Lula is probably the most independent kid I've had (so far). She just does what she wants, when she wants to. She wants a cup of milk? She opens the fridge and pours herself a cup from the gallon. Sometimes she spills, but more often than not I never know that she even had some milk. Walking in stores and through parking lots means that she will not hold hands. Period. If you offer, she screams, "No, walk!" Once, Mark made the mistake of just picking her up and carrying her through the parking lot and Lula screamed the whole time and then cried all the way to our next stop. She is going through a phase where she is seriously testing her boundaries.
This little story sums up what shopping with Lula is like: She trots along happily until she sees something breakable at her eye level. She reaches out, touches, and names the item. Yesterday it was a bowl (why oh why does Target put breakable things on lower shelves?). I say, "Yes, that's a bowl. Don't touch!" in a sweet mama voice. Her arms drop to her sides, her sad dimple appears (you can only see her dimple when she frowns), and she starts to cry. I start walking and say, "Come on Lula! Stay with Mama!" and she doesn't budge. Fiona starts worrying that Lula will be left behind and starts coaxing her and bribing her with piggy back rides. "Stop, Fiona. You are only encouraging her to not walk. Ignore her!" I keep walking. Lula starts howling. People start staring. I call back, "Come on Lula! Walk with Mama! Let's go!" still in the sweet Mama voice. And then I turn the corner at the end of the aisle. Lula can't see me yet still wants to stay where she is, so she screams, "MAMA! WAAAAAIIIIIIT!" And gosh darn it, wouldn't you know that a granny or some other "helpful" female who has never had miniature versions of their own stubborn selves tries to interfere with my attempts at training my child to walk obediently with me. They talk to her, get all sweet with her, get all worried that her mean mama just left her behind. So guess what? I have to give up my position and let them know that I'm just waiting for her to catch up. I wish people would mind their own business. She runs and catches up to me and I start walking as quick as I can to make the illusion that I was walking away the whole time. As soon as she reaches me, I kiss her sweet RED face, wipe her tears away, and praise her for staying with me. Fiona tries to pick her up and carry her, but Fiona is pretty small for her age and Lula is big and I don't want to have to go through someone needing stitches from a fall on store property, so I tell Fiona to put her down! As soon as I turn around to start walking again, the pattern repeats itself.
Fun, I tell you.
