Calgon...take me away...

Do you every think that something sounds like a great idea and as you go forth with it, you realize that maybe you should have thought it threw a bit more intensely. I have learned NEVER EVER tell your four-year-old that you "maybe"will do something. Unless of course, you know for positive that you are going to be able to do it. I made that mistake today. We headed out this morning to the rec center/park for tot time. Due to maintenance indoors, tot time was canceled and we decided to hit the outdoor play area. Which would have been great except for the 3 inches of rain that fell last night...creating muddy sand, mud puddles and wet grass. No I am not a clean freak...wait...yes I am. I have learned to let go of that a bit...however, I have three toddlers. There is s a reason they are called toddlers, and it is not because they walk gracefully. The triplets were able to swing a bit, and I did let them cruise around on foot, but the grass was gross, wet and muddy and I HATE sand! They were less than thrilled about going back into the stroller. I admit I am anal, but I have the right I guess. Three is two more than one and I was not in the mood to throw in an extra round of baths today! Every other day is plenty for me. Chloe was soaked head to toe and her shoes full of wet sand. Gross. We decided to venture to the ped mall and have a grilled cheese for lunch. Here is where the mistake comes into play. I mentioned to Chloe that we might (stressing on the "might" part) be able to run in the fountain after lunch and "IF" she was a good listener. You can imagine her excitement. Downtown was a bit crazy. Lots of people, students, workers and just your general public...starring at us...as usual. Just didn't seem to have the tolerance for it today. I am getting better with that too. Some days though I just want to take my children out and be normal, not a public scene. The listening skills were even less than I expected, so you guessed it by now...we did not run in the fountain. Instead, we had a tantrum all the way to the van. A literal meltdown. I feel in my heart I did the right thing, by not rewarding unwanted behaviors. I did not reward the non-listening. Let's face it, the type of listening I am talking about is, "stay with Mommy, please do not run too far ahead of me and please hold on to my hand or the stroller as we cross the busy street." All rules I feel well within her range of understanding. Not new rules. Not a surprise that I would tell her these things. However our ears needed a cleaning today. I felt like a horrible parent who had not an ounce of control. Embarrassing. Tiring. Frustrating. So we came home. She was fine as soon as we were in the van. All was forgotten and the fountain a distant memory. I know the onlookers will not remember us (I hope) and I know I am a good Mommy who is usually patient. But today I sure could have used a tub filled with warm sudsy water and a glass...ahem...bottle...of wine and maybe a sedative or three.