Well, ok. "Bounced" is more accurate than "walked." Imagine Tigger with a twin brother, and you'll get the idea.
They looked up, down, sideways, even behind them, anywhere but right in front of them.
"Watch where you're going, guys."
Bump...
They bumped into some people walking the other direction.
Then another near miss as they looked back at us when we reminded them again to pay attention to the space in front of them.
Sometimes they ran ahead, making it hard to keep up. But just as we'd get close, one of them would spot something intriguing and stop in his tracks. Anyone following too close would have tripped over him.
We'd slow down but keep walking, keeping an eye behind us and calling out for them to keep going.
If we stopped, who knows how long they'd stand there looking at whatever had caught their attention. Not to mention, the next thing they noticed might be back in the other direction and then we'd be backtracking.
I felt like a broken record:
"This way, guys."
"Come on, let's keep going."
"Slow down, wait for us."
Seems like that would drive them crazy, but if I'm lucky, they might actually hear me maybe 1/3 of the time. Too many sights and sounds competing for their attention.
I can't even remember the last time we went to the mall, but it was too rainy to go to the park, and all of the boys needed new shoes.
It wasn't too crowded... more so than the average weekday but not as bad as a Saturday.
I'm loving that they are so tall now... it is much easier to keep them in visual range now that they are about shoulder height relative to the crowd. It was so hard when they were toddlers, barely knee height, slipping out of their stroller buckles and running off in different directions. How many times did we end up pushing an empty double stroller and chasing after them?
Pretty soon they'll be tall enough to be spotted above the crowd, and then it will be even easier to keep tabs on them when we go out ;).
We still kept a close eye on them, because although being tall means we could see them easily, it also means they have long legs and could quickly get too far ahead. We watched for any signs that the overstimulation was getting to be too much, always mindful of the exits and the distance to our car (I dare say we are something of experts in rapid escapes when necessary), but they actually handled it pretty well.
I couldn't help but smile at my big boys being themselves.
I also couldn't help but notice how calm Bitty was in comparison. He reached for my hand as soon as we started walking and walked beside me.
The entire time.
He didn't run. He didn't zig-zag. He didn't bounce. He just walked.
Holding my hand all the while.
While crowded places overstimulate Cuddlebug and Bearhug and make them even more hyperactive than usual (and if you know them, that's saying something!), the same crowds, especially in an unfamiliar place, sometimes make Bitty a little nervous and more mellow than usual (because he does plenty of running, bouncing, and crashing when we're somewhere familiar).
We managed to find shoes for Bearhug and Cuddlebug - and on sale too! (sales prices AND buy one-get one half off). Bitty refused to try on anything other than Thomas shoes, and we couldn't find any in his size. I'm still looking for some online, but he is reaching the point where Thomas items are harder to find in his size.
Luckily for me (and my back) Bitty lasted right up until it was almost time to leave before he started asking to be carried.
By "asking," I mean dancing around in front of me, making it impossible for me to walk, saying, "You wan' da up? Aww done wif da down-er?"
"How do you ask?" I prompted him.
"Up, pweez!" he answered happily, arms in the air.
And so with that, I lifted him up and we headed for the car.
I can say I got my exercise for that day ;).
If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS.
