The Mall...

I DESPISE the mall at Christmas Time. Of course that is where I have to go so we can see SANTA. So Wednesday my mom and I decided to venture out with the children. We opted to head to the Mall first. We thought we would hit a few stores, see Santa and head out for lunch just after the normal "lunch" time.

Get to the Mall, unload the kids and realize that not only did I not pack the stroller Fayeth harness is in my MOMS car. UGH! Give the kids THE LECTURE about holding hands, not wandering away, blah blah blah. So in we go. Hit the bathrooms (again) because you know. Mom bladder + freezing cold wind=URGE TO PEE.

We started at the farthest point away from SANTA so that we could get some shopping done. JC Penny for neckties and I realize that my daughters have really good taste in ties, but had to explain that I needed solid colored ones to stitch on. Pay for those.

Look at the 700 gazillion stores and booths that sell ornaments looking for a "BUNCO" themed ornament for my mom. Go to Borders for gift cards for the "grandkids".

There were 2 moms walking with 7 kids in tow. *I* had to be a smart ass and I looked at them and said, "Are they ALL YOURS?" Being that when I am in Fl with Kristin and people ask us like we are a disney attraction with all our children, I just could not pass it up. The ladies laughed and we talked about that lovely comment. LOL

We head to see Santa. We are the 3rd people in line. 5 minutes...line does not move. 10 minutes line does not move. Finally an employee comes over to a lady in front of us and says, "We are waiting for your sister. We pulled up her pictures again and we need her approval before we print them. We cannot take anymore pictures until we print these." The lady in front of us says, "Well maybe she went to sit down. She is 5 month pregnant." They look around. Another 5 minutes goes past, we wait. Now this is really starting to irk me. #1 if you are waiting for them to reupload your pictures then keep your ass at the kiosk. If in your HORRIFIC HORRIBLE state of being 5 months pregnant need to sit down, tell the ladies at the kiosk that you need to sit down. #2 I CANNOT STAND PEOPLE WHO ACT LIKE PREGNANCY IS GOING TO KILL THEM! It is a CONDITION that YOU put yourself INTO. Either you chose to have unprotected sex and this was an effect of that or you wanted to expand on your family. But whatever SUCK IT UP. If you are so sick at 5 months pregnant then you should not be at the Mall. Go home and put up your feet. And believe me I understand that there are people who have complications. I do. But I DO NOT whine, bitch and moan about it. Deal with it.

Long story short. She had decided to go to BORDERS and go shopping. WHAT THE HELL!!!! So 25 minutes after we get in line we move forward....1 place. I will give props to the kids who were awesome! Good Job Guys!

We were heading into Bath and Body Works when a group of ladies (I am assuming moms, daughters, gramma) cuts us off. One lady taking her arm to the side of Gabe's head. Hard enough for Gabe to yell ouch and grab his (already hurting head). Never once saying sorry or excuse me. So they walked up to the display and I was already heading for that display. Gabe was whimpering that his head hurt. I looked up at the ladies and then back down at Gabe and said, yes sweetheart it is VERY RUDE when someone ELBOWS you in the head and NEVER ONCE says SORRY. They hightailed it out of there. Had Fayeth not been such a turkey because she was hungry and had seen the food court I would have chased them down to EDUCATE them. I wanted to say, "Excuse me STUPID women. I understand that you are out with family having fun. So I am. However, YOU need to be more AWARE of what is going on around you. Do you REALIZE that because you were not watching where you were going and you ELBOWED my son in the head you have caused him more pain. On top of the amount of pain that he lives with on a daily basis. Do you realize that while THIS TIME you elbowed him on the side of his head, that an elbow to the back of his head could kill him. Do you realize that SOME PEOPLE have bone missing from there heads and that your happy little elbows when you are cutting people off could seriously hurt a little boy? Could end his life? Pay the FUCK attention to what you are doing!!!! Or at least have the courtesy to say that you are sorry.

By now we head to the elevator to go down to leave. We get on the Elevator with some very nice and polite young men. The mom that raised these boys did an awesome job. I hope that my son is as nice as these young men were when he is their age. :)

We go to get off the elevator, we cannot move. NONE of us. The lady getting ON the elevator has her stroller pushed right up to the doors. The lady behind hers is shoved right up beside her. Now the Mall is NOT that busy. Also, isn't there stroller etiquette that says you have to have manners with your small single strollers. I can cut the moms with multiple strollers a little slack. They can be pretty hard to maneuver with children and packages. The nice boys said excuse me and she would not move her stroller. Again they said excuse us please, and she still would not move her stroller. I smiled at the boys, leaned from around them and said, "Ma'am, EXCUSE US". She does not move her stroller. I lean around the guys again and said, "Ma'am. EXCUSE US! You MUST move your STROLLER if you want us to get OFF the elevator. We cannot walk AROUND you as you are IN the opening. Please move your stroller." She moved her stroller back 2 inches. The guys were able to get out. I was not. Not with 4 kids. I said again. "I am not sure how the heck you expect people to get off the elevator when you have your stroller in the opening. You will need to move it so my children and get out also. I cannot believe that any of these people in line would cut you off so you could not get into the elevator. Now move your stroller". She moves it back and we get off. There was literally NO WAY that the kids could have gotten out of the elevator. I could have stepped over the stroller but their legs are a little shorter than mine. UGH!

Please explain to me why (some) people with strollers have no courtesy for people without. I have had triple stroller from hell, many double strollers. I try my best not to run people down. If you stop quickly in front of me, I may not be able to stop in time, but I do apologize. My triple stroller is like a Semi truck. It requires additional stopping time. Besides the fact the sucker weighs a ton without kids in it. UGH.

The rest of our trip was nice. Lunch was marvelous. Our server was spectacular and got a little extra for his exceptional service. When the manager asked us how everything went I highly praised him. :)

Hobby Lobby was awesome. That place is the MECCA of crafts and Christmas stuff. By the time we got to Walmart Gabe was hurting. Shunt tubing was poking his liver causing shoulder and chest pain. His legs hurt, his back hurt, and his head hurt. He wanted to ride in the cart. So we put him in the basket. He could not tolerate that. If he leaned forward his shoulders, chest and abdoment hurt. If he leaned back his back hurt. If he walked his legs hurt and hell his head just hurts ALL.THE.TIME. LOL So we quickly finished our trip and headed home. Of course he complained about the tummy/chest/shoulder and back pain in the car because of the carseat and harness, but he made it through it.