Macy's Potty Crises

I think back to when I naively just had Gabriel as a baby. I didn't think I'd ever come off like some of the crazed Moms I occasionally saw at the grocery store. I figured that you taught your children at home and then they wouldn't humiliate you in public; little did I know that humiliation can often come with the title of "mom." Last night I set off with my three older daughters and the three little guys. I dropped one daughter off and had about 30 minutes before Alei needed to be at Aunt Deb's Bible study. 30 minutes was just enough time to pop into Macy's and see the bargain comforter set that I saw in the flyer.



As we were rounding the mall parking lot, Tori informed me that she needed to go potty. I told her that we would go as soon as we got into Macy's. I had to drive to the far side of the mall and find a spot to accommodate my school bus, I mean big van. Really, all of that took maybe 10 minutes. Once parked, Tori sounded a little more frantic, "Mom, I got to go really bad." This is where I began to get concerned because Tori has a history of not giving me adequate time to even find a bathroom, let alone actually wait in a potential line. In fact, on a few occasions Tori has been forced to use the ditch by the side of the road on the 30 miles between our house and "town." Anyway, back to Macy's.... I rush and unload everyone and we rush across the parking lot. The more we walk, the louder Tori's voice gets, "Mom, Mom, I have to go bad." She accompanies this volume increase with a special walk that involves spreading her legs just a bit and strategically putting both hands you-know-where to try and hold off the pee-pee. Once we hit the door, I have no idea where a bathroom is, but I'm frantically scanning for any signs or hints of a logical bathroom location. Of course, Tori is practically screaming, "Mom, Mom, it's coming, I can't hold it, I can't hold it!" I'm searching, searching while dragging Julia along and shouting to Alei to hold Elijah. As Tori's voice is getting louder, I'm running faster, until we approach the make-up area looking like some contestants on the Amazing Race. I interrupt the only Macy's employee I see, who is attempting to help a costumer, to ask where the very nearest bathroom is. She says something and points towards the children's department, but Tori is so loud that I couldn't really hear anything she tried to say. I grab Tori and start my final sprint towards the area she pointed, only to wonder if Julia was even still with me. I just kept running, hoping that Alei found her along the trail if she hadn't been able to keep up with me.



Once throwing ourselves into the bathroom and plunging Tori on the toilet, I looked back to see little Julia standing right behind me. As Tori was washing her hands, Alei came into the bathroom smiling. She told me that three departments back, when I hit the full sprint, she decided that Elijah and she would cease being in our shopping party. I don't think I blame her; we were rather embarrassing. She also got to enjoy the faces and snickers of the people that I zoomed by as she leisurely made her way to the bathroom behind Tori and I.



So, one more moment in public that makes me thankful that I don't have the Paparazzi following me around with cameras! Oh, and the comforter set that I really loved? They didn't have it in stock, but I got another one that I like and it was even less.

I present the new red bed. The sleeping baby wasn't included; he's just a semi-permanent feature on my bed.




Next, I need a bargain head-board; preferably at a furniture store that houses a bathroom near the store entrance!