Have you ever browsed the isles of Trader Joes or Target, watching those loud and obnoxious, and thought, "Thank God those kids aren't mine", or even worse, "My kids would never do that". Guilty. To both those counts. Even being a mother and having that instant sympathy that one may posses, I still believed you can, in fact, avoid the public disgrace... be it through child rearing, training, bribing, you name it.

Today Kid and Bee proved to me that I eat my words, yet again.

We had a busy day of normal walk and park dates, grocery shopping, and naps. I worked hard and fast at organizing the remaining amount of my new office while the boys napped. They both woke fairly happy and we decided to venture to Target to return one small item and buy post-it notes. Do you think that small of a task would have created such an episode? I surely didn't.

I was gracious and let the boys sit in the crazy-germ-fest double cart, you know, the one as long as a train but accommodates two toddlers?

I never let them use it but today I decided to be the fun mom. Wrong decision.

Immediately Bee decided to start kicking Kid, then pointing to his facial features, then poking his eye, hard (meanwhile, a lot of tattling and whining is taking place). Kid is not naturally as tough as Bee, so this caused some major crying. Through the isles, the sound of both of my sons' voices echoed... I say both as often times when Kid's reaction turns to tears, Bee feels so badly, he usually joins.

Splendid.

Thankfully we were successful in leaving the store with "happy hearts" and no bribes were needed. I did learn, though, that it's inevitable, the public meltdowns will, indeed, happen, and those other mothers out there experiencing them will get my true and heartfelt sympathy.

Yes, Bee was not ecstatic to be wearing that of a monkey costume. Fortunately his brother has other plans for him to be a warrior this year, rather than a sweet, rascally monkey.