Picnic

Yesterday I decided to take the kids on a picnic. I considered several places we could go, all within walking distance since we didn't have the car, but I realized that since Everett loves trucks right now there would be no better place than the grassy area near a busy corner by our complex. It is close to the playground and far enough away that I don't have to worry about Everett wandering too close to the road. Best of all, there are a lot of big trucks that drive by.


Everett was very entertained by the trucks and was in a compliant enough mood to listen to me when I asked him to stop after he went too far. It was fun for me, too, because I love sitting outside and looking at everything, even if that "everything" consists of a few trees and a busy road.


Of course, even though we spent a long time seeing the sights our road had to offer, it took us almost as long to walk the short distance back to the apartment. Since I had Ashley in the snugli (both strollers were in the trunk of the car, which was at work with Joel) I couldn't really carry Everett so I used every trick I knew to get him interested in coming home with me. It's just too bad that he is also so interested in everything else.

Distraction, said with inflated excitement:

"Everett, guess what?" I say in an over-the-top excited tone. "I bet there is a doggie in your room. Do you want to go cuddle with your doggie?"

"Look! A stick! Oh, Wow! It's so neat! Let's go get it! Come on, this way!"

"WHOAH!!!! AN AIRPLANE!!!!! Come over here and look at it!!!!!"


Threats:

"If you don't come with me, I will have to carry you." (this one works because he currently does not want to be carried anywhere, unless it is by one of his aunts and uncles, who he has conveniently wrapped around his little fingers.) Maybe I should have more threats? I try not to use them because there are not very many I can actually follow through with when I am also carrying Ashley.


Imploring:

"Everett, why don't you come walk with me, please."

"Can I hold your hand?" (I always know the answer to this is an adamant "No". So why do I keep asking?)



I try to stay away from threatening time out or anything like that unless he is deliberately running away from me or is purposely doing something I asked him not to (and if we're outside, I have to drag him all the way inside to give him a proper time-out and by then I think the point is lost on him). Getting places is easy, it's getting home that is always the problem. Sometimes by the time we get in the door and all disjumbled from wherever we went, I feel like I need a nap as well from all of my convincing, distracting, imploring, excitement, etc.


And, when all else fails, I use my top-secret, never-failing, super-clever tactic.


I take my hand, grab his wrist, and make him come the way I want him to. This is especially effective in busy parking lots, and it always creates a vast amount of visual interest coming my direction. It also means a lot of people send sympathetic looks my way, especially mothers who have been there but whose children are now grown.


But I figure that if dragging a screaming toddler through a parking lot is the worst of my problems with him, we're doing pretty well.


Just get back to me when he is a teenager and totals my car, and we'll see who's the one screaming then.