Al Fresco, Auto Care and a Freak Out

I define a good day as having one or fewer freak-outs or meltdowns between the three of us - Mommy and two year old twin boys.  Today is good as there has only been one.  Here's today in pictures:

Tired of wiping the boosters and the table and sweeping the floor three times a day, we have been dining al fresco quite often.  It occurred to me to take breakfast on the deck this morning since it's the only time of the day it's cool enough up there, so here we are having a continental breakfast of bananas, farmer's market cinnamon bread and milk (et cafe, bien sur).  The fellas then raced their cars in the backyard while I finished the coffee and contemplated today's lesson: auto care.

Since I've kind of got a 'theme' this week - high school - and they like cars so much, I thought I'd teach them what I know.  Which is, take your car to get an oil change.  I had to learn this lesson not once, but twice, to my parents' chagrin.  After I blew up/froze/killed the second engine due to not EVER changing the oil, they marched me onto the car lot at age 22, co-signed the loan, and said, "Now you'll take care of it."  And I did.  Lou ran for 9 years until I had to trade him in for my current ride, Vanna.

March '09, 25 or so weeks prego, saying goodbye to Lou

So off we went.  I wish I could say Hubs or I could hoist the van up in the driveway and teach them how to actually do it ourselves and therefore save a bunch of money, but we can't.  I did tell them to pay attention in high school, that maybe they'll have a great auto shop teacher who can!  We got there, got in, got out, paid a lot, but I'm not sure how much they learned.

Since they were watching a DVD and eating gummies the whole time.  

So much for today's lesson.  On to real life.  However, I still count that outing as a success, because the freak out hadn't happened yet.  Here's how it happened.

Me: Good job, boys, now we're going to go to Target to ride in the double cart.  We need diapers and milk. (These are the only things I deem necessary enough to take them out for.  All other home goods and groceries can wait until I get a solo trip.)
M: Dubbo cart?  Dubbo cart?
N: Tweet? Tweet?
Me: Yes, the double cart.  Maybe a treat.  You just ate gummies.
I cruise the parking lot for a double cart in the stall, spot one, pull in next to it.  I stalled for a moment stuffing items into my purse, so when I opened the door, a woman was making a beeline for it!  Oh no!  I jumped out.
Me; You weren't headed for this cart were you?  (I slide open the door to reveal my kids)  I've got twins.
Cart stealer: Uh, no.  I've just got one.  (Slinks back to her minivan for her one measly kid)

Heh, heh, heh.  Serves you right, lady.  Maybe next time you'll think twice before putting your one measly kid in the double cart, making life miserable for any toddler twin mom trying to buy diapers with her kids in tow, searching for the elusive double cart.  

Joke's on me, apparently.  M screamed as I strapped him in the cart!
M: DRIVE IT!  DRIVE IT!
Me: Drive it?  You can't push the cart.  You're two little.
M: DRIVE IT! DRIVE IT!
M continues to scream as I buckle in N and head toward the store.  I know I should really abandon the trip, but I can't for two reasons: 1) Cart Stealer is watching me and I am not leaving this cart for her one measly kid and 2) I totally need diapers in a terrible way.

M lets out a blood-curdling, face-reddening, full-body scream as the entrance doors slide open.  I ignore it and push the cart as fast as I can toward the diapers. Diapers and milk.  Nothing else.  Hurry!  I remembered I'd stuffed stale Teddy Grahams in my purse - the reason I encountered Cart Stealer - so I dug them out and offered them up. N gobbled like this was totally normal, M threw the first one.  I swiped the diapers off the shelf and headed toward the milk.  I ignored the throw. I knew if I punished him for that it would not help the situation.  Instead I offered him the whole bag, which could have backfired.  But there was a quarter of a Gerber fruit cookie bar in there from a week ago.  "Big one," he hicupped, and dug out the piece.  Thank you, God.

I was able to round up a couple more necessary-but-not-urgent items and exit the store in less than 10 minutes.  It was somewhere in the sunblock/bugspray aisle it occurred to me that M wanted to 'drive it' - the double carts at our grocery store have two steering wheels!  Next time I'll differentiate - Target "big red" double cart or Cub "driving" double cart.  I guess there's MY lesson for the day!

The cart in question

The rest of the morning passed peacefully - some 'train' time in the basement while I grilled cheese, an episode of "Chuggington," and another al fresco meal on the patio.  So long as the weather holds for evening, I think today will be a great day!

Bonus pic: what they managed to do while I applied deoderant and pulled my hair into a pony (my getting ready for Target routine).