Yesterday

This might get long.
I've mentioned before that I'm babysitting for a friend Thursday's and Friday's. Typically, it has not interfered with my schedule at all, and it's amazingly easy for me to still be on the go with an extra kid along. And a toddler at that! But anyway, yesterday I was brave. I decided to pack the day full of errands, and to top it off, invited my friend and her kids along. I took our extra car seat, got the car loaded with the kiddos and we were off. At first it was great. Till we get to the first store. Kristopher decides since we have people along, rules to not apply whatsoever. After realizing I mean business, he stuck closer with several reminders. We make our way through 2 stores, then stop at the grocery store to grab something to take back for lunch before going on the 2nd half of the day. When we are about to leave the car, he says he has to pee. Really bad. I tell him that will be the first stop when we get in the store and he acts fine with that. When we walked in the door, he takes his friend and takes off. And I mean really took off. They were running full speed to the back of the really big grocery store! I didn't even have the baby in the seat completely and he was out of sight. I quickly follow and whole time I see neither of the boys. Mentally I'm really freaking out. He knows exactly where the bathrooms are in pretty much all of our "regular" stops so I go straight there. I knock on the door and little voices say "occupied". Now typically I'd find that cute on any other day, but once I heard his voice the fear changed to really pissed off. I demanded that he opened the door immediately. I asked him what in the world would possibly make him think it's ok to run clear across the store alone, when I had already told him we would go there first. His reply was "I wasn't alone." Everything has to be with attitude lately because he feels that 5 yrs old is "grown up." And it's worse with a friend to show off for.
So, more talk about how we do not leave grown ups and go through any store alone, even if we have a friend to go along. And we especially do not go into a bathroom alone without a grown up. I went on about it for a while and my friend caught up and did the same with her boy.
I think both boys realized how upset we were and I'm pretty sure they won't take off again for a long time. They knew they did bad and were in trouble. As punishment, they were not allowed to play when we got back and we canceled the rest of the plans for the day. I know for Kristopher he was really upset that 1, he got his friend in trouble. 2, he didn't get to play like we had said. and 3, He was allowed to go and look at toys with his friend at target. The 2nd half of the day would have been when it was more about the kids. Oh well though. My mind still thinks of all the bad that could have happened in that 2 mins it took me to get to him. Somehow I really have to get through to him about strangers. And regain total control. I think our days of going on errands are going to be cut way back till some of these behavior issues are fixed.

And last night, I got a chance to go out with the same friend, but we went kid free. Just mom's night out! It was great and I haven't done that in a very long time. We just did some window shopping and got some things we needed for the upcoming week. And went and browsed the fabric & craft stores. Talked and took our times looking without a care in the world. It was really great. I think it's just what I needed after a day like yesterday.

So now I think I better order that dvd about stranger safety. Until I can get it through his head that things like yesterday is not ok, he might be with a babysitter for my errands for a little while. I can't handle anymore heart attacks.