap tired and embarrassed parents into buying it just to get junior to be nice and quiet.)

sigh.   I know  this will soon pass and in years future we will be telling his intended all sorts of embarrassing stories about what he did as a toddler. 

Oh, the other thing he does in stores:  He pulls my shirt up....or down.  I have been exposed more than once in public.  There is one Wal-Mart employee who works in the pet food section who has seen my variety of funky undergarments on more than one occasion.

 AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!  We now have a rule that he has to keep his hands on the handle of the cart.  I will hug him periodically (that is what is trying to get me to do..that or search for a "bink" that he knows i have, on occasion, stuck in my strap when i wasn't wearing anything with pockets.  hope springs eternal for him, i guess, as he is no longer able to have 'bink' except at nap/bed time.)

What do you all  do with a screaming  'mee mee' in public places?

He is Risen, Just as He said!