Note to self...30 min in the play center is not long enough for Lino!

Today started out pretty good...Lino slept til after 9 which was nice but it felt like 6am because I was still tired. So him and Shaun played in the bed while I dreamed of sleep...  Once we got up and I realized it was a super wet rainy day I wasn't sure if we were going to make it to the farmers market or not. Then I realized that Mike had left for work already which meant I didn't have a car...what's up with that??? I guess he saw that I needed the extra sleep which I did. And he texted me that he would come back to get me if I wanted the car so I guess I was set. I texted Martha to see if she was still in for the farmers market and to see if there was even going to be a market today and she set me straight about the rain..."this Ireland, they will move the market inside or to the car park" hahaha. Nice to know that events don't really get rained out here. But she had family over today so she couldn't make it so I was to go alone. So I decided to go to the coffee morning first then go to the market. 

Lino had 2 bowls of cereal for breakfast and we all got ready to go. Today was my first day driving the stick shift...even tho I drove a manual car for over 8yrs its been about 3yrs since I've driven one and having the stick on the left side was just scary to me. And on top of that it was raining so the nerve level was high. Mike and everyone else said that its like riding a bike...but as Mike knows the first time I road a bike after not riding a bike for several years I crashed like a 4yr old and tore up my hand and knees and everything... The quick version of this background story is that Nini and PopPop got Mikr a bike for Christmas in 2011 and the day after Christmas we took a long bike ride to the park and 1/2 way there I forgot how to stop the bike, panicked when I saw a car in my way and I crashed into a tree or curb (I can't remember exactly) and fell in my hands and knees...tore myself up...it was bad...Nike will never let me live that down. Anyway that's the background story... So basically that really isn't a good analogy for me but I get it.  So first lesson Mike was trying to give me was to explain how the reverse works. You have to press down the stick then move it into the reverse gear...weird but whatever. So he tells me this like 2x while I'm trying to get my seat belt on and my seat adjusted then the 3rd time he actually moves the stick to reverse and the car stalls out. Hr was laughing at me and was like, what happen? Did u take your foot off the clutch or something? You have to have the clutch down to go into reverse...hahahaha. I wasn't laughing...and I told him I wasn't trying to put the car into reverse and why would you put it in reverse if I'm driving??!! Idiot. Anyway I figured it out. It wasn't so bad, but Mike trying to tell me what gear to be in or shift to was a little annoying. I know that I was saying "I don't even know what gear I'm in" but it was a rhetorical statement...even tho I didn't know initially what gear I put the car in I figured it out by listening to the car...I was going to figure it out I just needed a few min. But he was trying to help I know but it really wasn't that helpful...sorry hun. So we made it to Pepsi with no troubles...whew! Mike put the address in to the GPS for the coffee morning that I was going to in Middleton and it was actually in there...so I had turn by turn instructions and I didn't have to try and read my instructions while driving a manual...thank God!  The GPS got me pretty close to where I was going, not exactly, so I was happy. We were about a hr late but it didn't seem to be an issue...thankfully. So I got to have a tea and a chat with some of the moms. The hostess made some amazing pastries. One of the cakes was so good and moist I had to get the recipe...can't wait to try it out when we get to our house. Lino seemed to have a good time too, played with the dump trucks and watched TV...his 2 favorite things. Then he decided he wanted to explore the upstairs portion of the house and I had to fight him to keep him downstairs. Eventually all the moms left and Lino was still eating his cake...true Lino form. He had convinced me that he was to get 2 cakes for going pee pee...I tried to trick him by cutting the one piece into 2 but that didn't work as well as I would have liked it to. Eventually I was able to convince him to take the 2 cut pieces instead of 2 full cakes...who would have known that a 3 yr old could be such a good negotiator.

So our next stop was to the market at the mall. I wasn't sure want I needed from the market but I knew I wanted to go and I wanted to see what this play area was like inside of the mall. So once we got there it had stopped raining...at least for that moment. So we walked around for like 5 min before Lino said he had to go potty...great...the toilets are all the way upstairs...I wasn't sure if we would make it in time. But thankfully we did but the toilets were closed because of some mess they had to clean up so that meant we had to wait in line to use the handicap one. While waiting Lino saw one of his favorite characters...Lightning McQueen and he had to ride it. Even tho he had to pee it was more of a priority to get a ride in the Lightning McQueen car then the go pee.  After a small tantrum I got him to pee but that meant I had to let him ride the car...I figured 1€ wouldn't kill me for a 1 min ride but when I saw it was 2€ u about lost it. I can't believe that little rinky dink car ride cost 2€. That is complete highway robbery...but I paid it...unbelievable. And all that stupid thing did was rock back and forth...it didn't evens or any sounds...such a rip off. But Lino liked it so I guess it was worth it...

Of course he wanted to ride it again but that wasn't happening. So we went back to the market but it was already 2:30 so I knew people were going to be packing up which they were. So there wasn't much there at that point, you really have to get there before noon to get the full selection but that was fine. I just got some sun dried tomatoes because they are amazing there and we went to the Tesco for some other little stuff. Then we headed to the play area. I wasn't sure what it was all about I just heard about it and kind of saw the area once when we were looking for a belt for Mike. So I go inside and I can tell its going to cost for himl to play, which was fine, the question was how much was it going to cost... When the lady told me 5€ for 30min I couldn't believe it. At the bounce house in Texas you can play for 3hrs for $6 and the one in the mall in Texas you can play all day for $8 so I couldn't believe it was 5€ for only 30min. If I could have left I would have but Lino had already got a glimpse at all the stuff and he wasn't leaving. So I figured I'd let him play for 30min then we would go...plus I didn't have anything to do while he was playing so I didn't want to just sit around for hours doing nothing. So he goes in and I went to the cafe just outside to play with Shaun. I would have took a picture but there were like 5 signs in the glass window that said no pictures...I guess that's to keep the perverts from taking pictures...which was cool with me. So the lady said I had to be back in 30min exactly or else they charge you extra...again, that is a little ridiculous but ok, so I get back right at 30min and of course Lino isn't ready to go. I knew he wouldn't be but I didn't think it would be too hard to get him to leave. So the lady goes to get him and he was kicking and fussing that he didn't way to leave. We finally got him out and I was trying to bend down to talk to him and put on his shoes when he pushed me and I went tumbling downing my butt...mind you I have Shaun wrapped to me too. There was a room full of parents and kids watching this and I could hear the gasps from the other moms. Oh boy, this is going to be bad. So I got up, I was fine and Shaun was totally unharmed, and I try to talk to him try to reason with him but he was out of his mind at that point. Then a kid came over and asked me if I wanted him to hold him (Lino) down while I put his shoes on him...I chuckled and was like sure...but I was only joking but the kid thought I was serious and went to hold him down...oh my goodness...what have I got myself into?!?!?  So I tell the kid thanks but I got it, even tho I totally didn't have it...I tried and tried but Lino was not listening, I even tried bribing him with more play time tomorrow but he didn't want to play tomorrow he wanted to play today (obviously)...after 5min of screaming a mom was like "do u want me to put his shoes on him for you?"  I couldn't believe I was that mom...I was so helpless and Lino was such a mess I didn't know what else to do...so I say yes Somehow she manages to get his shoes on him and she just gives me the look of sympathy maybe a little discuss too I couldn't exactly tell but I was surely embarrassed...so I said thank you like 5x and ran out the door...oh my goodness...what in the heck was I thinking??? 30 min isn't near enough time to let him play and I know it...why didn't I just let him stay? Why did I take him in the first place...so may questions but no good answer other than I'm stupid and that's what I get for not thinking that one thru. Honestly I don't think it would have mattered how long I let him play, it probably wasn't going to be long enough. Next time I'll have to come 30min or a hr before they close so that he has no choice but to leave because everyone is leaving...or maybe I just won't take him back...that might be a better idea. God help me I'm so stupid, that's what happens when your sleep deprived. So I take my kicking and screaming kid out of there and he will not walk so I'm carrying his big butt while Shaun is still strapped to me and I had to pull out the umbrella because it was raining again...those people must have thought I was crazy...they would have been correct in their assumptions.  And even tho my arm felt like it was going to fall off I made it to the car with 2 kids in my hands. Now some might ask why didn't I take the stroller or buggy if you're Irish...the simple answer is I forgot it but the real answer is that the tires need air and to be put on before I can use it and we haven't done that yet...that might be a priority for the weekend. So what a nightmare of an experience...I felt like I was just in a 10 round boxing match...and I got my ass kicked by a 3yr old. So after 15min of trying to get Lino I'm the car seat in the rain I realize that is going to be one of the things I hate about the rain...it takes Lino at least 15min to get into the car...every time. So that means its 15 min that I have to stand in the rain trying to get him in the seat...good grief. 

So we finally go home and I make Lino a snack, he finally got over the play center drama. We didn't have much time before we had to get Mike and if I had the strength I would have just stayed out the whole time instead of this back and forth stuff but like I said I was whooped.  Mike seemed to have had a good day...he actually did some work it seems. I think all he did was call the maintenance manager to the floor to help fix an issue but that's more than he's done in the last 4 weeks...so proud of him. Hahaha. No really, he's finally getting things to do other than training on things to do, it was an exciting day for him. He couldn't believe my afternoon and he was like "you should have let him play longer"...thanks Mike for the advice... :-0 The rest of our evening was fine until it was bed time and we had to fight with Lino again. This kid is determined to be the boss and have his way...sometimes I wonder if its worth it to fight with him but I just can't sit up with him until he's ready to go to sleep, especially when I know I'll be up with Shaun 3x in a night. I just need to get him back on his schedule and back to the routine and hopefully it will all work itself out. I hope so, for Lino's sake, Mike was in charge of putting him to bed tonight and after 10 min of crying and 15min of laying in the bed with him...Lino still wasn't sleep but mike was at his breaking point. I was just like, you've only been dealing with him got a few hrs, try doing it all day!!!  But finally he went to sleep, with me laying with him if course...it's a means to an end...right ??

Don't get me wrong, Lino sounds like a terror and he can be but really I think this is just part of the transition phase with the move, bring back with us vs bring with Nini & PopPop and still partially jet lagged. It's going to take time I know. But other than sleeping and play center drama, Lino has actually been really good and I'm so glad he's back home. He is so comical and he just keeps me laughing and on my toes all day. There is no one like him (except his father) and I'm blessed he's ours!  I just have to be smarter than him and these days that's not so easy...that kid is smart.  Can't wait to see how tomorrows night time routine goes...I wonder how long it will take for the neighbours to complain...hahaha.