PDAs - Public Displays of AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

People love babies.  Until recently, Sophie was like this adorable accessory. 

Everywhere I went, people had to stop and look at this cute, fat little bundle of adorableness.

Comments were always of the "Oh how cute he/she is!?", "What a darling!", "I love his curls". 

Apparently, babies are also unisex.

People love toddlers. Until toddlers throw fits.

I experienced my first public temper tantrum today. I knew it was coming. Mom told me. 

And she will probably grin when she hears about it. She warned me it would all come around.

Perhaps I was a *tad* dramatic as a wee little Jennie. 

And perhaps pre-Sophie, when I proclaimed that I would "never have any children" I was a little less than understanding when little people screamed in restaurants and shops. I didn't visibly let on that I was annoyed, but I was. Heck, I am still annoyed when other people's kids lash out in public! So I had it coming. Karmic retribution once again at work.

Sophie clearly did not want to be at the Canada Post outlet at Shoppers Drug Mart. More accurately, Sophie did not want to be in the torture device known as "The Stroller". Feeling all proud of my beautiful little accessory as always, with 4 people in the lineup ahead of me, Sophie loudly lets everyone know that the stroller is biting her/poking her with hot needles/trying to eat her diaper butt. As only a toddler can, she straightened out and pushed with all her might to get away from her evil restraints, and when realizing she could not get out, SCREAMED. Not just little baby cries, but those you-can-hear-her-out-in-the-parking-lot screams. 

Now, I had 2 options. Stay and let her scream and try to calm her so that I could finish my errand, or leave. Much to the disappointment of people around me, I stayed. I picked Sophie up for a bit to give her a break from the stroller, and she calmed, even giggled (because she thought she won). That grew old fast when she realized she still wasn't on the floor where she wanted to be. Back in the stroller she went. She screamed a little. I screamed a little on the inside. But I smiled, talked to her gently, kept my composure, finished my errand, and left the store, dignity (mostly) still in hand.

Now that I am at home, recovering with a big coffee while the noise-maker naps (tantrums do tucker you out you know), I have a few things to say.

• To the cranky woman with the perma-scowl who shook her head in disgust when Sophie screamed - "BITE ME!"
• To the old man, who looked a little like a woman and should really consider less time in the sun or more sunblock and who shared useless, unsolicited parenting advice with me -"BITE ME, and bite the cranky perma-scowl woman while you are at it."
• To the woman in front of me who offered to let me go ahead of her because as she said "I've been there"- another big "THANK YOU" to you.
• To the super nice Canada Post employee who ignored all of Sophie's screams, looked past the crochety toddler, saw a beautiful little girl and said "Hi cutie! How are you doing? You helping Mommy?" - "BLESS YOU!" I could hug you. (I didn't btw. That might have been a little awkward.)
• To the moms and dads out there who have experienced public toddler tantrums, and that would be all of them - "I am sorry. I finally understand."
• And lastly, to Sophie. Though I wanted to say "SUCK IT UP, life will undoubtedly get worse", instead I say, "I love you even when you are loud and obnoxious...and thank god you are cute"

And now I am off to soothe Bailey who fell victim to toddler hands on our arrival home. His tail looks a little less "pouffy" than usual.

-jl