If balloons didn't exist...

I would have been able to avoid two TOTAL meltdowns today, one at the mall and one at the grocery store. We're talking throwing himself on the floor and sobbing through the injustice of it all. Lately Oliver is just a crazy person when it comes to balloons. So at the mall today, he all the sudden started saying balloon, balloon and I was like maybe if I keep walking he will forget. Well, 6 stores down he finally couldn't take it and got out of his stroller, walked himself back 6 stores and pointed out to me what he wanted, an attached single balloon to a scrapbook store sign. So obviously I'm like, no I cannot steal this stores balloon Oliver, sorry. Meltdown. So I went to sit on a bench while he was working it out. Well it took a while and I felt bad afterwards and even offered him a treat after he had recovered to which he refused (that's when you know Ollie has really been offended- the refusal of sugar). As we all know that grocery store is filled with balloons and usually the good folks at Smith's get Ollie his own to carry around while I shop. Well lately there have been lost balloons that have floated to the ceiling. And to rub it in, these are the cool balloons with like 3-d images and nemo fish and all. So Oliver stands beneath them pointing and calling for action for someone to be 12 feet tall to get them down. So I tell him that mom is not that tall and I really do feel for him and maybe one day we can get a fancy balloon. No luck. Meltdown #2. And really I think it's not so much that he's crying cause he's not getting what he wants. He seems genuinely confused at why those balloons are stuck up there and bothered that no one can do anything about it, and he can't understand why. It's hard to be a little guy. So I let him have a good cry that lasted throughout the rest of our time at the store. But man, enough is enough and he got fired towards the end when my patience ran out. So I ignored him and tried to get through checkout. As he's crying in the aisle, a lady sees him and is like "oh let's find your mom". I was like, "oh I'm here, I'm just ignoring him". She gave me a funny look and kept walking. Yes folks, the ignoring method does work, although it may make your child look lost and abandoned at times. But mom's always watching. With all that said, I am hoping this infatuation is short lived.