Mortification Nation 2

Have you ever had one of those outings where your children just dazzled you?
Where you were stopped over and over in public by people that wanted you to know how well behaved they thought your children were?
Where you smiled and shrugged and just felt so happy and proud?
Yeah...me neither.
I had to go into the bank yesterday to open a new account. I had a talk with Little Miss in the car about how to behave and brought books for her to read in the bank.
We started out ok. The gal opening our account happened to be the wife of one of Mr's coworkers. We were both excited to meet each other and got to gabbing when LM "forgot" everything we had talked about in the car.
At first it wasn't so terrible.
She walked over to another empty desk and eyed the computer keyboard. She swiftly returned when I called her back.
Soon she found a spot on the floor that was calling out to be jumped on.
A little annoying, but tolerable. A snap of the fingers and "the look" still had an effect on her.
Yet, the deeper we got into the process and our chat about police stuff, the more, shall I say, ineffective all of my reminders were on Little Miss.
She began to giggle and dash all over the building.
She became the personal greeter to all customers.
She decided she needed a desk, too.
When I pulled her over and spoke in her ear that I would "take her to the bathroom" if she didn't quit, she announced, loudly, that she needed to pee.
Sigh.
We had "the talk" in the restroom and I though that would take care of it.
Nope.
More running around like a monkey.
At one point she was literally sprinting circles around the banker's desk.
Did I mention this was supposed to be on the quicker side as Mr was waiting for me to pick him up from work?
I finally sat Fo on the chair next to me and trapped LM in my lap. I was instructed to type some things into the computer for security and held LM tight on my side. Fo, who is finally testing her big motor skills, decided to pull up on the chair handle.
I rested my hand on her arm and caught her just as she tumbled out of the chair.
I believe it was while I had a fighting, shrill Little Miss wrestling with my right arm and a frightened, screaming Fo dangling by one arm from my left hand that the banker, picking up our earlier conversation, asked:
"So tell me honestly: Do you like being a stay-at-home mom? I mean, really? Do you ever wish you could go back to work?"
Um...
I couldn't answer her over the wails coming from my monkeys.
We soon exited the bank and I heard a loud cheer and clapping as the doors whooshed closed behind us.
Little Miss got an earful all the way to pick up her Daddy. When he got in the car and greeted us, a small voice came from the backseat:
"Daddy! I'm in big trouble. I have to sit on my bed!"
And sit on her bed she did.
Then we made up and went outside to enjoy the evening. Mr finished the big sandbox we had made so both girls can sit. We played, had baths, went to bed.
This morning, my girls are fighting in the living room about something.
I am disheveled, tired from an early morning rise and nursing my coconut cream flavored coffee.
And as unglamorous as it it...I really love it.
I love being a stay-at-home mom.
Honestly.
It's an out-in-public-with-two-little-ones mom I don't totally love.

Practicing hard!

Right where the little animal belongs!!