Little boy session & an Ava episode

Just finished proofing a fun session I had a few weeks ago. This little boy was so busy! He was pretty hard to keep up with, but he did a great job, and we have some very cute photos of him! We also got big brother Chase, in some of the pictures, and he was so good with his little brother. We went out to their grandpa's farm and they had some great old barns and horses and things, so it was perfect for pictures! This is Nate:






I call this storyboard "The Many Faces of Nate"! Thanks for a great session!

The other day, I had Ava and Cohen with me when I went to Walmart, which makes it kind of an ordeal, but I manage. You have to do what you have to do, you know!? Anyway, Ava had to ride in the basket part of the cart, because Cohen's seat was on the front. She was very patient with all the food and other items that were being piled around, and then towards the end, on her. She didn't seem to mind at all, and was very good, until we got to the checkout line. She stood up, and all the stuff fell down into the hole she had been sitting in. As much as I wanted to make her stay in the cart so I didn't have to chase her, I had to take her out when she started stomping on packages of frozen veggies and salad. So while I was waiting in line, loading the conveyor belt, and paying, Ava was checking out the candy, and of course the toys that they put in the checkout so you will buy them when your kid throws a fit. I don't like to succumb to this blatant scam, so I try my best to not buy junk in the checkout line, unless I have promised my kids some M&M's if they'll be good, or something like that. Well, Ava was playing with some of the little toys, and she kept bringing them and showing them to me, and we already had all of these toys! Little play cameras and cell phones, I think that Ava got most of these items for Christmas from other people. I got her to put them back by reminding her that we had that same toy at home. I got done paying, and of course, there's no room in the cart for her now, so she was going to have to walk. She had a toy Etch a Sketch in her hand and she ran over to the Bear Claw machine by Customer Service, and I was trying to push the very heavily-laden cart. I told her we needed to put the toy back, and as I reached for her hand, she ran away. I had to chase and grab her, but then she went limp and started wailing. At this point, I know we are making a scene, and I'm embarrassed of course, because my kid is being "that kid". I take the toy away and set it down, and put Ava on my hip (because I sure can't trust her to walk at this point) and attempt to push Cohen and the 10 ton cart. We get right by the bathrooms, and Ava says in a panicky voice that she has to use the bathroom. When she says this, we don't have time to spare. It is good that we are so conveniently close to it, but I have this huge cart full of stuff, and a baby in a carseat. I pretty much have no choice but to put Ava down and wrangle the cart past a orange canvas pop up sign that says "Wet Floor" in the doorway of the bathroom, the hallway of which they have set up so that you will NOT attempt to push a cart into it. I finally get the cart into the bathroom, and realize Ava didn't come with me! So I hurry out, and there's Ava standing in the doorway with the orange wet floor sign on her head! I guess I should be glad she hadn't run far away! So I grab her and take her to the bathroom, all the while telling her how yucky and dirty that sign is, and how she should absolutely NOT put it on her head. Then we head out of the impossible hallway once again, and what do you know, by the time I get out of the bathroom, there she is with the sign on her head again! Grrr...
I'm laughing now, but it was not funny at the time! You can't spank kids in public, and this was definitely the one thing Ava needed at that moment. I know I'm not the only mom who ever had a hard time at Walmart, but believe me, I learned my lesson. The next time I went, I waited until Johnny was home and then I went by myself!
Have a great Tuesday! :)