Embarrassing scenes in public

I was looking over this blog and noticed that I have never written about one of my embarrassing public scenes with Calvin. They happen regularly but for some reason I never write about them here.  Probably because after being embarrassed in public I don't see any need to re-live those moments and also I sort of feel like it is just complaining and like my cousin says, "there is nothing so bad that complaining about it doesn't make it worse." In spite of myself I will record at least one of these moments for my own records.

Today ....

Dave and the girls went out of town to visit some cousins so I was home with just calvin and the baby!  I decided to take Calvin on a mother/son date to a  place of his choice. He chose a breakfast place.  He ordered what he wanted but when it came he said he changed his mind and wanted something else. I waited him out while I ate to see if he would just eat what he had ordered. Sometimes if he is chatty and in a good mood he will be flexible and go with the flow.  I finished eating and Calvin was still pouty and upset because he wanted different food. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to order more since he might not have liked that either and the baby was starting to be to squirmy to stay in her seat.   We were still waiting for our receipt and a box for his food he didn't eat.

Calvin opened a sugar packet and dumped the sugar on the floor. The lady sitting behind him about had a fit watching him do that. Within a few minutes he tore up our receipt and threw that on the floor too. meanwhile I was trying to map out an escape plan. I had a baby to carry, plus Calvin to carry, plus my food. Not possible. I paid my bill and looked around the room for who I would ask to  help me.  Then Calvin picked up the ketchup and started squirting it on the floor and the lady behind him said "NO!!!! Don't do that!"  I told her she wouldn't help him by getting upset and cleaned up the ketchup. Then I asked this lady if she would walk me to my car and hold baby Jo for me. She was not eating anyway -- she was talking about what she was seeing!   She  was a little surprised but reluctantly agreed. I handed Jo to this stranger and Jo started crying.  I tried to escort Calvin out but he threw himself on the floor. Some guy offered to pick up Calvin but Calvin is 85 lbs and kicking and difficult and I didn't want this guy to get hurt.  I tried to talk Calvin into cooperating  but to no avail. Finally I let this man help me with Calvin. He helped drag Calvin out of the restaurant  As we walked past the front desk of the restaurant, Calvin tore down their Christmas tinsel across the front desk.  We made it to the car and luckily Calvin hopped in and started honking the horn instead of trying to run away or do something else crazy.  I took Jo back and loaded her in as well.  Both of my helpers were flustered but compassionate towards me.  

So much for stopping at the store on the way home to get groceries for dinner tomorrow....

This kind of things happens frequently.  For sure not every time we go somewhere but I wouldn't call it a rare occurrence. Fortunately with Calvin in school every day I can do most things I need to do without him. Also, sometimes I can see that he is in no shape for going anywhere and cancel plans or modify plans to prevent a huge scene.

Now that Calvin is so big I can't really handle him by myself, especially with 3 other kids to juggle, one of them being a baby who is a total mama's girl. This makes things dicey. Lucky for me, Dave has been home a lot this year so I have gotten away with leaving Calvin at home with Dave, sending Calvin out with Dave or having Dave stop for me at the store or whatever I couldn't do. It worries me a little bit that starting next summer Dave will be super busy and will disappear from the picture of every day life.